Dune II

Also known as:

• Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis (Mega Drive/Genesis port)
• Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty

While not the first real-time strategy game, per se (the first being Stonkers), Dune II established a genre that would be followed for years to come. As such, Dune II is considered the originator (or simply "the daddy") of the RTS genre. Striking a balance between complexity and innovation, it was a huge success and laid the foundation for Command and Conquer (which was nicknamed "Dune III" by fans and detractors alike), Warcraft, and other RTS strategy games that followed.

The player takes the role of a commander of one of three interplanetary houses, the Atreides, the Harkonnen or the Ordos, with the goal of gaining control of Arrakis from the two other houses. The basic strategy in the game is to collect spice with harvestors from sand dunes, have it brought back and refined for credits, and to build and purchase military combat units with credits in order to fend off and ultimately destroy the enemy. In addition to enemy incursions, the player must also deal with periodic appearances of the sandworm, capable of swallowing vehicles and infantry whole, as well as and harsh weather conditions that can deteriorate the structures of the player's base.