COLONY (1987) - Bulldog Software (UK) - ZX Spectrum 48K Link: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0001014 COLONY is basically a strategy resource management game, not too dissimilar to some of today's popular RTS hits but focused on a smaller and more personal scale, to which the player can relate more intimately. The player controls a droid which has to keep a futuristic hydroponic farm colony running by managing its defenses against the constant threat of aggressive alien parasites eager to get at the plantations inside, and ensure successful seasonal harvests to generate the necessary revenue to buy more materials and weapons. Some of the tasks the player goes through include building and repairing fences of multiple kinds (wood, metal, barbed wire, shielded, energy beam...) which have different costs and different levels of effectiveness and durability against the bugs, some kinds also working better against specific bug species; manning energy cannons situated at key points around the farm's perimeter to gun down swarms of critters (which uses up generator power and must also be managed), planting crops, requesting supplies from Earth as needed, going mano a mano with any critters which managed to get inside the colony and stop them from devouring the crops, and so on. All of which is both complex and simple at the same time, and in short: great fun! The game actually wasn't too well received back in the day, mainly because: 1 - It was way ahead of its time; 2 - The ZX Spectrum 48K proved too limited a machine for the scope the game could have encompassed; 3 - Difficulty balance (too many aliens!) and user interface issues. None of which would be an issue with today's technology, and with the gameplay handled competently. Of course, a lot could be added to the original while keeping the same general gameplay principle. I strongly believe this could easily be a top game nowadays, both in terms of gameplay attractiveness and commercial success, and relatively simple to implement and develop by any studio experienced in RTS stuff (since coding and interface wise, all the foundations are pretty much already there). Call it the sci-fi Sim Farm of the XXIth century or just call it COLONY, your call Mr. Publisher... make it, and I'll buy it. :)
What about Body Harvest on the Nintendo 64? Without it, there wouldn't be any of the Grand Theft Auto games we know and love-the ability to use several weapons and wide varieties of cars made the game better than most third person shooters at the time. Its only flaw were the graphics (but we all know that good graphics don't make a good game).
I wonder if Rockstar (who made the game) will bring it back for the PS3?
Now that you bring up Bullfrog, i'd like to see a new Dungeon Keeper come out. I loved that game heaps but it's been sooooo long since the last one came out, i think it would be awsome if they made a new one.
See that's what I'm talking about, there's all these great games and ideas from past gaming generations which have long since been forgotten or which never got their due chance, and which could be brought back with modern gaming technology and resources to great effect. And by that, I'm NOT talking about making real-time FPS games using old name franchises, obviously ( :lol: ). I'm talking about doing it the right way, which means keeping the original gameplay mechanics and base ideas which made those classics so popular and with so much potential, and expanding on them.
What about Body Harvest on the Nintendo 64? Without it, there wouldn't be any of the Grand Theft Auto games we know and love-the ability to use several weapons and wide varieties of cars made the game better than most third person shooters at the time. Its only flaw were the graphics (but we all know that good graphics don't make a good game).
I wonder if Rockstar (who made the game) will bring it back for the PS3?
bats94
it would probably be a multiplat.
i actually just beat body harvest last week:lol: great game
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