Beach Head 2000
DeveloperDigital Fusion, Inc.
PublisherWizardWorks[a]
ReleasedWindowsNA: June 13, 2000[1]Mac OSNA: October 6, 2000[2]ArcadeNA: September 2001
GenreFirst-person shooter, shooting gallery
ModesSingle-player
PlatformsWindows, Mac OS, Arcade

Beach Head 2000 is a first-person shooter game developed by Digital Fusion. It was originally released by WizardWorks for Microsoft Windows and MacSoft for Mac OS as a "value-priced" release. A loose remake of the 1983 computer game Beach Head, it shared a similar premise, as players defend a beach against attack by utilizing a variety of weapons. A version of the game was also produced for video arcades by Tsunami Visual Technologies, available in various motion simulation cabinets and Digital Fusion continues to sell the Windows version as a download via its website.

Gameplay

Players take the role of the sole gunner defending a beach against invading enemy soldiers, tanks, helicopters and other military attack vehicles. The player utilizes a variety of weapons, including a gun turret with a machine gun, howitzer cannon and guided surface-to-air missiles. A handgun is available as a final means of defense. The mouse is used to aim. Additional ammo and health are available by shooting packages dropped with parachutes.[3] Missions end when all enemies are defeated, each mission changes the spawn point of enemies on the beach. There are infinite missions and the game has no ending.[4]

Reception

The PC version received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] GameSpot said that the game becomes repetitive when taking out the stream of enemies in each level.[3] A review in AllGame said that "the initial appeal of Beach Head 2000's single view wears off very quickly" and compared it unfavorably to the original Beach Head.[4] Inside Mac Games commented that the game was not worth the relatively low price, even among a limited selection of Mac OS games.[6] However, IGN had a more positive reaction to the game, comparing it to Missile Command and calling it "strangely addicting".[7]

The PC version was nominated for the "Worst Game of the Year" award at GameSpots Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to Blaze and Blade: Eternal Quest.[8] It was also nominated for the "Best Sound in a PC Game" award at The Electric Playgrounds Blister Awards 2000, which went to Deus Ex.[9]

Sequels

Digital Fusion produced several sequels, Beach Head 2002,[10] Beach Head Desert War, and Baghdad Central Desert Gunner.[citation needed] Global VR would take over the license from Tsunami and produce arcade versions of the first three games in the series.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ Mac OS version published by MacSoft, arcade version published by Global VR.

References

  1. ^ "The Games Of 2000". Gone Gold. Archived February 3, 2001 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "MACSOFT SHIPS 'BEACH HEAD 2000' UNLEASHING A BARRAGE OF MILITARY FIREPOWER ONTO THE MACINTOSH". Infogrames. October 6, 2000. Archived from the original on December 17, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ Soete, Tim (July 24, 2000). "BeachHead 2000 Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived May 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Smith, Ted. "Beach Head 2000 (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Beach Head 2000 (PC)". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived September 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Pierce, Kit (December 7, 2000). "Beach Head 2000". Inside Mac Games. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Adams, Dan (June 21, 2000). "Beachhead 2000". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived May 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  8. ^ GameSpot staff (2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Worst Game of the Year, Nominees)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 24, 2001. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  9. ^ EP staff (2001). "Blister Awards 2000 (PC Games 1)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on January 24, 2002. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Walker, Trey (February 13, 2002). "BeachHead 2002 Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived March 1, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "Beach Head 2002". Killer List of Videogames. International Arcade Museum. Archived May 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2023.