Freebie Flashback Friday - Command & Conquer

It's Friday, and it's time for a freebie flashback. This week, we're going to talk about the dangers of tiberium.

Courtesy wikipedia.org

Chances are, you've already played Command & Conquer (C&C). Maybe you haven't played this version, but you played one of them. That's a good thing, because they are great games. What makes C&C special is it is also a genre-defining game. When Dune 2 came out, the term "real-time strategy" did not exist. When C&C was released, people said, "This is what an RTS should be like." If you haven't played C&C, I think you should.

Courtesy mobygames.com

Now, let's talk about tiberium. It is dangerous to humans and worth a lot of money. It is addictive and destructive. Where you had the spice in Dune 2, you have tiberium in C&C. Wars are fought over the stuff and it is the basis for the C&C economy.

C&C features a bunch of fun cutscenes and tough missions set in either Europe or Africa, depending on which side you choose to play: the cultish Brotherhood of NOD or the NATO-ish Global Defense Initiative (GDI). While there is not a huge variety of units and structures, the game is relatively well-balanced and is a riot and a challenge.

Perhaps the best thing about C&C is it is now free to download. Get it here or here. To borrow a line from young/old Indy, C&C belongs in a museum. Not only that, but it belongs on your computer, as well.

Good times, right? I remember playing through this on both sides then waiting for the sequels. Each time a new C&C game came out, it demanded my attention. How about you? Sound off in the comments!

--Demo Gamer