Z - classic RTS by Bitmap Brothers

EvaUnit02 on 9/5/2014 at 21:29

I loved Z in primary school. It was uber-hard though and I never beat it. An innovative RTS that was way ahead of its time (territory control would become the focus of recent RTSes like Dawn of War). II just saw that it's coming to Steam!
(http://store.steampowered.com/app/275530/)
BUT I see that the developer (http://www.ticktockgames.com/) TickTock Games also made the (http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/games/z-origins-the-classic-rts-now-on-android/) mobile ports. I hope that we get a fully optimised PC game and not a bastardised mobile port.

WingedKagouti on 10/5/2014 at 10:18

Z had a DOS version, so unless they want to reinvent the wheel they're probably going to use some sort of DOSBox wrapper.

Zerker on 10/5/2014 at 11:13

Those aren't Dos Screenshots. Looks the same as the recent Android version (as EvaUnit02 already pointed out).

icemann on 10/5/2014 at 16:21

I remember buying and soon after giving this game a try many years ago not long after it's original release, and I absolutely hated it.

I did give the game a good try, but it just didn't gel with me. Maybe I was too used to Command and Conquer / Dark Reign style games at the time as I didn't like the style of it. Unlike many RTS games of the time, Z went for a far more wacky non serious tone which I wasn't a fan either, as I far more liked RTS games with rich story lines and more serious settings.

Didn't help that I got my ass handed to me quite early on.

Weird as I love many of the Bitmap brothers games. Xenon 2 for example I absolutely loved to death on the Sega Master System.

SubJeff on 10/5/2014 at 23:14

I have friends who liked Z but I was never into RTSs and still aren't.

The Bitmap Bros make me sad/nostalgic. Games I loved - Xenon, Xenon 2, Gods, The Chaos Engine, Cadaver (though I never finished and wish it would get remade), Speedball 1 and 2. Basically I played and loved all of them except Z and Magic Pockets. Magic Pockets was okay-ish but after Gods it was bad.

What happened to them? They were so, so good. And the games have such different genres. Cadaver was, as far as I'd played it, a great puzzle/adventure game.

PigLick on 11/5/2014 at 05:12

Speedball 2 is available on Steam as a HD remake, its pretty much exactly the same game, and stands up quite well. Good fun.

SeriousToni on 11/5/2014 at 19:05

Why has this version no level editor? :(

Nameless Voice on 13/5/2014 at 14:20

I seem to recall getting to the last level, but it was too hard for me at the time and I never finished it.

As for The Bitmap Brothers - I guess bitmaps aren't so useful in a world of 3D?

There are remakes of The Chaos Engine and Speedball on Steam, but I'm not sure if any of the original dev teams were involved.
Looks like those designers have moved on to mobile games now.

EvaUnit02 on 13/5/2014 at 21:12

Anything resembling an actual dev team was probably laid off many years ago and the owners of the company have just been licensing out their old IPs.

You know, I'd have far more respect for Team17 if they were in the same position. As it is they're like the mini-Activision of Great Britain.

icemann on 14/5/2014 at 00:13

Good old Alien Breed.