Retro Strategy Games

[jaybird]

I'm really into the GameBoy Advance's slew of strategy games. Advance Wars 1 & 2, Fire Emblem, Onimusha Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Tactics Ogre - I've played & beat them all.

What retro games are similar to these? I want to go back & play some of the classics because I apparently missed out on an entire genre.

Sorry if this has been covered before, but "Search" didn't turn up anything.

[Mayhem]

C64 Laser Squad and Lords of Chaos are good places to start...

[chrisbid]

Sega's Shining Force Series :)

Arc the Lad collection on PSX

[Mr. Smashy]

I'm partial to some of the X-Com and Jagged Alliance games myself.

[Bratwurst]

Military Madness for the TG-16 / Nectaris for the Playstation is the awesome predecessor to Advance Wars.

[SKVermin]

Herzog Zwei for the Sega Genesis.

[Daria]

NES:
Conflict

Genesis:
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Warsong
Gemfire

GameGear:
Shining Force Sword of Hajya
Crystal Warriors

Sega CD:
Shining Force CD
Master of Monsters

Saturn:
Dragon Force
Shining Force 3
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[IntvGene]

Well, there are tons of great games in this genre.. too many to list. But, some of the great ones have already been mentioned.

Here are some more pure turn-based strategy ones that I can immediately think of:

Iron Storm (SAT)
Fantasy General (PC)
Faselei (NGP)
Ogre (C64, A8)
Nobunaga's Ambition (PC, SNES, Gen, etc.)

Then, there are ones that blend strategy with management:

Master of Orion 1 & 2 (PC)
Master of Magic (PC)
Civilization (PC, others)

And if you really want to go into the real time strategy, there are many many more. Koei has made a great set of the earlier strategy games, if you can get a hold of them.

[jaybird]

Looks like I'm going to have to expand my console collection to play some of the good ones. I've never owned a Saturn, Sega CD, C64, TG-16 or NGP.

I guess that explains why I missed out on the genre growing up.

Besides Nobunaga's Ambition, did the SNES miss out entirely?

[Daria]

Besides Nobunaga's Ambition, did the SNES miss out entirely?

There's Ogre battle. But most of them were Japanese like:

Tactics Ogre
Monstania
Front Mission
FEDA
Fire Emblem
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[hydr0x]

the whole "General" series for PC, including Panzer General 1/2/3D/4,Fantasy General, Pacific Admiral, Star General (sucks) and perhaps also Allied General, i'm confused due to the german<->english game name differences

you should also really try Jagged Alliance 1&2, Ufo: Enemy Unknown and X-Com:Terror from the Depp too

[Aussie2B]

You could try Shingen the Ruler on NES. It's cheap and pretty cool.

If you like Tactics Advance, you should obviously play Final Fantasy Tactics on PSX if you haven't already. I think it's much better than the sequel, anyway. Also, you should try out the rest of the Ogre series. Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre are both on SNES (well, technically Tactics Ogre is on Super Famicom since it's Japanese only), but you can also play both on PSX in English (note that they're a tad pricey, though). Ogre Battle 64 is a wonderful game, and it also was released in the US. Finally, there was an Ogre Battle title on NGPC, but I know next to nothing about it (besides that it's Japan-only).

You could try Vandal Hearts 1 and 2 on PSX (the first one is also on Saturn in Japan only). I've never played the second title, but I love the first. Just prepare for some CRAPPY graphics, lame characters, and a dumb plot.

I could recommend much, much more, but most of my favorites are Japanese-only...

[Mayhem]

C64 for sure... there's a slew of fantasy, strategy and thinking games out there by SSI, SSG, Interplay, Origin, Blade etc. Fortunately you can get most of them online and play them in emulators :)

[slip81]

The one's I like that have not been mentioned so far:

Vandal Hearts PSX
Command & Conquer PC
Starcraft PC
Warcraft PC
and a company called Atlus released a bunch for the PSX, some of them were pretty good, but I can't remembers the names of any of them right now.
also I think Actraiser (SNES) was a strategy game

[WiseSalesman]

I know they're not retro, but...

Definitely play the original Final Fantasy Tactics for PSX, as it kicks the living crap out of the piece-of-chit disappointment that was FFTA.

In addition, Disgaea for PS2 currently has me spellbound.

Oh, and no matter how good anyone tells you it is, avoid Kartia for the PSX like your life depended on it.

[SoulBlazer]

Besides all the great games allready mentioned, Working Designs released a few strategy games like Vasteel and Vanguard Bandits that are really fun to play, Super Conflict for the SNES, and all of Koei's games like PTO, Nobunaga's Ambition, Gengis Khan, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liberty or Death, Areboiz, etc. (some of these are not turn based strategy/RPG but are still hell of games. :D )

[Daria]

I'm so dumb I completely forgot Dark Wizard for the Sega CD
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[tom]

Artillery Duel (Xonox) on VCS
Combat (VCS)

[jaybird]

In addition, Disgaea for PS2 currently has me spellbound.

I just started playing Disgaea last night. I bought it about a month ago & told myself not to play it until I finished Ninja Gaiden.

Now, La Pucelle: Tactics is right around the corner & I'll want to play that right away as well. @_@

[tom]

Star Saga: one (Masterplay) (PC)
Star Saga: two (Masterplay) (PC)
Balance of Power (Mac, ST, Amiga)
Star Fleet 1 (interstel) (XE, C-64)

Invasion (1972 game on Magnavox Odyssey)

[NE146]

My favorites in that genre:

Military Madness
Shining Force Series (oh yes) :D
Advance Wars

I do also recommend Vandal Hearts for the psx too. Not as cumbersome or hard to get into as other in the genre (like FF Tactics) but still lots of fun nonetheless.. Plus, the blood spray in the game is kinda cool :P

[hydr0x]

The one's I like that have not been mentioned so far:

Vandal Hearts PSX
Command & Conquer PC
Starcraft PC
Warcraft PC
and a company called Atlus released a bunch for the PSX, some of them were pretty good, but I can't remembers the names of any of them right now.
also I think Actraiser (SNES) was a strategy game

heeellooo? he was talking about tactics strategy games, not real-time or whatever, these are completely different games....

[maxlords]

I'd also recommend:

Master of Monsters (Genesis)
Dune: Battle for Arakis (Genesis)

Vasteel (Turbo Duo)
Neo Nectaris (PC Engine, Jp only)

Front Mission 3 (PSX)
Front Mission 4 (PS2...forthcoming)
Vanguard Bandits (PSX)

I'd also recommend the Dynasty Tactics series, but they're quite simplistic. I can't recommend X-Com: UFO Defense enough though! That's my favorite strategy game ever (the Euro one is called Enemy Unknown). Most everything else I'd mention has already been covered!

[Satan Claus]

Battle Isle 1 + 2 (PC)
Incubation (PC)
Historyline 1914-1928 (PC)
Gameboy Wars (GB)

[SoulBlazer]

Oh, it's not really RETRO, but Ring of Red for the PS2 is promised to keep you busy for a LONG time. LOL

[hydr0x]

Battle Isle 1 + 2 (PC)
Incubation (PC)


don't forget Battle Isle 3, although 1 and 2 are superior

Incubation is Battle Isle IV btw...

oh and a future game you should get:

Cube Wars (Gamecube)

[Aussie2B]

And Fire Emblem for GameCube, though it's still up in the air if it'll get a US release or not.

[maxlords]

I almost forgot one of the best!

M.A.X: Mechanized Assault and Xploration for PC! Amazing game!