Cannon Fodder — stories left

Cannon Fodder – its working title from early in the development – was created after such successes as Wizkid, Mega Lo Mania and especially Sensible Soccer and was developed by six people in a "small, one-room office".

Individual programmers then worked on various parts of the design, with the team play-testing rigorously as it went, often discarding the results of its experiments: "The reason we make good games is that if we put something in that turns out crap, we're not afraid to chuck it out", said graphics designer Stuart Cambridge.

Of this "personalisation", Hare said: "The graves show that people died and their names mean they're not just faceless sacrifices".

Hare stated "I'm only happy with this one because it makes you think 'Yes, people really die'.

He said it was inspired by "all wars ever" and was "meant to be an anti-war thing".

Amiga Action said the game was "easily" the best of the year.

The reviewer also wrote: "Only last month in my Frontier review, I stated that I had only given that game 93% because no game would ever be less than seven per cent from perfection.

Amiga Down Under said the game "rates highly on sheer entertainment value – a game you'll want to come back to time and time again".

Amiga Format said "if there's one thing Cannon Fodder has in spades, it's addictability and killer playability.

Plenty of necessary detail") and sound ("A theme tune that sticks in your head, sound effects that work a dream – superb.") The reviewer said the game was "Extremely thought provoking" and "a highly enjoyable foray into the intelligent side of wandering around the place doing it to them before they do it to you.

He also said that despite the controversy, Cannon Fodder was "possibly the most anti-war game I've seen in a while.

Amiga Powers reviewer said "playing this game is now more important to me than eating, sleeping, or any other bodily function.

He praised the "groovetastic" UB40-inspired theme song, realistic sound effects and "intuitive" controls and said "I can't find anything wrong with the game".

AUI also noted the lack of a two player option and said "23 missions will be completed sooner rather than later".

The magazine however said "It is hard to criticise anything in Cannon Fodder" and "these are petty matters when compared to the sheer enjoyment of playing the game.

The magazine praised the "toe-tapping" theme tune and "attention to sonic detail" in the sound effects.

It noted the lack of order options but said "on the whole it's a very playable, very tough shoot 'em up".

The One called the game "Sheer, unadulterated brilliance" and said "Cannon Fodder is quite simply one of the best strategy/action/shoot 'em ups to appear for ages.

The writer praised the "damn fine humour" and said "I can't find anything wrong with it".

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game and stated that "This sui generis froth of strategy and action swings the needle on the old 'Just-One-More-Game' meter just a little higher."

Cannon Fodder was included in the 2011 list of the best violent video games of all time by The Daily Telegraph, with a comment that "this got a lot of people very upset" but "it was a relentlessly playable game, filled with dark humour and cartoony graphics.

In 1996, GamesMaster rated the Amiga version 52nd in its "Top 100 Games of All Time."

Cannon Fodder has a darkly humorous tone which commentators variously praised and condemned.

Other reviewers highly praised the game, which widely achieved scores of over 90% in Amiga magazines.

Amiga Computing praised the theme track as one of the best of the year.

The magazine also praised the graphics ("Great backgrounds.

He praised the "groovetastic" UB40-inspired theme song, realistic sound effects and "intuitive" controls and said "I can't find anything wrong with the game".

The magazine praised the "toe-tapping" theme tune and "attention to sonic detail" in the sound effects.

The writer praised the "damn fine humour" and said "I can't find anything wrong with it".

Reviewing the Jaguar version, GamePro criticized that the control mechanics are imprecise and slow without the option of mouse control and that the small character graphics make it difficult to follow the action.

Like GamePro, the four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly complained that the characters are too small, but highly praised the fun, addictive gameplay and the sense of humor and remarked that "Cannon Fodder stands high above the crowd of average Jaguar games.

They praised the game calling it an "Excellent war game.

Stuart Campbell elsewhere pointed out that the game was ironically anti-war, while contemporary Amiga Format reviewer Tim Smith also praised the game as intelligently anti-war.

Other reviewers highly praised the game, which widely achieved scores of over 90% in Amiga magazines.

The reviewer also wrote: "Only last month in my Frontier review, I stated that I had only given that game 93% because no game would ever be less than seven per cent from perfection.

Hare stated "I'm only happy with this one because it makes you think 'Yes, people really die'.

The reviewer also wrote: "Only last month in my Frontier review, I stated that I had only given that game 93% because no game would ever be less than seven per cent from perfection.

Unusually for an independent developer, Sensible had little difficulty in finding publishers and after work resumed on the game, concluded a deal with Virgin in May 1993.

Reviewing the Jaguar version, GamePro criticized that the control mechanics are imprecise and slow without the option of mouse control and that the small character graphics make it difficult to follow the action.

He also said that despite the controversy, Cannon Fodder was "possibly the most anti-war game I've seen in a while.

Amiga Power magazine became involved in the controversy because of its planned reuse of the poppy on the cover of an issue also to be released on Armistice Day.