Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (Super Nintendo, 1993)

Ogre Battle is one of the most innovative and addictive strategy games to date. The game incorporates both real time and turn based elements, and does so effectively.

In a typical battle you deploy and control “units” which each contain a number of characters. You direct your units on the map to liberate cities, towns, and temples. This allows you to “draw” a tarot card which can later be used in battle. When one of your units meets with an enemy unit you engage them in battle; this is the one flaw in the entire game. These battles are turn based but you have no control over your units; you can either pick which tactics your units should use, or you can use tarot cards which have “magic” like effects. This can be very frustrating because your units won’t always do what you want them to do. The other complaint I have is that managing your forces can be frustrating because of the menu system.

Ogre battle is very non-linear because you are given many optional battles to fight. There are also towns and cities on every map that you must discover to gain additional tarot cards or items; gameplay can be very fun and addictive. There were times when I simply could not stop playing the game, regardless of the problems described above.

Despite its flaws, Ogre Battle is an excellent, fun, and challenging game and is a must have for strategy RPG fans. If you are not in to RPGs or strategy games, this game is not for you.

Pros:
- Addicting strategy game
- Optional battles
- Character customization

Cons:
- Little control during combat

One of the rarest and most sought after games, Enix's Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen is another great title for the legendary Super Nintendo System. Ogre Battle came in early 1993 and introduced the American audience with a system of gameplay which consisted of a unique blend of role-playing, war simulation, and class/character development. The story is about your character and his band of rebels attempting to overthrow an oppressive empire. Your character, in which you name and choose characteristics which affect his/her statistics, is put through stages throughout the game. These stages have you starting in a rebel base and are completed by a mission which is given to you from the start. From there you deploy customized units to complete the missions. In your way, of course, are enemy units. Battles are simulated by an automatic turn-base system with each character performing a certain amount of attacks.

I love this game. There are so many other aspects of strategy I haven't covered but are in the game and brilliantly integrated. I remember playing this game in my youth and being totally addicted. The only flaw is that the game is very challenging if you want the best outcome. This game is extremely non-linear with many paths and endings you can have.

Enix titles were notorious for their short print runs. According to wikipedia.com, only 25,000 copies were released in the United States. As a result, copies range from $50-$150 depending on condition and completeness. Due to the price, rarity, and greatness, I recommend collectors, RPG-lovers, and/or SNES owners to give this wonderful game a try.

Ogre Battle is one of the best games on the SNES. It has a good story that is very nonlinear. It has incredible replay value, giving you alot of character customization, branching storylines, and your choices affect how the story plays out later. The battle system is very different than any other game. You control an army, and on each map you visit you can deploy up to 12 parties. Your parties are little men on the map, and while you are heading towards the enemy main base, the enemies parties are heading towards yours. When your little men touch, you enter a battle on a small box. You do not control your party, instead, depending on the class of your characters, and which row they are in, they will get a different attack that they will use automatically. The side that deals the most damage, after the attacks wins. You also liberate cities and towns, and each time you do you get a tarot card. You can use this in battle, or on the map screen to get various affects. Overall this game is highly regarded by many, but there are major flaws. Teh music is nothing special, and other the story is pretty much your basic RPG fare.

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen has to be One of the best, if not the best games if you are a strategy/RPG gamer.

This game gives you the most control over your army as any strategy game I know. It is immensely detailed with hundreds of options for army/sizes and strategies. Each unit is based off of characters, each character has a large tree of units it can upgrade --- or change to depending on a number of attributes, Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Alignment. It follows the basic knowledge of RPG's in the fact that if you have a low alignment character it cannot change into a holy character, princess for example. It is immensely deep and rewarding with great replay value. Hows 12 endings hit you? With twelve endings based on your reputation, your alignment, who you talked to, who is in your party as well as factors I'm sure I don't know about, you are sure to love playing and re-playing this game.

The only downside to this game that I have found to be of issue is time. It takes quite a bit of time for each encounter and unfortunately with the older system (Super Nintendo) you cannot save whenever you please. You are stuck in battle. I have been known to leave the SNES on for hours because I've needed a break. Luckily, Pause works great.

If you are a strategy fan, or RPG fan, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended is the strategy guide if you can get it. Well worth the money spent if you like the game.

This game hits every aspect of my RPG/Strategy disire that I could think of. The unique battle system and the great story-line both hit my favorite parts of the game. Another aspect of the game that I truely enjoy is the customization of your army. This game was well put together, and even the later Ogre Battle games have shown promise. I highly recommend this game to any RPG or Strategy enthusiest; And to any of you out there that collect rare games. 5/5 I don't think anyone could possibly be disappointed with this game.