Cannon Fodder is the game that first sparked my interest in the Amiga computer, I've owned Cannon Fodder for the PC also, but the sound and graphics were never a patch on the Amiga version.
Your task is to lead soldiers into battle from a top-down viewpoint, and to complete several missions.
The learning curve isn't too sharp in the first game (Cannon Fodder 2 is tricky from the very beginning) But the early missions aren't so easy as to be boring. This game will keep you coming back time and again, with its funky music, and extremely addictive gameplay.
There are a few weapons to choose from, all soldiers carry machine guns, but there are also Grenades (Handy for blowing up the enemy bases, which resemble wooden sheds) and Rocket Launchers.
Unfortunately there's no multiplayer, which is a bit of a downer but we have to remember this game is getting on in its years now, but is still as great as ever without multiplayer. The graphics are 'Nice' Even on a VGA machine, the terrain is varied, for example not all missions are fought in the Jungle, like at the beginning. It then goes on to snow (And Desert, I believe, though I never got too far because of the difficulty) And apparently one of the last, or maybe hidden levels is on
a space ship (Correct me if I'm wrong, of course).
The game was also released for the Amiga CD32, and maybe other platforms. The controls are still useable on a gamepad, but I've found the best way is with a Mouse. You are assigned a maximum number of troops, so if you lose too many, the game is over, however the more missions you pass, the more extra reinforcements you receive.
It is fortunate indeed that this game is now available as a free download as copies of it are becoming more and more hard to find, even on the likes of Ebay. I'm not too sure about the PC version (I last bought mind for £5 in a budget range, some years ago) But the Amiga version regularly fetches £20 and upwards on Ebay, I certainly paid more than that for mine, but it's such a great and iconic game it was worth every penny. This game also spawned a lot of clones, and I believe may have built the foundations for some of today’s great real time strategy games, the likes of Commandos and so on.
Get this game, you certainly won't regret it, just be sure you've plenty of free time, a good mouse and a patient girlfriend.
War's never been so much fun!
Robert
