North & South is a 1989 strategy-action game for the NES, published by Infogrames and based on the Belgian comic series Les Tuniques Bleues. You command either the Union or the Confederacy across the American Civil War, manoeuvring armies on a map of the United States and then fighting out each clash in fast-paced side-scrolling battles.
How to Play
Play alternates between two phases. On the map screen you move armies along roads and railway lines, trying to hold enough states or capture the enemy capital to win. Rail depots matter: they replenish your forces each turn, so taking them off the opponent is as valuable as winning open battles. When two armies occupy the same territory, the game switches to a side-scrolling battlefield where you direct infantry, cavalry, and cannon simultaneously. Infantry advance and fire in volleys, cavalry charges can overwhelm exposed units before they reform, and cannon blasts punch through fortified positions. Between turns, optional fort raids and train heists reward you with bonus troops if you win them. A full two-player mode lets one player take each side on the same keyboard.
Browser controls (Player 1): arrow keys to move, X = A button, Z = B button, Shift = Select, Enter = Start.
Tips
- Chase rail depots over open territory — they refill your armies every turn and slowly drain the opponent’s reserves.
- Hold your cavalry in reserve during the infantry exchange, then charge when the enemy line is thinned and gaps appear.
- Always leave at least one army near your own capital; a fast flanking march can end the game before you can march home to stop it.
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