Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen

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Ogre Battle:
The March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle.jpg
Developer(s)Quest
Publisher(s)Super NES
Sega Saturn
PlayStation
Designer(s)Yasumi Matsuno
Artist(s)Akihiko Yoshida
Composer(s)Masaharu Iwata
Hitoshi Sakimoto
Hayato Matsuo
SeriesOgre Battle
Platform(s)Super NES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Mobile
Release
March 12, 1993
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing
Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, known as Densetsu no Ogre Battle[a] in Japan, is a real-time tactical role-playing video game developed by Quest and released in Japan in 1993, and in 1995 in North America for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first installment of the Ogre Battle series. It was directed by Yasumi Matsuno, and designed by Matsuno with Akihiko Yoshida.[1] The story of Ogre Battle focuses on a band of rebels as they lead a revolution against a corrupt reigning Empire, ruled by an evil Empress.

Ogre Battle was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, with enhancements made to the original gameplay. It was later released for Virtual Console, and mobile phones. A successor, titled Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, was released in Japan in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Gameplay[]

Top: Moving across the stage map.
Bottom: A battle scene taking place.
(SNES version showcased)

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen begins in the outskirts of the Zeteginan Empire, twenty-four years after the founding of the empire through conquest. The main character is leading a revolution against this empire, which has turned to evil through the use of black magic by the mage Rashidi.

The game begins with the seer Warren using tarot cards to ask a series of questions to determine the player's suitability as leader of the revolution. There are several questions out of a fixed set which are randomly asked, each of which is associated with one of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards of divinatory tarot. Each question has three possible answers: one righteous, one evil, and one neutral. After the player finishes answering the questions, Warren wishes luck for the revolution and the game begins. The player's answers to these questions determine the Lord's (main character) abilities and starting units.

Ogre Battle mixes movement elements of a real-time tactics game with the character development and combat of a role-playing game. The game consists of a series of battles in which the player deploys units to fight against enemies and liberate occupied towns and temples. A variety of character types can be recruited, ranging from common to rare, many of whom can change class with experience points. As a result, the character will either evolve or become an entirely new soldier with different abilities.

Potential recruits consist of several historical and mythological figures, including knights, ninjas, wizards, angels, griffins, witches, and others. The player is free to organize multiple units of five fighters or fewer, with the limit being lower when larger characters are present. Additionally, time passes on the tactical map, alternating between day and night. In accordance with this element, vampires and werewolves will only be seen in the evening, with the former appearing in coffins during the day, and the latter appearing as normal men.

Each stage has a boss whose defeat signals the completion of the mission. Both during and after the stage, towns and temples can be visited to gain information or items. The game also features an alignment system, both for the revolution as a whole (reputation) and for individual characters (alignment and charisma). These parameters are influenced by how the game is played.

There are twenty-five main stages in the game, with some variation possible in how the stages are played. There are also four hidden stages accessible through the main game with an additional stage as an easter egg.[2] The game can be completed without finishing all the stages. There are thirteen different endings to the main game, depending on the conduct of the player during the course of the game.[1]

Modes of play[]

Ogre Battle has two main modes of play, the world map and the tactical map. On the world map, the player can manage their characters, changing their class, re-ordering them into different units, and erasing them. The player can also save and load the game, as well as manage items. In addition, the world map is where the player chooses the next stage, which can either be an already completed stage or a new stage.

Tactical map[]

When the player has selected a stage, action shifts to the tactical map. Here, the player can deploy units and move them around. Each unit has a cost associated with it, which must be paid to deploy the unit and every day at noon thereafter. There is a limit on the number of units that can be deployed at one time. Characters with high alignment fight better during the day, while those with low alignment fight better at night. There are also towns and temples that can be liberated by units. Upon liberation, a random tarot card is drawn, which can affect either the liberating unit's statistics, the statistics of all units on the battlefield or the reputation parameter. In addition, liberated towns provide income every noon, which can be used to buy items (some towns have shops that can be used when a unit is stationed there) or pay for unit costs. In addition, there are often hidden towns, temples, or items that can be found by moving a unit close to the appropriate location.

Battle[]

Each stage has a number of enemy units that attempt to re-capture the player's towns and temples. If a player's unit gets too close to an enemy unit, a battle ensues. During a battle, the view shifts to a close-up view of the two combatant units. Characters alternate taking actions with the battle ending after one round of combat (many units can attack multiple times per round). The unit that caused the most damage is the victor and forces the other unit to retreat.

During a battle, a player does not directly control their unit, but selects a tactic for the unit to follow (Best, Strong, Weak, Leader), which the characters follow when choosing whom to attack. The player can also use stored tarot cards, which can cause damage or have a special effect. The Lovers card will cause all affected enemies to fight for the player; the Moon card will change the formation of the enemy unit, causing them to attack differently; the Fool card will remove all enemies but the leader from battle. The player also has the option of retreating from any encounter.

