''Kampfgruppe'' is a

computer wargame A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use ...

Strategic Simulations Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) was a video game developer and publisher of over 100 games from its founding in 1979 to its dissolution in 1994 (though the brand was in use until around 2002). The company focused on computer wargames then lat ...

for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

, Atari 8-bit computers, and Commodore 64. ''Kampfgruppe'' is a game of tactical-scale combat on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front. An MS-DOS port was released in 1987 followed by an

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...

version in 1988.

Gameplay

Development

''Kampfgruppe'' was designed by Gary Grigsby and released in 1985, the same year he launched ''

U.S.A.A.F. - United States Army Air Force ''U.S.A.A.F. - United States Army Air Force'' is a 1985 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby published by Strategic Simulations. ''U.S.A.A.F.'' won positive reviews but sold poorly. In 1999, it received a spiritual successor under the name ...

'' and '' Mech Brigade''. He chose to incorporate

line of sight The line of sight, also known as visual axis or sightline (also sight line), is an imaginary line between a viewer/ observer/ spectator's eye(s) and a subject of interest, or their relative direction. The subject may be any definable object taken ...

in ''Kampfgruppe'', a first for a

title. Its design has been compared to that of ''

PanzerBlitz ''PanzerBlitz'' is a tactical wargames, tactical-scale board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1970 that simulates armored combat set on the Eastern Front (WWII), Eastern Front of World War II. The game, which was the most popular board wargame ...

''; J. L. Miller of ''Computer Play'' dubbed it "the computer version of ''PanzerBlitz''".

Reception

''Kampfgruppe'' was a commercial hit. By late 1985, it had sold 8,000 units and was forecast to reach 25,000 sales over its lifetime. It was widely acclaimed by fans of the wargame genre. ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

''s Mark Bausman called ''Kampfgruppe'' a "truly superior game" that allowed the player to "exercise his imagination without having to follow a complicated game structure." In ''Current Notes'', M. Evan Brooks called ''Kampfgruppe'' an "instant classic" and offered it his "highest recommendation". While criticizing the over-complex rulebook, ''

Antic Alphanumeric Television Interface Controller (ANTIC) is an LSI ASIC dedicated to generating 2D computer graphics to be shown on a television screen or computer display. Under the direction of Jay Miner, the chip was designed in 1977–1978 b ...

'' approved of being able to issue orders to entire combat formations. The magazine stated that "the game is an absolute must for any East Front devotee. I would also recommend it to any serious wargame", concluding that it was "well worth the hefty price". In 1985, ''Computer Gaming World''s readers voted ''Kampfgruppe'' the best game of the year across all categories. The magazine's editors concurred that it was "the finest wargame currently available", and argued that it would "be looked back upon as a true landmark effort in computer wargaming."

Legacy

''Kampfgruppe'' was among the first inductees into ''Computer Gaming World''s "Hall of Fame" section in 1988, and remained readers' highest-rated strategy title by that time. In 1996, ''Computer Gaming World'' declared ''Kampfgruppe'' the 101st-best computer game ever released. The magazine's wargame columnist Terry Coleman named it his pick for the eighth-best computer wargame released by late 1996. In his 1989 computer wargame survey, J. L. Miller of ''Computer Play'' dubbed ''Kampfgruppe'' a "classic". SSI later released the ''Kampfgruppe Scenario Disk'', which adds five scenarios to the game.

References

External links

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Article
in ''

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'' (French) {{Gary Grigsby 1985 video games Amiga games Apple II games Atari 8-bit computer games Commodore 64 games Computer wargames DOS games Strategic Simulations games Turn-based strategy video games Video games about Nazi Germany Video games developed in the United States Video games set in the Soviet Union World War II video games