Cannon Fodder

STORY / GAMEPLAY
The premise behind this game is simple: You take control of a special ops team that's spawned in a large variety of hostile territories and landscapes, on a search and destroy mission against enemy patrols, military bases, buildings and vehicles. The game is displaying Sensible Software's special sense of humor and uncanny ability to make wickedly playable games, so Cannon Fodder is funny and smart at the same time. Note: In fact, Cannon Fodder is far too smart for the media of the time who were outraged by the game's over-the-top comic violence and seemingly casual attitude towards war combat, all being clearly sarcastic. The available weapons for your team include the standard machine gun, grenades and bazookas. But advancing through the game you'll have to locate and take more explosive and powerful weapons. You will also have to be alerted at all times to avoid booby traps and ground artillery! During the mid 90s, no game could match Cannon Fodder's ingenious level design and delightful attention to detail. The simplicity of its controls is the ingredient that really makes things work and turns this game into a very addictive formula (much like the Sensible Soccer games). In addition, we should never forget the real message of this game: beneath the whimsical cartoon graphics the developers send us a message about the cost of war that will start to weigh down on you as the Boot Hill title-menu screen fills with memorials dedicated to your fallen troops whilst other new recruits keep coming...for more!

GRAPHICS / SOUND
Technically the game looks great, offering a style of visuals that seems as being borrowed from Sensible Soccer and Power Monger together! Each level's details vary from hostile jungles and snowy wastelands to fortresses and hot deserts! The game's sprites -though tiny- look fantastic and they move smoothly on your screen. There are also several nice animated scenes i.e. when you demolish buildings that are easily smashed into several pieces around the screen. Cannon Fodder's sound is absolutely perfect and probably one of the most remembered since it features an awesome "funky" intro song (with vocals from Sensible Software themselves) as well as an array of digitized sound FX during gameplay (like soldier hilariously screaming when shot, gunfire, ambient jungle or water sounds and many more). Cannon Fodder is one of the best games on the Amiga, hands down!