Cannon Fodder (video game)
A darkly humorous military shoot 'em up with an anti-war message.
David Anstiss · CC BY-SA 2.0
Cannon Fodder is a military-themed action game from 1993 that mixes shooting with squad-based tactics. Developed by Sensible Software and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, it first appeared on the Amiga before being ported to MS-DOS, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, Atari Jaguar, Mega Drive, Super NES, and 3DO. Players command small squads of up to six soldiers through 72 levels spread across 24 missions, taking on enemy infantry, vehicles like Jeeps and tanks, and fortified buildings. The tone is darkly humorous, and its creators intended an anti-war message—a point some reviewers recognized, while the Daily Star and several public figures condemned it. Many Amiga magazines gave it scores above 90%, and Amiga Action called it the best game of the year, awarding an unprecedented score. A sequel, Cannon Fodder 2, followed in 1994.
In gameplay, each soldier carries a machine gun that kills enemy infantry in one hit, but troops are just as fragile. As the game progresses, enemies grow tougher. Players also face helicopters, missile turrets, and buildings that spawn foes. Machine guns can't harm these structures, so limited grenades and rockets must be used, with supply crates providing replenishment. Shooting crates can destroy enemies and buildings but risks wasting ammo. The point-and-click controls, more common to strategy games, let players split squads into smaller units for cautious positioning across varied settings like jungle, snow, and desert, which include rivers, quicksand, mines, and booby traps.
Development involved six people in a small office at Sensible Software, a prominent Amiga developer. The game grew from ideas in Mega Lo Mania, aiming to combine strategy with direct action while keeping mouse controls and icons. The team wrote concept descriptions rather than storyboards, and early work focused on overhead scrolling and movement. Programmers built different parts, play-testing heavily and discarding flawed experiments. Realistic homing missile behavior was a point of pride, and rural levels were inspired by Emmerdale Farm. Earlier versions had more icons and deeper mechanics—like soldiers with unique attributes—but these were cut for faster action. Final additions included last vehicles and introductory screens.
The designers gave each of the hundreds of identical soldiers a name, and gravestones (varying by rank) appear between levels. Creator Jon Hare explained this personalization was meant to show that people really die, not just faceless sacrifices. The game was a departure from Sensible's usual non-violent titles, and Hare said it was inspired by "all wars ever," intended as an anti-war statement to make players realize how senseless war is.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Cannon Fodder
- Developer
- Sensible SoftwarePorted to DOS by Audio Visual Magic, to CD32 by Arch Rivals, to Mega Drive by PanelComp, and to Game Boy Color by Codemasters
- Publisher
- Virgin Interactive EntertainmentPublished for Acorn Archimedes by Krisalis Software and for Game Boy Color by Codemasters
- Designer
- Jon Hare
- Programmer
- Jools Jameson
- Artist
- Stoo Cambridge
- Composer
- Richard Joseph / Allister Brimble (SNES, Mega Drive, Jaguar)
- Engine
- Sensible Soccer (modified)
- Genre
- Shoot 'em up
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cannon Fodder has a darkly humorous tone which commentators variously praised and condemned. Its creators intended it to convey an anti-war message, which some reviewers recognised, but the Daily Star and a number of public figures derided the game. Other reviewers highly praised the game, which widely achieved scores of over 90% in Amiga magazines. Amiga Action awarded it an unprecedented score, calling it the best game of the year. It was followed by the sequel Cannon Fodder 2 in 1994.
Reader's Guide
Cannon Fodder is a military-themed action game with strategy and shoot 'em up elements. The player controls a small squad of up to a maximum of six soldiers, depending on the mission. These soldiers are armed with machine guns which kill enemy infantry with a single round. The player's troops are similarly fragile and while they possess superior firepower at the game's outset, the enemy infantry becomes more powerful as the game progresses. As well as foot soldiers, the antagonists include vehicles such as Jeeps, tanks and helicopters as well as missile-armed turrets. The player must also destroy buildings which spawn enemy soldiers. For these targets, which are invulnerable to machine gun fire, the player must utilise secondary, explosive weaponry: grenades and rockets. Ammunition for these weapons is limited and the player must find supply crates to replenish their troops. Wasting these weapons can potentially result in the player not having enough to fulfil the mission objectives. The player can opt to shoot crates – destroying enemy troops and buildings in the ensuing explosion – at less risk to their soldiers than retrieving them, but again at a greater risk of depleting ammunition. The player proceeds through 24 missions divided into several levels each, making 72 levels in all. There are various settings including jungle, snow, and desert, some with unique terrain features and vehicles such as igloos and snowmobiles. The player must also contend with rivers (crossing which soldiers are slowed and cannot fire) and quicksand as well as mines and other booby traps. In addition to shooting action, the game features strategy elements and employs a point-and-click control system more common to strategy than action games. As the player's troops are heavily outnumbered and easily killed, they must use caution, as well as careful planning and positioning. To this end, they can split the squad into smaller units to take up separate positions or risk fewer soldiers when moving into dangerous areas.
Did You Know?
- The working title was 'Cannon Fodder' from early in development.
- The game was developed by six people in a small, one-room office.
- The rural setting of some levels was inspired by Emmerdale Farm.
- Each of the game's several hundred otherwise identical protagonists was named and awarded gravestones displayed between levels.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cannon Fodder (video game)?
Cannon Fodder is a 1993 military shoot 'em up that layers squad-based tactical commands on top of fast-paced shooting. Its creators built in a darkly comedic tone specifically to deliver an anti-war statement.
Who developed and published Cannon Fodder (video game)?
Sensible Software developed the title with Jon Hare credited as its creator, while Virgin Interactive Entertainment handled publishing. The game debuted on the Amiga before being ported to a wider range of systems.
What platforms can Cannon Fodder (video game) be played on?
It launched on the Amiga in 1993 and was later brought to MS-DOS, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, Atari Jaguar, Mega Drive, Super NES, and 3DO.
What genre does Cannon Fodder (video game) fall under?
It blends shoot 'em up action with strategy, asking players to manage a squad's positioning while engaging in combat. That tactical layer distinguishes it from a straightforward arcade shooter.
Why was Cannon Fodder (video game) controversial?
Amiga Action hailed it as the best game of the year, yet the Daily Star and several public figures condemned its depiction of soldiers as expendable. The pushback centered on its darkly humorous framing of war and military violence.
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