Alignment[]

The game uses a moral alignment system that not only affects the gameplay but also where tactical and strategic decisions affect the outcome of a non-linear branching storyline, which is affected by several factors, such as the moral alignments of the troops used to liberate a city, whether to keep certain liberated cities guarded, making popular or unpopular decisions, concentrating power among just a few units, making deals with thieves, and a general sense of justice. These factors lead to one of 13 possible endings, alongside other factors, such as how many and which units are used, how battles are fought, the army's reputation, player character's alignment and charisma, and secrets discovered.[1][3]

In Ogre Battle, alignment indicates how good or evil a character is. The scale runs from 0 to 100; the higher the number, the more 'good' the character is. When characters with high alignment liberate towns, it will raise the player's reputation (although a high charisma is also recommended). Characters with high alignment will be weak against dark attacks but strong against white attacks. They will fight better in the day and worse at night. Alignment can be raised by defeating enemies whose level is higher than the player's, defeating ghosts and other dark creatures, and drawing tarot cards that raise the alignment statistic. When the player's alignment is high, it is (somewhat counter-intuitively) recommended not to exceed the level of his or her foes. Alignment will drop when the player defeats high alignment characters, such as clerics and angels, or characters of a lower level. Thus, it is important for players who want to keep a high alignment to keep the fights "fair".

Low alignment characters are considered more "evil". Consequently, they fight better at night and are weak against light attacks. Liberating towns with these types of characters will lower the player's reputation (especially if they possess a low charisma statistic). A player whose alignment is relatively high will not necessarily be penalized for employing units of low-alignment soldiers; rather, a mix of high- and low-alignment fighters results in the most potent fighting force. Provided the player keeps low- and high-alignment characters in their own separate units, and only liberates towns with high-alignment units, he or she can still see the best ending. Conversely, one who wishes to drop his alignment can continually capture towns with a few high-level, low-alignment units. For example, one can employ a few decidedly low-alignment units to slaughter enemy units, reserving high-alignment units for liberation purposes only.

Classes[]

One of the most important aspects of Ogre Battle is the class system. Each character has a class that determines the characteristics of that character. There are several different classes available in Ogre Battle, but any given character is limited to a subset of class changes depending on their race. For instance, human characters can either be male (fighter) or female (amazon). There are also dragons, wyrms, pumpkins, angels, giants, hellhounds, octopuses, hawk men, demons, griffins, mermaids, golems and undead class trees. Within a tree, there are usually level, alignment, and often charisma requirements. In addition, some classes also require the use of a special item. Finally, the two human class trees are unique in that they have the most branches in their tree and characters can be demoted to move along a different path.

Apart from statistic increases at level-up, a character's class also determines how the character moves and fights. Each character has a terrain type where they move fastest and fight the best (some classes also get additional attacks), with flying characters able to move quickly over all terrain. In addition, each class has a set of attacks characters can perform, ranging from physical attacks targeting one opponent to magical attacks targeting a whole unit.

Plot[]

Twenty-five years prior to the beginning of the game, Empress Endora conquered the continent of Zetegenia. During her reign, a resistance organization called the Liberation Army forms to free the continent from her rule.

At the beginning of the game, the protagonist, whose name, gender, and other characteristics are chosen by the player, takes command of the Liberation Army. Throughout the course of the game, the protagonist is joined by various other characters, such as Lans Hamilton, a knight who served the king of Zenobia until the king's death; Warren Moon, a wizard with the ability to divine the future; Tristan, the rightful prince of Zenobia; and many others.

After the Empress is slain, it is discovered that she was manipulated by Rashidi, a dark wizard in the Empress’ employ. The protagonist defeats him, but before Rashidi dies, he uses his blood to release Demundza, the king of the Underworld who was sealed away after the first great Ogre Battle. The protagonist and their army manage to seal Demundza away again before he can become too powerful. There are multiple outcomes to the story depending on various factors such as the protagonist's alignment, their reputation, and which characters they choose to recruit.

Development[]

The dark political narrative of the game revolving around the reality of war was inspired by series originator Yasumi Matsuno's outside perspective on events that unfolded during the Yugoslav Wars in the early 1990s, including the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.[4] He was also inspired by the rock band Queen's second album, which contained songs titled "Ogre Battle" and "The March of the Black Queen", to name this game.[5] Similarly, the "Rhyan Sea" in the Ogre Battle world is a reference to the song "Seven Seas of Rhye" which concludes the album.[5]

The next game in the series, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, was similarly named after a song on the album A Day at the Races.[6]

Releases[]

Super NES[]

Enix only distributed 25,000 copies of the Super NES version in North America.[7] Consequently, it became a collector's item, with unboxed cartridges selling for over $150 each in 1997.[8] In Japan the game was published by developer Quest.

Sega Saturn[]

The Japan-only Sega Saturn version, released in 1996, features voice acting during encounters with bosses and potential recruits. The combatants have also been given a slight graphical overhaul. In addition, this version replaces the gray and yellow units on the map screen with more colorful and detailed sprites. It also includes a third viewpoint on the tactical map, allowing a more direct overhead view.[9]

PlayStation[]

The PlayStation version, which received an English release in 1997, features enhanced battle graphics not seen in the Sega Saturn edition, including new spell effects and shifting camera angles.[7] This version also features larger text boxes. It lacks the voice acting and graphical detail for the units that was included in the Saturn game. It adds the ability to save at any point (the Super NES version only allows saving at the end of each chapter).[8]

It was released along with Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together in 1997 with the name of Ogre Battle: Limited Edition.

