History VideoGame / EightBitArmies

A third game titled ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSQXwsMdIX0 8-Bit Invaders]]'' htook the series to its [[ScienceFiction logical next step]]. It features Starcraft-like Cranioids, a sort of Zerg and Protoss hybrid, and Marines, which are Terran Marines.

** The Renegades are a fusion of the Allies and Soviets from the ''Red Alert'' spinoff series. While the infantry the Renegades use were fairly constant throughout both series in the early games, this becomes more apparent in the vehicles and aircraft, where both attack helicopters used by the ''Red Alert'' factions are represented, and every vehicle was used in some form in the early ''Red Alert'' games; the Heavy Tank's clear inspiration, the Mammoth Tank, is more famously and consistently associated with GDI, but the Soviets of the original ''Red Alert'' had them as well. In terms of narrative, within their own campaign, they only fight a PaletteSwap version of themselves[[note]]This faction remains nameless for the duration of the campaign, but by the time of ''VideoGame/NineBitArmiesABitTooFar'', they became known as [[spoiler:the Overlords]].[[/note]], making this comparison somewhat more apt, as they specifically lack the dynamic that defined GDI's conflict against Nod.

* CompositeCharacter: The Guardians are a fusion of [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberium GDI and Nod]], featuring things like Grenadiers, [[ColdSniper Snipers]], [[KillSat Orbital Cannons]] (often used by GDI), as well as [[KillItWithFire Scorch Tanks]] and [[InvisibilityCloak Specter Tanks]] (mainstay Nod technologies). The bits of fluff mentioned in their campaign makes them more inline with Nod though.

A full sequel to this series of games was released for Early Access on February 23, 2024, titled ''[[NineBitArmiesABitTooFar 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far]]'', featuring naval combat, new units and features, and new music. At the time of release, it features only two factions, the Overlords and Sentinels, who use the arsenals of the Renegades and Guardians from ''8-Bit Armies'' respectively in addition to new stuff for each. The Overlords campaign is, like the Renegades campaign before it, the first and only campaign on release, with a Sentinels campaign being developed for later.

A full sequel to this series of games was released for Early Access on February 23, 2024, titled ''9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far'', featuring naval combat, new units and features, and new music. At the time of release, it features only two factions, the Overlords and Sentinels, who use the arsenals of the Renegades and Guardians from ''8-Bit Armies'' respectively in addition to new stuff for each. The Overlords campaign is, like the Renegades campaign before it, the first and only campaign on release, with a Sentinels campaign being developed for later.

* CherryTapping: Using Engineers to kill anything. They're armed with pistols which can deal decent damage to infantry but have low rate of fire. They're best mixed with other units due to their [[CombatMedic heal/repair abilities]].

* ColdSniper: The Commando, whose shots deal heavy damage to nearly everything but are [[PainfullySlowProjectile rather slow moving]]. The Guardians have normal Snipers who are not as powerful but their shots are faster and more accurate. They also [[InvisibilityCloak cloak when not moving]], making them useful in ambush tactics.
** Lightbringer Rangers are essentially TheArcher counterpart of the aforementioned Snipers but are available much later up their tech tree.

* LongRangeFighter: [[ColdSniper The Commando and the Guardian Sniper]], the Deathsworn Shaman and [[TheArcher the Lightbringer Ranger]], as well as the SiegeEngines of the respective factions.

* FourElementEnsemble: The Lightbringers feature four high-tier units that embody each of the elements: [[MakingASplash Water Elementals]], [[ShockAndAwe Air Elementals]], [[PlantPeople Treants]], and [[ThePhoenix Phoenixes]]. The former two are [[LightningBruiser Lightning Bruisers]] that can attack air and ground targets while the latter two are [[MightyGlacier Mighty Glaciers]] that can [[HealingFactor heal]] (Treants) and [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist resurrect]] (Phoenixes) themselves respectively.

* WhenDimensionsCollide: In the final Deathsworn mission, [[spoiler:they attempted to bring over the Renegades and Guardians you used to command]] using the Mana Crystals. Fortunately the Lightbringers were able to bring you to their side before they could pull it off.

** This nearly happens at the end of the Deathsworn campaign [[spoiler: when they attempted to summon both the Renegades and Guardians who were under your command to fight against the Lightbringers]].

A third game titled ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSQXwsMdIX0 8-Bit Invaders]]'' htook the series to its [[ScienceFiction logical next step]]. It features Starcraft-like Crannoids, a sort of Zerg and Protoss hybrid, and Marines, which are Terran Marines.

* ArbitraryHeadCountLimit: ''Armies'' originally had population cap but this wasn't popular with fans and was removed in the final game as a result. ''Hordes'' in keeping with the ''{{VideoGame/Warcraft}}''-style gameplay features a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] example of this trope. Instead of power, you start off with 20 food and must build additional Farms to add 20 more each time. Each unit uses up 1 food. There's no definite cap so you're only limited to adding more food when you need it. The Crainoids also have this (they increase their pop cap via devices called [[BrainInAJar Motivators]]).

* BigCreepyCrawlies: [[GiantSpider Giant Spiders]] can be found on some of ''Hordes'' maps but they're just decorations that [[RewardingVandalism can be destroyed for bonus crates]]. The Crainoids though make use of alien bugs as [[BeastOfBattle Beasts Of Battle]]: [[{{Expy}} Xenodogs]] serve as [[ZergRush skirmishers]], [[PoisonousPerson Stink Bugs]] can [[WalkingWasteland poison surrounding enemies]] or use their poison gas as a BreathWeapon, and Blast Bugs function as both artillery and heavy AntiAir.

