Cougar Force

Last updated: January 11, 2026

Overview

Cougar Force is a multi-genre action game released in 1990, developed by MDO (a division of Coktel Vision) and published by Tomahawk¹². The game places players in the role of Agent Cougar, a top-secret operative tasked with infiltrating a criminal fortress on an isolated Pacific archipelago to retrieve intelligence on a new drug trafficking operation³⁴. Originally released for DOS and Atari ST in 1990, an Amiga version followed in 1991¹.

“Cougar Force feels like the ’80s exploded into a side-scrolling action game. Big guns, big hair, and bigger explosions define this run-and-gun romp where subtlety is for other people”⁵. The game distinguishes itself through its combination of multiple gameplay styles, transitioning from side-scrolling beat ‘em up sequences to flight simulation and concluding with motorcycle racing segments⁶⁷. This ambitious multi-sequence approach made it one of Tomahawk and Coktel Vision’s few action game releases⁸.

The game was also released under the alternate title “Piège” in some markets¹⁸. While MDO handled most of the engineering work at their development studio, graphics and designs were provided by Coktel Vision headquarters in Paris⁹. The MDO company name was derived from its three co-founders: Mathieu Marciacq (M), Arnaud Delrue (D), and Roland Oskian (O)⁹.

Game Info

Developer: MDO / Coktel Vision¹² Designer: Joseph Kluytmans² Publisher: Tomahawk¹³ Engine: Unknown Platforms: DOS, Amiga, Atari ST¹ Release Year: 1990 (DOS/Atari ST), 1991 (Amiga)¹ Series: None Protagonist: Agent Cougar Sierra Lineage: Related

Story Summary

The player assumes the role of “Cougar,” described as “a top secret agent with a mission to break up a gang of illegal drug dealers on an isolated archipelago in the Pacific”³⁴. The narrative follows a straightforward action premise typical of late 1980s action entertainment, with the protagonist working to dismantle a criminal trafficking organization¹⁰.

The mission begins with Agent Cougar staging a daring prison escape, fighting guards with bare hands to begin the adventure³. After escaping captivity, the agent must penetrate the criminal’s fortress to retrieve sensitive information about a new drug that the traffickers have developed⁴¹¹. The storyline takes Cougar through various locations including prison facilities, underground mines, and an ancient temple⁶.

The adventure escalates as Cougar takes control of a fully armed jet fighter to confront enemy forces from the air, before ultimately facing “the evil scientist” behind the drug operation³. Contemporary reviews noted that “those who persevere will be rewarded with some nice plot and gameplay twists near the end”⁸, suggesting the narrative holds some surprises for players who complete the challenging gameplay segments.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Cougar Force employs different control schemes across its three distinct gameplay sections. The game supports both keyboard and mouse input devices¹. The side-scrolling portions utilize standard platformer controls, while the flight simulation segment features an extensive keyboard command set.

For the flight simulation portion, the Atari ST version documented comprehensive controls including: F1 for the Weapon List, F2 for Fast Radar, F3 for Enemy Aircraft Information, F5 to operate Landing Gear, F7 for Weapon Select, F9 to release decoy flares, along with various flight commands such as ‘B’ for ground speed brake, ‘C’ for rapid acceleration, and ‘L’ for Auto Landing.

Structure and Progression

The game is divided into three distinct parts, each featuring a different gameplay style¹⁶:

• Part 1 - Side-Scrolling Action: The initial segment functions as a beat ‘em up/platformer where players fight prison guards, navigate mines, and explore temples while escaping captivity and collecting keys⁶¹²
• Part 2 - Flight Simulation: Players pilot a fully armed jet fighter, engaging enemy aircraft and ground targets⁶⁷
• Part 3 - Motorcycle Escape: The finale involves motorcycle racing with a strict three-minute time limit before an explosion occurs⁶¹³

As one user described it: “Starts as an action game, then changes to a flight sim”¹². The combination of genres within a single game was noted as ambitious, though the transitions between styles were sometimes jarring.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The first segment emphasizes combat and key collection, requiring players to defeat enemies and navigate platforming challenges to progress⁶. The beat ‘em up sections involve brawling with guards and enemies throughout various environments¹⁴. Weapons available were criticized as “bland,” contributing to repetitive gameplay⁸.

The flight simulation segment requires players to master aircraft controls, engage in aerial combat, and complete bombing runs. The motorcycle section demands speed and precision, with players needing to reach the checkpoint within the three-minute time limit “otherwise you explode”¹³.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Cougar Force received widely varying scores from gaming publications of the era, with assessments ranging from enthusiastic to highly critical¹⁵.

