Cannon Fodder

Cannon Fodder for Game Boy Color brings Sensible Software's military action-strategy game to Nintendo's handheld in 2000. Published by Codemasters, this version adapts the 1993 Cannon Fodder campaign for the smaller screen while retaining its overhead battlefields, cartoon-styled presentation, and uneasy mix of fast shooting with tactical decisions. It is a single-player game built around guiding a small force through hostile territory rather than controlling one hero alone.

Each mission is viewed from above and centers on directing two soldiers with a movable crosshair. The directional pad moves the cursor around the battlefield; one button sends the pair toward its position and the other makes them fire in that direction. That arrangement lets movement and aiming be handled separately, so survival depends on leading troops into safer positions, responding to threats from several angles, and avoiding a reckless advance. The soldiers are vulnerable, which gives even short exchanges a sense of consequence.

Cannon Fodder Game Boy Color presents a long sequence of objectives across 72 levels derived from the original game. Missions ask the player to clear enemy forces, destroy installations, or reach and secure key areas while navigating terrain and hazards. Enemy infantry may be joined by tougher targets such as tanks, helicopters, and defensive emplacements, so a direct stream of machine-gun fire is not always enough. The changing goals make observation and route planning as important as quick reactions.

Explosive weapons provide the answer to fortified structures and dangerous groups. Grenades and rocket launchers can be collected and saved for situations where ordinary fire will not work, adding a small but important resource-management element to every operation. The game also includes vehicles in selected missions, allowing the squad to take command of heavier equipment when the terrain or the opposition demands it. Large maps can extend far beyond the visible Game Boy Color screen, making careful cursor movement and scouting essential.

The campaign visits distinct battlefield settings, including green outdoor areas, jungle, desert, and snowy terrain. Their scenery is more than decoration: obstacles, narrow approaches, water, and concealed danger can complicate the path to an objective. As missions grow harder, the player must identify firing lanes, judge when to collect supplies, and decide whether it is safer to engage immediately or reposition first. This focus on small-scale command separates Cannon Fodder from a conventional top-down shooter.

The Game Boy Color edition arrived after Codemasters acquired Sensible Software and differs materially from the computer original rather than simply reproducing its mouse-driven interface. Its two-man squads and compact view reshape the rhythm for portable play, while the button-controlled cursor preserves the series' unusual combination of direct action and tactical direction. For Game Boy Color players, Cannon Fodder is a handheld version of a well-known 1990s strategy-shooter whose missions turn every surviving soldier and every explosive pickup into part of the plan.