Nintendo Power Cartridge[]

In 1998, an updated edition of the Super NES version was released by Quest as a download for the Nintendo Power Cartridge in Japan. Twenty years later an English fan translation was released for this edition.

Other[]

The Super NES version was re-released in North America on the Wii's Virtual Console on March 2, 2009 for 800 Nintendo points ($8).[10] It was also released as an import in the PAL regions on July 3. A version of the game was also released for iMode mobile phones in Japan on September 1, 2010 with additional maps available for download.[11] The game was released for Wii U's Japanese Virtual Console in November 2013 and on August 2017 for New Nintendo 3DS's Japanese Virtual Console.

Reception[]

The game received generally positive reviews from critics. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Super NES version a rave review, applauding the graphics, music, combination of genres, hidden items, and the feature which defines the player character based on answers to the questions at the beginning, remarking that this creates "a different adventure each time".[14] GamePro's Scary Larry gave it a mixed review, commenting that the game is "unique", but that the gameplay consists largely of tedious war simulation management, offering no direct control over the combat. He also criticized the overly small battle view.[35] A reviewer for Next Generation commented that the graphics are simplistic and unimpressive but clear and easy to follow, the music is excellent, the interface is accessible, "and above all, the game play poses a serious strategic challenge".[29]

Johnny Ballgame of GamePro gave the PlayStation version a positive review, commenting that "the gameplay and story line are identical" to the Super NES version but the audio has been remastered with "a movie-like musical score". He concluded that, with "13 endings, engrossing gameplay, and a wizard's bag full of secrets, Ogre Battle is a must-buy for RPG fans, whether or not you played the 16-bit version".[36] Electronic Gaming Monthly commented that the PlayStation version is a "demanding strategy game loaded with secrets".[15]

Ogre Battle was rated the 180th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[34]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Japanese: 伝説のオウガバトル, Hepburn: Densetsu no Ōga Batoru, "Legendary Ogre Battle"

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ogre Battle Archived 2008-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, RPGFan, accessed 2011-02-25
  2. ^ "Video Game Tricks". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 218.
  3. ^ Parish, Jeremy. "PlayStation Tactics". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  4. ^ Parish, Jeremy (February 8, 2011). "Let Us Remember Together: A Tactics Ogre Retrospective". 1UP. Archived from the original on 2013-03-19.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b East, Tom (2009-07-03). "New Nintendo Downloads". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  6. ^ Gudmundson, Carolyn. "5 reasons Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together looks awesome". gamesradar. Archived from the original on 2017-07-13. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Bartholow, Peter (1997-12-03). "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 18, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ogre Battle: A Second Chance to Save the Empire". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. September 1997. p. 116.
  9. ^ "About Ogre Battle". fantasyanime.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  10. ^ USA VC Update: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
  11. ^ "Ogre Battle Goes Mobile". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  12. ^ "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen for Super Nintendo". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  13. ^ "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "Review Crew: Ogre Battle". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 70. Sendai Publishing. May 1995. p. 32.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Electronic Gaming Monthly, 1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide, page 73
  16. ^ Whitehead, Dan (2009-07-26). "Virtual Console Roundup Review • Page 1 •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  17. ^ Ne.jp Archived 2018-02-01 at the Wayback Machine Famitsu 1993 review scores (in Japanese), accessed on March 17, 2018
  18. ^ Meisaku Game Archived 2018-04-05 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese), accessed on March 17, 2018
  19. ^ Meisaku Game Archived 2017-07-03 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese), accessed on March 17, 2018
  20. ^ Ne.jp Archived 2018-01-29 at the Wayback Machine Famitsu 1996 review scores (in Japanese), accessed on March 17, 2018
  21. ^ Weekly Famitsu, issue 413, page 31
  22. ^ Ogre Battle, Game Informer, August 1997
  23. ^ Ogre Battle, Game Informer, April 1995
  24. ^ Halverson, Dave; Rox, Nick; Lee, K. (April 1995). "Viewpoint". GameFan. Vol. 3 no. 4. pp. 18–9.
  25. ^ "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Review". IGN. 2009-03-05. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  26. ^ "Ogre Battle". IGN. 1997-08-08. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  27. ^ Dillard, Corbie (2009-03-03). "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Review - SNES". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Nintendo Power, volume 71 (April 1995), pages 103 & 105
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b "Strategic". Next Generation. No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. p. 101.
  30. ^ "RPGFan Reviews - Ogre Battle". Archived from the original on 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  31. ^ "RPGFan Reviews - Ogre Battle". Rpgfan.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  32. ^ "Sega Saturn Soft Review". Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) (in Japanese). Vol. 19. Japan: Softbank. November 8, 1996. p. 232.
  33. ^ Joypad (in French). December 1996.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power. Vol. 200. February 2006. pp. 58–66.
  35. ^ Scary Larry (March 1995). "Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen". GamePro. No. 68. IDG. p. 119.
  36. ^ GamePro, issue 108 (September 1997), page 120

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