MULE (PC, FC) (1983, 1990)
Developer: Ozark Softscape

Review by Faididi and Co.

Colonizing alien worlds with friends is fun

Story: Above Average

The Federation sends four colonists to the mostly uninhabited planet of Irata to extract resources and to make lots of money, all totally guilt-free. The colonists will be using Multi-Use Labor Engines, or MULEs, which are robot workers that can perform a variety of tasks. Depending on how well the colonists are doing by the time the Federation ship returns, they may be regarded as wealthy heroes or as backwater disappointments (i.e. there are multiple endings). Random events that occur during their stay can also affect them, making life exciting and unpredictable.

Gameplay: Excellent

Ozark Softscape's MULE is a 4-Player strategy game that deals with setting up and managing a resource-extraction business on an alien world where lots of stuff can happen. The members of the Federation consist of eight different races, providing the Players a wide pool of colonists from which to select. Apparently, all of the races are equal in ability, with only two races differing solely in terms of their starting capital. Once the four colonists are chosen, they'll immediately settle down on Irata to begin their work. (If there aren't enough human Players, the other colonists will be computer-controlled.)

The game is divided into turns that represent months. At the beginning of every turn, the colonists get to grab free plots of land. Afterward, the colonists each take their turns at managing their territory. The heart of the colony is the MULE, which may be assigned to farm for food, collect solar energy, or mine for ore. During a turn, a colonist can set up more MULEs, check areas for deposits of Crystite (a rare mineral that can be sold for more money), trade land, and even gamble at the colony pub. After all the colonists are finished with the management phase, they enter the auctioning phase. Here, they can buy and sell various commodities with one another, negotiating prices however they like. When time is up, the Federation checks back on our quartet to deliver its verdict on the colony.

The best part about this game is the plethora of factors influencing the colonists and their business. For example, different types of land will yield different resources, encouraging the colonists to exercise care in outfitting their MULEs and in collecting land to optimize production. (Flat land is great for collecting solar energy, mountainous land is best for mining, and so forth.) Because ore is necessary for the creation of MULEs, obtaining excess ore will result in cheaper MULEs, which in turn can open more possibilities. However, the life of a colonist certainly isn't easy; disasters and unexpected events will occur at Irata, too. Earthquakes, acid rain storms, bug infestations, unruly relatives, pirate raids, charity grants, and other wacky surprises can mix up things in good as well as bad ways. These many factors and their intertwined effects add a fun, fascinating depth that makes MULE truly stand out.

Controls: Excellent

The controls are responsive. Moving around the colony, setting up MULEs, and working with the menus are all easy to do.

Graphics: Above Average

The characters are animated smoothly, and the backgrounds are drawn bright and clear.

Audio: Above Average

The sound effects are few but loud, and the same can be said for the music.

Overall: Excellent

For something about sci-fi economics and resource management, MULE is delightfully humorous yet deep. Those looking for a strategy game that can be enjoyed with friends should get a kick out of its awesome 4-Player support and its memorably colorful, event-rich world.

Port: Excellent (FC)

Electronic Arts and Mindscape's FC/NES version is a more or less faithful port, and whatever differences exist are relatively minor. The most noticeable change is the new layout of the colony center, where the buildings are arranged in one long row instead of two rows. The clear system voice reads out the colonists' identifications to signify the beginning of their turns, identifying every colonist by color code and character type. Of course, if you want to play with more than one human friend, you'll need to use a 4-Player adapter.