Mars Saga

Mars Saga - the 1988 sci-fi RPG for Commodore 64 from Electronic Arts.

Build a small crew in the Martian colonies, take risky contracts, and
fight through mines and outposts in tactical, turn-based combat.

Core loop
- recruit specialists in towns and balance the party’s budget
- travel between colonies, accept missions, gear up
- explore mines and facilities, clear threats, collect rewards

Systems and items
- skills and roles - combat, tech, medical, scouting shape outcomes
- weapons and armor tiers - better gear unlocks tougher jobs
- clinics, banks, and shops - heal, insure earnings, restock ammo
- party management - hire, dismiss, and level up survivors

Level design and feel
Top-down colony streets lead to deserts and claustrophobic mine levels.
Encounters pull into clean grid battles with turn order and range. Cash
is tight early, pushing careful route planning and job selection.

Why it is notable
- developed by Westwood Associates before their Dune II and C&C era
- reworked and expanded for PC as “Mines of Titan” the following year

Tips
- hire a medic early so you are not bleeding cash at clinics
- carry extra ammo and avoid burst fire unless a fight demands it
- save before dropping into a new level to scout enemy types safely

At a glance
Year - 1988
Developer - Westwood Associates
Design and programming - Westwood Associates team
Publisher - Electronic Arts
Genre - RPG
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2 - keyboard for menus