Before you say it… yes we are aware of the 1985 game of the same name by Ariolasoft, but this is a title from 1991 which was mentioned as being developed for the C64 by Linel in Your Commodore issue 73.
However, looking at the Amiga / ST releases which managed to make it, maybe we are looking at an enhanced version of the same game?… It certainly seems like basic elements have been taken from the 1985 original and updated to a more Cinemaware styled affair by Linel. A C64 version would most likely have been completely different therefore to the original 1985 game.
But was this maybe the reason that the game never got a C64 release?…. Did Linel see that the C64 had already a similiar game from 1985 come out and decide therefore to scrap it as there was a licence dispute or worry that people would moan that it already existed? We’re not sure, and really we need to find out from Linel themselves and people from that time about what happened and if YC was a reliable source of information with its report of a C64 conversion…. after all, this could just end up being a load of vapourware :)
Do you know anything about this conversion?
I’ve never played Kaiser on any format, but…in Oct’88, Linel were previewing/hyping up a strategy game called CROWN, which was leading the way on ST, but with Amiga+PC versions to follow.It was claimed to be the 1st strategy game to provide detailed graphics spread over 16 screens with 56 colours on-screen (on the ST, so clever coding tricks employed no doubt).You could conquer cities, rule lands, fight off invaders, establish trade routes or just turn to crimne and loot passing trade caravans.From the single impressive looking screen i’ve seen it looked very different to Kaiser, yet i cannot find any coverage of it online as a lost or released game.
So did Linel cancel 2 strategy games i wonder?.
Not C64 related, but it does beg question of what was cancelled and why, strategy games wise by them…