NECTARIS

Nectaris is a turn-based tactical strategy game (hexagonal map). It has a distinctly sci-fi flavor, with battles unfolding on the harsh surface of the Moon. Indeed, the game’s very title—Nectaris—is derived from the Latin name Mare Nectaris (Sea of Nectar), the lunar region that serves as the game’s setting.

In February of 1989, Hudson Soft released Nectaris for the PC-Engine (a Japanese video game console). Later that year, when NEC released the PC-Engine in North America, the console was re-branded as TurboGrafx-16 and Nectaris was re-titled as Military Madness. Since 1989, the original Nectaris (and a handful of updates & sequels) have appeared on numerous platforms.

1989’s Military Madness (TurboGrafx-16), the North American title for Japan’s Nectaris (PC-Engine). Map 26, ATTAYA, is particularly cruel: you immediately face half-a-dozen HUNTER’s, the most fearsome weapon in your opponent’s arsenal. BISON, on the other hand, are a relatively weak, common tank that prove to be extremely versatile.