Cannon Fodder

About

You lead a squad of soldiers through 72 missions across jungle, snow and desert biomes. Point and click to direct troops as they battle waves of enemies vehicles and fortified structures. Each soldier dies in a single hit forcing you to balance risk and resource management. Grenades and rockets are scarce so you must decide whether to grab ammo crates or let them explode to clear threats. Missions require splitting your squad to handle multiple fronts while avoiding hazards like quicksand and minefields. The challenge lies in outthinking the enemy rather than overpowering them. The game’s darkly comedic take on war drew mixed reactions critics weren’t all in agreement but Amiga publications consistently rated it near perfection. Over 90% scores were common with Amiga Action declaring it the best game of 1993. Its blend of tactical positioning and real time action ahead of its time still resonates. The 23 mission structure with varied terrain and escalating enemy strength offers lasting replay value without feeling repetitive.

Storyline

Cannon Fodder is a military-themed action game with strategy and shoot 'em up elements. The player controls a small squad of up to five soldiers. These soldiers are armed with machine guns which kill enemy infantry with a single round. The player's troops are similarly fragile, and while they possess superior fire-power at the game's outset, the enemy infantry becomes more powerful as the game progresses. As well as foot soldiers, the antagonists include vehicles such as Jeeps, tanks and helicopters as well as missile-armed turrets. The player must also destroy buildings which spawn enemy soldiers. For these targets, which are invulnerable to machine gun fire, the player must utilise secondary, explosive weaponry: grenades and rockets. Ammunition for these weapons is limited and the player must find supply crates to replenish his troops. Wasting these weapons can potentially result in the player not having enough to fulfil the mission objectives. The player can opt to shoot crates - destroying enemy troops and buildings in the ensuing explosion - at less risk to his soldiers than retrieving them, but again at a greater risk of depleting ammunition. The player proceeds through 23 missions divided into several levels each, making 72 levels in all. There are various settings including jungle, snow and desert, some with unique terrain features and vehicles such as igloos and snowmobiles. The player must also contend with rivers (crossing which soldiers are slowed and cannot fire) and quicksand as well as mines and other booby traps. In addition to shooting action, the game features strategy elements and employs a point-and-click control system more common to strategy than action games.[9] As the player's troops are heavily outnumbered and easily killed, he must use caution, as well as careful planning and positioning. To this end, he can split the squad into smaller units to take up separate positions or risk fewer soldiers when moving into dangerous areas.