Positive Reviews:

• ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) awarded the game 10/12 (83%) in February 1991¹⁶
• Génération 4 gave 78% in their October/November 1990 review¹⁵¹⁶
• Joystick (Moulinex reviewer) scored it 70% in December 1990¹⁵
• Amiga Action awarded 70% in July 1991¹²¹⁵

Negative Reviews:

• Computer and Video Games gave 60% for the Amiga version in September 1991²
• Tilt magazine scored 12/20 (60%) in January 1991¹⁶
• Power Play (reviewer Volker Waltz) gave only 29% in February 1991¹²¹⁵
• Amiga Joker (reviewer Max Magenauer) scored 24% in February 1991¹²¹⁵
• Amiga Power (reviewer Stuart Campbell) gave a harsh 18% in July 1991¹²¹⁵

The significant score disparity between French publications (generally favorable) and German/UK publications (highly critical) suggests regional differences in expectations for action games during this period.

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospective assessments remain mixed. “The pixel art in the beat ‘em up sections is pleasant to look at. Sadly, the sprites have too few frames of animation”¹². Critics noted that “bland weapons and repetitive enemies make the game boring quite fast”⁸.

Technical issues were also highlighted: “The 3D vehicle combat sections on the other hand suffer from a framerate so low even bullets crawl across the screen in half-second steps”¹².

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 46% critic average (8 reviews), 2.1/5 player rating (9 ratings)¹
• UVList: 64% average, 70% median (5 reviews)¹⁶
• Abandonware DOS: 3.89/5 (9 votes)⁵
• My Abandonware: 4.33/5 user rating⁸
• Giant Bomb: 4.0/5 user reviews¹³

Development

Origins

Cougar Force emerged from the collaboration between MDO and Coktel Vision, representing one of the publisher Tomahawk’s few ventures into the action game genre⁸. MDO was a development division of Coktel Vision, with the company name derived from its three co-founders: Mathieu Marciacq, Arnaud Delrue, and Roland Oskian⁹.

The game was designed by Joseph Kluytmans, who also served as the primary graphics artist¹². The project represented an ambitious attempt to combine multiple gameplay genres within a single release, a structure that was relatively uncommon for the era⁶.

Production

Development followed a distributed model where “MDO was responsible for most of the engineering while graphics and designs came from the headquarters in Paris”⁹. The project was managed by Muriel Tramis at Coktel Vision¹.

Programming for the MDO portions was handled by Eric Metens and Roland Lacoste¹. The game was developed simultaneously for DOS and Atari ST platforms, with the Amiga version following approximately a year later in 1991¹.

Development Credits:¹

• Designer/Author: Joseph Kluytmans
• Project Manager: Muriel Tramis
• Graphics: Joseph Kluytmans
• Programming (MDO): Eric Metens, Roland Lacoste
• Intro Music: Frédéric Motte
• Sound: Vincent Barat

Technical Achievements

The game utilized VGA graphics for the DOS version, displaying at 320x200 resolution¹⁴¹⁷. The technical approach combined 2D side-scrolling segments with attempts at 3D vehicle sequences, though the latter suffered from performance issues.

The display technology employed “raster, flat polygons” for the 3D segments¹⁶. Multiple perspectives were utilized throughout the game, including “side view” and “1st person” viewpoints for different gameplay sections¹⁶.

Technical Specifications

DOS Version:¹¹⁴

• Resolution: 320x200, VGA
• Disks: 5.25” floppy disks¹⁸¹⁹
• Download Size: Approximately 1 MB
• Language: English (even in German packaging)¹⁸

Amiga Version:¹²

• Hardware: OCS (Original Chip Set)
• Disks: 2 floppy disks (3.5”)
• Language: English
• Players: 1 Only
• Development Tool: C Code

Atari ST Version:⁸

• Download Size: Approximately 2 MB (ROM)

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	1990	DOS	Initial release1
1.0	1990	Atari ST	Simultaneous release1
1.0	1991	Amiga	Later port110

The game was distributed through various publishers in different regions, including Tomahawk, Electronic Zoo, and ASM/Tomahawk depending on territory¹⁵. A German release featured German packaging and documentation, though the game itself remained in English¹⁸.

Technical Issues

Contemporary reviewers identified several technical problems. The most significant criticism focused on animation quality: “The sprites have too few frames of animation. In motion, it looks horrendous and affects the gameplay quite a bit”¹².

The 3D sequences received particular criticism for poor performance, with “a framerate so low even bullets crawl across the screen in half-second steps”¹². The “downright dumb enemies who never seem to avoid your fire” also drew criticism from action game enthusiasts⁸.