** Crainoid [[FlyingSaucer Motherships]] heal friendlies around it and are heavily armored but are slow and their attacks are rather weak. Plus, they become available only after achieving full tech requirement.

** In ''Invaders'', the Cranoids have a structure called the Parasite Hive which enables the use of a support power that infects enemy units and structures in an area, allowing you to see what they see for several seconds. Building additional hives increases the duration of this effect. The Galactic Marines on the other hand have the F.I.D.O, which functions as a mobile version of ''Armies'' Radar.

* FlyingSaucer: Naturally used by the [[AlienInvasion Crainoids]]. The basic Saucer is [[FragileSpeedster speedy and expandable]], the Aggressor has a [[DarkIsEvil sinister bat motive]] and [[MacrossMissileMassacre fires salvos of pulse missiles]], and the Mothership is [[MightyGlacier big, slow, heavily armored]] and can [[CombatMedic heal groups of friendlies]] while providing fire support.

** The Crainoids are the Horde or are at least the best at it. Their Xenodogs, [[{{VideoGame/Starcraft}} like Zerglings]], can rush players en masses in the early game and their units in general build rather quickly. They have a support power that lets all newly produce units spawn at a selected "drop zone" anywhere on the map instead, allowing them to reinforce their army directly at the frontlines and their epic unit, [[{{Kaiju}} The Destroyer]] has a poison gas attack that converts anything killed by it into Xenodogs, essentially making it a literal OneManArmy.

** Inverted with the Crainoid Floating Brain which cloaks all nearby friendlies except itself and other Floating Brains. If you see one chances are it isn't exactly alone... Meanwhile the Galactic Marines can use their Refraction Field ability to cloak whole groups of units. The cloak fades away the moment they move, attack, or fired upon.

* MechanicallyUnusualClass: The ''Armies'' and ''Hordes'' factions generally play differently from one another, such as using different resources, different functioning radars, and more varied units. Each of the ''Invaders'' factions take up a gameplay style from one of the two previous games each (Galactic Marines have ''Armies'' playstyle while the Crainoids have ''Hordes'' playstyle). Unique to ''Invaders'' are their Harvesters which do not need to return to any Refinery building, epic units which stand in for superweapons, and the Marines' RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth general ability.

** Both the Crainoid and Galactic Marine epic units have no less than three powerful attacks/weapons but only the Marines' one can [[AlphaStrike fire them off simultaneously]]. Its armed with a [[{{BFG}} bigger version]] of the Ogre's cannon, a WaveMotionGun, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre a massive set of missile pods]].

* TripodTerror: One of the more versatile Crainoid units. Heavily armored with a [[EnergyWeapon beam attack]] that is effective against most ground and air targets. It also has the unique ability to see farther than any other ground unit regardless of elevation due to it's height, enabling them to function as spotters for artillery.
* TrueSight: All turrets and some units (most coming from ''Hordes'') are able to detect stealth units. Units on higher elevation will be able to see further than those on lower elevation. Aircraft can see anything from any elevation but can be seen by ground units regardless of elevation. Special case for the Crainoid Tripod which can see from an aircraft's point of view due to it's extreme height.
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: [[NukeEm Missile Silo]] for Renegades, [[KillSat Satellite Uplink]] for Guardians, [[KillItWithIce Mana Crystal]] for Deathsworn, [[KillItWithFire Sacred Spear]] for Lightbringers, [[HumongousMecha The Titan]] for Galactic Marines, and [[{{Kaiju}} The Destroyer]] for Crainoids.

** Pretty much the entire point of Multiverse mode in ''Invaders''. As either the [[AlienInvasion Crainoids]] or [[SpaceMarine Galactic Marines]], you'll be conquering various realms including those from the two previous games.

* MacrossMissileMassacre: Plenty of units in the game are armed with rocket launchers. The Renegades Rocket Soldier fires a single rocket at a time while every other rocket-armed unit tend to spam 4 - 6 of them in a single barrage. [[UpToEleven And since these units will also be spammed]]...
** Then ''Invaders'' introduced us to the Galactic Marine Manticore, a variant of the Ogre armed with a pair of missile pods. It can unleash several missiles in a burst but has low firing rate. ''Then'' its taken UpToEleven with their epic unit, [[HumongousMecha the Titan]], which has twice as many missile pods and fires twice as many missiles. Unlike the Manticore, the Titan's missiles [[RoboTeching can track and kill multiple targets]].

* TankGoodness: The Renegade Tank which is heavily armored and packs a mean punch. They then take it UpToEleven with the new Heavy Tank which is [[MightyGlacier even more heavily armored]], [[MoreDakka can fire twice as many shots]], and is armed with [[MacrossMissileMassacre anti-air missile launchers]]. Its essentially the famed [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer Mammoth Tank]] in all but name.

* KillItWithIce: The Deathsworn's WeaponOfMassDestruction, the Mana Crystal, can conjure a Blizzard that freezes all affected units and structures in an area. [[RealityEnsues Aircraft are instantly destroyed]] while ground units become LiterallyShatteredLives when fired upon. Structures take more damage than usual for the duration of the freezing. Oh and speaking of the duration, [[HarmlessFreezing frozen units return back to normal after a while]].