A wacky Populous clone that is fun for a short while before degenerating into mediocrity, Mega Lo Mania lets you lead a primitive tribe through the evolution of mankind, conquering neighboring islands in the process. The premise is evidently inspired by Populous: as one of four gods, your goal is to lead your people to conquer the entire map. You do this by ordering your followers to develop weapons, and send them out to try to destroy the enemy's fortifications. A novel idea that Mega Lo Mania introduces to the mold is that the game is split up into "epochs," each of which is split into three islands. As you progress through the game, so does the time scale and corresponding human evolution. Hence, catapults and swords give way jet planes, nukes and eventually U.F.Os. The game is simple at first: you just need to design the weapons to use them. But as you progress, you need to mine the raw materials needed to manufacture the weapons, use factories to manufacture the weapons, or even use a lab which is needed to design complicated weapons. You can also form alliances with your opponents, but these are only temporary reliefs because you must destroy everyone to win a level. With funny opponents who are parodies of real-life leaders, charming graphics and sound, and simple yet addictive gameplay, Mega Lo Mania is a good "light" strategy game that is perfect for those who are new to the genre. Strategy veterans, however, should scoff at the game's weak AI and look elsewhere for their fill. Reviewed by: Underdogs |