Digital preservation efforts have noted some anomalies, with one archivist reporting that “Kryoflux finds a deleted file on the second disk (Disk 1). I can not find images to compare this to”¹⁸.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game’s alternative title “Piège” is French for “Trap”¹⁸
• Composer Frédéric Motte, credited for the intro music, was previously known as “Moby” in the demoscene and has been “creating game music since 1989”²⁰
• MDO as a development studio took its name from the initials of its three founders⁹
• Cougar Force was one of the few action titles in the Tomahawk/Coktel Vision catalog, which was primarily known for adventure games⁸

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Sales data for Cougar Force has not been preserved in available records. The game’s distribution through multiple publishers (Tomahawk, Electronic Zoo, ASM/Tomahawk) across different European territories suggests at least moderate commercial interest at release¹⁵. However, the game has not achieved lasting recognition and is primarily remembered as a curiosity from the early 1990s action game landscape.

Collections

The game has been preserved through various abandonware and digital preservation initiatives. It is currently available through Internet Archive¹⁸, MyAbandonware⁸, and other preservation sites. The game can be played directly in browsers through DOS emulation⁸.

Fan Projects

No significant fan projects, remakes, or modifications have been documented for Cougar Force. The game remains primarily of interest to retro gaming enthusiasts and preservationists rather than active fan communities.

Related Publications

Documentation has been preserved primarily through digital archiving efforts:

• Original German packaging with German documentation (game remains in English)¹⁸
• Box art and packaging materials preserved in various game databases²¹
• Documentation scanned at 600dpi for preservation¹⁸

Critical Perspective

Cougar Force represents an ambitious but flawed attempt at multi-genre game design during the transition period between the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. The concept of combining beat ‘em up, flight simulation, and racing mechanics within a single narrative framework was innovative, but the execution suffered from technical limitations and uneven quality across gameplay modes.

The game’s wildly divergent review scores—ranging from 83% to 18%—reflect both the subjective nature of game criticism and potentially different regional expectations for action games. French publications generally viewed the game more favorably, while German and British reviewers were significantly harsher in their assessments¹⁵¹⁶.

As a product of Coktel Vision and MDO, the game stands as an outlier in a catalog dominated by adventure games like the Gobliiins series. Its significance lies primarily in its demonstration that even experienced developers could struggle when venturing into unfamiliar genres, and as a historical artifact of early attempts at genre-blending game design.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores:

• Not currently available for digital purchase

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Cougar Force (German 5.25” version)
• MyAbandonware – Cougar Force

Play Online

• MyAbandonware – Play in Browser

Database Entries

• MobyGames – Cougar Force
• Lemon Amiga – Cougar Force
• Atari Legend – Cougar Force

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – Cougar Force – developer, publisher, release dates, platforms, credits, ratings ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰

2. French Wikipedia – Cougar Force – developer (MDO/Coktel Vision), designer, C&VG review score ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Metacritic – Cougar Force – game description, mission synopsis ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. Old-Games.com – Cougar Force – game description, developer info ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Abandonware DOS – Cougar Force – user rating, stylistic description ↩ ↩²

6. LaunchBox Games Database – Cougar Force – gameplay structure, three-part description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. Atari Legend – Cougar Force – flight sim controls documentation ↩ ↩²

8. MyAbandonware – Cougar Force – HOTUD review, alternate title, user rating, version info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

9. Free Game Empire – Cougar Force – MDO company background, development division details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

10. Centre for Computing History – Cougar Force – Amiga 1991 release, game description ↩ ↩²

11. Grouvee – Cougar Force – gameplay description ↩

12. Lemon Amiga – Cougar Force – magazine reviews, technical specs, user comments ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

13. Giant Bomb – Cougar Force – gameplay details, time limit mechanic, user score ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. MobyGames – Cougar Force Screenshots (DOS) – VGA resolution, screenshot caption ↩ ↩² ↩³

15. Amiga Magazine Rack – Cougar Force Reviews – comprehensive magazine review scores and dates ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

16. UVList – Cougar Force – aggregate scores, technical specs, magazine reviews ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

17. MobyGames – Cougar Force Screenshots (Amiga) – resolution information ↩

18. Internet Archive – Cougar Force (German 5.25”) – preservation notes, disk format, language info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

19. MobyGames – Cougar Force Covers (DOS) – media format ↩

20. Elmobo Bandcamp – Cougar Force – composer background, demoscene history ↩

21. LaunchBox Games Database – Cougar Force Images – box art, screenshot availability ↩