Herzog Zwei

Herzog Zwei
North American cover art
DeveloperTechnosoft
PublisherSega
  • JP: Technosoft
ProgrammerTakashi Iwanaga
ComposersNaosuke Arai
Tomomi Otani
PlatformsMega Drive/Genesis, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • JP: December 15, 1989
  • NA: March 1990
  • EU: 1990
GenreReal-time strategy
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Herzog Zwei (pronounced [ˈhɛʁtsoːk ˈtsvaɪ]; German for 'Duke Two') is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An early real-time strategy game, it predates the genre-popularizing Dune II. It was released first in Japan in 1989 and worldwide in 1990. It is the sequel to Herzog, which was available on the Japanese MSX and PC-8801 personal computers.

Herzog Zwei combines the arcade-style play of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series with a simple, easy-to-grasp level of strategy. It has been cited as an inspiration to the developers of Warcraft, StarCraft, Dune II, and Command & Conquer and is also considered a precursor to the MOBA genre.