Baldies

Baldies is a real-time strategy game with simulation and god game elements that is primarily played from a top-down perspective, similar to SimCity, Populous, Lemmings, and Mega-Lo-Mania.[1][2][3] The player interacts with the game's world and manages a community of Baldies using a hand cursor in order to build structures, increase their population, and create weapons to fight against enemies known as Hairies.[2][3][4][5][6] The main objective is to advance the Baldies' civilization across 100 levels, each one taking place across various locations and increasing in difficulty.[3][4][6][7] Progress is manually saved after completing a level if a Memory Track cartridge is present but the player can otherwise play through the game using passwords in the original Atari Jaguar CD version,[4] while the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions supported memory cards to save progress.[6][8] The Jaguar CD version also came bundled with a controller overlay and features support for the ProController,[4] while the PlayStation and Saturn versions feature support for the PlayStation Mouse and Shuttle Mouse respectively.[8][9]

Atari Jaguar CD version screenshot

The player can assign Baldies with one of four job classes, denoted by the color of their clothing that represents their current role and each structure has specific properties to assist the player;[2][4][5][6][7] Red Baldies are workers that generate energy to terraform the playfield and unlock angel wings in order to grant them the ability to fly. This is achieved after constructing four big houses.[10] Blue Baldies act as builders capable of improving a house or build new houses, barracks or laboratories. They can maintain each structure from falling apart against multiple disasters.[10] Grey Baldies function as soldiers to fight against Hairies. They can be equipped with weapons outside of barracks during their first phase.[10] White Baldies work as scientists at laboratories, making weapons and inventions by experimenting with animals that roam the playfield.[10] The player can change their role by dropping them into the corresponding room of a house. Dropping Baldies into the bedroom of a house is also the only way to breed more Baldies.[2][4] There are also hazards and traps scattered across the playfield that can prove beneficial or harmful to the Baldies and Hairies alike.[2][4][7]

Unlike other traditional titles released in the era, the game does not feature fog of war, allowing players to observe the playfield and plan a strategy against enemies beforehand instead of being hidden from them at the beginning of a level. The player also do not have full direct control of the Baldies themselves and their actions or movement, instead, they will wander aimlessly around the playfield until they are picked up with the hand.[3][4][7] Players can also use environmental objects on the playfield like trees to hide Baldies for strategic purposes against Hairies.[4] In addition, the player also has god-like powers capable of changing the outcome of Baldies. Without any kind of structure, players are incapable of breeding Baldies, develop inventions or fabricate ammunition. Once all the Baldies in the playfield are defeated by Hairies, the game is over.[4] In the PC version, up to four players can participate in a multiplayer mode via local area network (LAN), where any of the single-player levels are selectable and the last unit standing is the winner of the match.[3][11][12][13]

Baldies began its development in 1993 as an Amiga project before being transferred and finished on Atari Jaguar CD

Baldies was created by Creative Edge Software, a Edinburgh-based game developer founded by David Wightman in 1989.[1][14][15][16][17] Creative Edge has previously worked on titles such as Euro Soccer (1992), an adaptation based on the 1993 family comedy film Surf Ninjas for Amiga, and Soccer Superstars (1995).[18][19] It was co-produced by Faran Thomason, Larry Pacey, and Vince Zampella of Atari Corporation.[20][21] Wightman served as the game's lead programmer and main designer, with technical manager David Elliott as well as Daniel Leyden, Duncan McDinhln, and former Imagitec Design staffer Sean Connolly providing additional hardware and programming support.[15][22] Alan Duncan, David Brown, and Paul Docherty were responsible for the artwork.[15] Wightman recounted the project's creation and history in interviews.[1][15][17][23]

Baldies began production in February 1993 for the Amiga platform, initially intended to be published by Mindscape before publishing duties were transferred to GameTek instead.[1][10][15][24][25] Wightman stated he designed the game's concept from scratch to have the gameplay depth of Populous (1989) and accessibility of Lemmings (1991).[15] Wightman also described it as a cross between Populous and Lemmings as well as SimCity (1989) and Mega-Lo-Mania (1991).[1] The claymation cutscenes were produced in-house by Creative Edge.[1][10][15][24] The Amiga version received a demo that was published as covermount with the May 1995 issue of CU Amiga magazine,[26] but the game wound up unreleased until it was ported and finished on Atari Jaguar CD.[17] Wightman commented that Creative Edge obtained development kits for Jaguar from Atari, converting and rewritting 90% of Assembly code from the unreleased Amiga version to work with the Jaguar's architecture.[17][23] Wightman revealed that the game was intended to be shipped with a mouse peripheral, as Atari was clearing out their ST mouse inventory, but had to ship without it due to the mouse handler routines not being written on schedule.[17][23]

