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Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition

From Alfawiki
Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition
Company typeVideo game
IndustryVideo games
Founded1989; 37 years ago (1989)
FounderChris Crawford
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsStrategic computer game

Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition serves as a continuation of the strategic computer game Balance of Power.

Development

Launched in 1989 across platforms including Apple IIGS, Windows, Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari ST, Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition was created by Chris Crawford. He characterized this release as an improved revision rather than an entirely new sequel. This version broadened the original scope by adding more nations, introducing player advisors, and featuring a novel "multi-polar" mode that allowed countries to independently trigger events such as conflicts. Additionally, it incorporated a 2-player hotseat functionality.

Reception

Gary Whitta, writing for The One, lauded the game as "an exceptional strategy title," particularly praising its two-player aspect and endorsing it even to those who owned the original. Steve Williams of Family Computing emphasized the significance of the multipolar mode and the inclusion of 78 active nations, noting these enhancements substantially enriched gameplay. In 1989, Compute! acknowledged the multipolar features as meaningful additions.

In 1989, author Orson Scott Card reviewed the game, appreciating its intricate and thoughtfully projected future scenario despite some geopolitical inaccuracies. He recommended players treat the setting as an Earth-like alien world, focusing on internal consistency rather than real-world political parallels. On the other hand, Chuck Moss, writing in Computer Gaming World in 1992, criticized the design for its ideological slant, describing it as a "pacifist manifesto" where even minimal actions such as U.S. aid to Panama could escalate to nuclear warfare.

Reviews

External links

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