Subtrade: Return to Irata
| Developer: Century | Graphics: |
 | |
| Publisher: Boeder | Sound: |
| |
| Year: 1993 | Difficulty: |
| |
| Genre: Strategy | Lastability: |
| |
| Number of players: 4 alternating | Rating: |
7/10 | |
Subtrade… Hmm, how about I talk about M.U.L.E.?
M.U.L.E. (which stands for Multiple Use Labor Element) is one of the first economic simulation games. Released in 1983 on 8-bit machines (Atari 400/800, Commodore 64) and NES, it was a game where four players (computer-controlled if necessary) colonized a desert planet called Irata. You started by choosing where to settle, then built M.U.L.E.s (large, four-legged construction vehicles) to create production centers.
The goal of the game was to amass more resources than your opponents (food, ore, energy, and crystals). At the end of a set period, a ranking was given, taking into account your entire wealth (land, resources, and money). The bulk of the game took place in the markets, where you had to manipulate supply and demand to make the most profit at the expense of your competitors. Many strategies could be employed (creating shortages, dumping, specialization, self-sufficiency, etc.).
What’s the connection to Subtrade? A simple change of dressing. The four players are now space refugees, trying to survive by settling on a blue planet. The colony becomes underwater, construction vehicles become turtles, food becomes fish, and crystals become pearls. Other than that (and a modernized presentation), the game’s mechanics remain pretty much the same.
If you want to give it a try, know that the land you build on affects production (for example, it seems more logical to mine where there’s rock). One tip: start by producing fish near the rift in the center of the map. You might want to make energy your second priority to optimize output (build an energy generator on a plain, preferably). Finally, make sure to scout the surroundings to locate “pearl deposits”. These will determine the prime plots of land to acquire before your opponents.
This remake is a faithful tribute to the original, perhaps too much so. One could have expected more gameplay options and larger maps.
To run it on an emulator, use the “A500 Kickstart 1.3” configuration.
Note: The intro mentions a dangerous alien race straight out of Cyberzerk!
Quiz: Do you know where the name of the planet “Irata” comes from? etènalp al ed mon el!
Vaguely in the same genre, I recommend Despotism 3k (2018).
|