Baldies was first announced for Atari Jaguar CD in 1995 and showcased at the 1995 ECTS Spring event.[27][28][29] It was initially scheduled for a Q2 1995 launch window,[30] then for a August 1995 release date,[31][32] and later slated for a vague late 1995 release.[33] The title was covered by the press that were invited to Atari,[34][35][36] featured in a promotional recording sent by Atari to video game retail stores on October 9,[37] and showcased during an event hosted by Atari dubbed "Fun 'n' Games Day".[38] It was published in North America and Europe on December 1995,[5][39][40][41] being the smallest game released for Jaguar CD in terms of memory size (at 75 MB).[42] Ports for 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Amiga CD32 were also in development alongside the Amiga version, but neither version were ever released.[1][24][14][43][44]

A PC port was first set to be published by Atari Interactive before the division closed down in 1996,[45][46][47][48] until it was eventually published in North America by Panasonic Interactive Media on November 28.[49] To market the game, Panasonic set up a campaign tour of bald-haired promoters distributing free demos in New York.[50] The PC version was then published in Europe by Sold-Out Software on February 13, 1998.[49][51] Banpresto later distributed the PC version in Japan under the title Baldy Land[lower-alpha 1] on December 4 as well as trial version for Microsoft Windows.[52][53][54] This version features pre-rendered visuals compared to the original Jaguar CD release.[3] A PlayStation port was first published in Japan by Banpresto on November 19, then in Europe by Phoenix Games on August 8, 2003, later in North America by Mud Duck Productions on October 3.[55][56][57] A Sega Saturn port was only released in Japan by Banpresto on November 26, 1998.[58] In 2006, the trademark renewal for Baldies was cancelled.[59]

Baldies garnered generally favorable reception from critics.[68][71][72][73][74] VideoGames compared the game with Cannon Fodder (1993) and noted its advanced artificial intelligence, but found the claymation sequences to be bleak.[70] Next Generation highlighted its "cute" graphics, numerous levels, and novel premise. They also found its greatest strength to be the freedom of gameplay, which allows the player to delegate responsibilities any way they like among the baldies or enjoy the unpredictability of what they come up with when given only general guidance.[63] Reviewing the Jaguar CD version, Marc Abramson of the French ST Magazine commended the game's easy controls, sympathetic sounds, help system, thematic, and longevity, but faulted the compressed Wallace and Gromit-style introductory sequence and lamented the lack of a two-player mode.[69] Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers criticized that the graphics are mediocre and the controls are difficult to get used to, but summarized the game as "a step in the right direction" for the Jaguar with its challenging strategy and many amusing tactics for defeating enemies.[60]

GamePro took a reverse position, saying that the graphics are excellent and the controls are simple and easy to master, but that the music is too repetitive. They called the game "a great sim for beginners."[75] MAN!AC's Oliver Ehrle labelled it as a cute Populous clone, citing its varied levels but expressed mixed thoughts regarding the overall audiovisual presentation.[62] PC Entertainment's Chirstopher Lindquist noted the game's sense of humor and accesible gameplay, but complained about the same objective on every level and lack of additional difficulty levels. Regardless, Lindquist wrote that "Baldies may lack the crisp Super VGA graphics of Warcraft II and the stellar sound effects of Command & Conquer, but it has a quirky style all its own."[67] GameSpot's Chris Hudak called it "the single weirdest game I have ever played", criticizing the concept as well as the execution of the game.[11]

Coming Soon Magazine's Glenn Soucy prasied the game's action, colorful graphics, and detailed structures.[66] Power Play's Sascha Gliss disagreed, stating that it lacked the "playful lightness" that made Populous (1989) accessible.[12] Jim Brumbaugh of the Adrenaline Vault found the visuals and music adequate. He also commended the mouse-driven gameplay for its easy controls but felt the game was lacking in the sound effects department, summarizing that "Baldies is an interesting idea, which could have used a little more "punch"."[64] PC Zone's Chris Anderson and Richie Shoemaker noted its learning curve and saw the visuals to be dated.[51]

Gamezilla's Mitch Eatough gave the PC version positive remarks for its addictive gameplay, graphical animations, and assortment of sound effects, but lamented the lack of online play in multiplayer mode.[13] Atari Gaming Headquarters' Keita Iida described the game as a more chaotic cross between Populous and Lemmings (1991), finding its controls to be okay but occasionally difficult when pointing an object due to the lack of mouse and trackball controllers on the Jaguar. Iida also questioned the game being on the Jaguar CD, citing the "terrible" cinematics and writing that it could have been done on cartridge.[65] Author Andy Slaven concurred with Iida regarding the Jaguar's controller not being suited for it. Slaven ultimately found it to be an entertaining action-strategy title, noting its sense of humor.[76] GameRevolution's Mark Cooke also gave the game a positive outlook.[61]

Baldies was the only completed title by Creative Edge Software for the Atari Jaguar platform, and formed part in a string of projects that were in development by the studio but never released by Atari: Battle Lords (a Gauntlet-style hack and slash dungeon crawler), Chopper (a Choplifter-esque action game), Green-Thang (a run and gun platform game also intended for Amiga), and a soccer title that were all nearly completed.[17][23][77][78] A follow-up titled Skull Caps was developed by Creative Edge and published by Ubi Soft in 1999 for Windows.[79]

• Official website
• Baldies at AtariAge
• Baldies at GameFAQs
• Baldies at Giant Bomb
• Baldies at MobyGames