BugLord by BigBrainGames, Price: $17.99 (Palm), $19.99 (Pocket PC)
Reviewed April 2003

From the first time I saw the demo of BugLord at the Game Developers Conference, I knew I had to get this game. I’ve played adventure games as bugs, but never in an RTS (Real Time Strategy). Only after you’ve got your hands dirty and crushed a few bugs, will you realize how much fun this can be. Developed by BigBrainGames, BugLord takes you to a world where ants don’t invade your kitchen, but rather armed with missiles and courage, slug it out against other bug tribes, sometimes bigger than their own. And the result? It’s just smashing!

Game Play

The game play of BugLord follows the classic RTS pattern. You build bug colonies, produce various bug units including ant soldiers, workers, fire ants with missiles, Tarantulas, Scorpions and more, then attack and destroy the rival bug’s nest. While protecting your Queen’s Den at all cost, you must gather resource and build an Armory, Web, Venom Sac, Fire Pit and more, with which you will produce various types of bugs as your forces. In addition to fighting skills, there are some bugs that can also build defensive structures. The fire ants can build fire hills, which act like missile firing towers. The spiders can build webbed-walls, which will block an attacking army.

AI and Control

The AI of the bugs is on target for the most part, although you might find some eager buggers will run in circles if there are too many roadblocks. There is a very nice touch in the AI where the bugs will panic and run wildly when they are attacked by stronger enemies or lost the Hero leader. When the bugs get hurt badly enough, they will rush back to the Queen’s Den to recover. You can group the bugs to give them instructions or put them at waypoints to explore the map or invade enemy territory. There are various unique terrains including desert, grass, forest and swamp, all covered under the Fog of War. You can control the game with a combination of stylus for building and moving units, and hardware buttons for scrolling the map.

Graphics

The graphics are beautifully done in “bug world” style. The environment is created for you to see and explore through a bug’s eye. A lost button or a nickel might look bigger than your biggest bug in the fleet. The gorgeous looking and detailed setting is designed to contrast with the ugly bug carnage you’ll see after being smashed by the enemy. Each type of bug has its own unique look and movement, and if you are lucky enough to build heroes, you will get a fearless and furious face displayed in your unit-building screen. The game interface is simple but very intuitive and easy to use even in the heat of the battle. There is a narrow resource bar on top of the game window showing your resources, and there is a small map and building screen at the bottom of the game window.

Sound and System Support

If you are a gamer with a thirst for great sounds, you will feast on this game’s sound FX. The background tracks will bring you to the tropical islands and the sound effects will help to create a realistic bug kingdom. You will be treated to all kinds of bug buzzing noises: splatting bugs crushed in the battle, missiles whistling and much more. BugLord is available for Windows, Pocket PC ARM/Xscale and Palm OS.

Sneak Peak at First Expansion Pack

Not only will you see a map editor, but also BigBrainGames is working on expansion packs. There will be additional bugs units, new structures and fresh terrain selections. The new bugs will include Ant Lion acting as landmine, Water Beetle for HO2 battles, Cargo Beetle for transporting troops behind enemy lines. You will see a new type of structure called Medi Cocoon, which heals your bug units. You will also see colony upgrades as well as more AI upgrades along with some brand new missions and maps!

Conclusion

This refreshing RTS game showcases an incredibly creative idea and original game design. The visuals are beautiful and the audio is satisfying. The 1.0 release already looks very polished with expansion pack and multiplayer mode on the horizon. The only major issue I experienced was a performance slow down after a few missions into the game. We are told this will be addressed in the next release. So, if splatting bugs doesn’t bother you, step into this bug world and show those insects what you are made of!

BugLord for Palm OS

BugLord for Pocket PC

Pocket PC