Red Alert 2 20 Years of Red Alert 2

[Plok 327]

Exactly 20 years ago (25 October 2000), Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 hit the shelves in North America. It was the first time a Command & Conquer title was developed mostly by a team other than the original Westwood Studios folks at Las Vegas, and the new developers (Westwood Pacific, from Irvine) would end up making one of the highest-regarded titles in the franchise. A true icon of the genre, Red Alert 2 alone brought so many legendary units, quotes and moments to the, by then, already rich gaming world, and is still well-enjoyed to this day.

For me personally, Red Alert 2 (with the Yuri's Revenge expansion pack) shares the top spot as favourite C&C game with Tiberium Wars (again, with the Kane's Wrath expansion). It is probably the RTS I've played the most, and one I'd always put as ground zero for anyone who wants to make their own game in the franchise - do not take anything from it (without a valid replacement), just base the gameplay around it. It is always easy to pick up and entertain oneself with, the units and techs are creative, and the campaign never gets old. I only wish that there was a fourth AI difficulty that would actually put up a fight on its own in 1v1...

What are your favourite RA2 memories? Let us know!