In other sections of this site, I have argued that 1994's Neo Nectaris is the "oddball" title whose peculiarities make it stand out from the rest of the series.  While I still maintain that position, I have to say that this German version of Nectaris is also an "oddball" that really stands out from the rest of the series.  Actually, to be more precise, the German version of Nectaris is the bastard child of the series.  Whereas Neo Nectaris was a true sequel to 1989's Nectaris (by maintaining fundamental elements of the original game), the German version re-formulates and re-mixes key elements of the game:

	1989 Screen Layout	1995 Screen Layout
	1989's original Nectaris for PC-Engine.  Battles are limited to the Moon, and only 23 different weapons are available.  (NOTE: The North American version for TurboGrafx-16 is pictured above).	1995's German update of Nectaris for IBM PC (PC-DOS).  The screen layout remains virtually identical to the 1989, but the in-game graphics have been completely overhauled.

(1) combat is no longer limited to the lunar landscape -- two new planets have been added to the Nectaris universe, thereby allowing the introduction of new weapons (i.e. naval craft and helicopters) and combat that you would never find on a lunar battlefield,  and  (2)  a complete aesthetic overhaul that replaces the drab weapons and dreary atmosphere of the Moon with re-styled "cute" weapons set atop a colorful, vibrant topography.
  

These alterations to the classic Nectaris formula are easier to understand when you look at the production history of the game.  Unlike the other titles in the series (which were developed by Hudson Soft of Japan), this PC version was developed (level design, artwork, programming, etc.) by a German team... although Hudson Soft (Japan) is credited with some of the programming / computer intelligence (for the core game engine, I assume) and Hudson Soft (Europe) is credited as one of the title's producers.  The German development team clearly wanted to do more than simply port the original Nectaris, they wanted to reinvigorate the original game and make it seem fresh and new.  As a result, this
  

installment has a somewhat different look and feel when compared to the rest of the series (check out  screenshot 1  and  screenshot 2  to see how maps and weapons have been stylized in this version) ... plus, it has the most diverse gameplay with 3 worlds, 98 maps, and many unique units you won't find in other Nectaris titles, such as helicopters, paratroopers, bunkers, jet-pack infantry, submarines, sea mines, and countless watercraft. Naval warfare is atypical of the Nectaris series.  You begin your campaign on the Moon (inexplicably referred to as "Triton" in this version) playing the original 32 maps,  then the battle shifts to another planet -- Romulous -- for the second campaign (32 maps), before ending up on planet Pacifica for the final 36 maps.  I appreciate the fresh approach taken by the German developers (and I am already on record as being a fan of "cute" strategy games like Earth Light).
  

TRIVIA -- How do the TurboGrafx-16 & German versions of Nectaris break with tradition? :  In keeping with tradition, the original 32 maps of the 1989 Nectaris campaign is included on this release (but for some inexplicable reason, it is referred to as "Triton").  Interestingly, however, the German developers BROKE with tradition when they devised the passwords for this release.  Normally, the passwords for the second-half of the campaign are the same as the first-half, but in reverse (i.e. if a map is named "REVOLT", then its counterpart will be "TLOVER").  Instead, the German developers used the map names from Military Madness  (1989, TurboGrafx-16, North America).
  
When Nectaris was released in North America for the TG-16 under the title "Military Madness", 18 passwords were altered. The passwords for the entire advanced campaign (maps 17-32) were changed for the TG-16 title. I think the latter was a good idea, since it made it more difficult to advance by cheating (i.e. simply reversing the map names from the first campaign).  In addition, Map 9 changed from "GALOIS" to "GALIOS" (to confuse matters, the German version keeps the original "GALOIS") and map 14 "APPOLO" was corrected to "APOLLO" (here, the German version uses "APOLLO").
  
So, for example, the TG-16 and German versions of Nectaris have "MILTON" instead of "TLOVER" as a name for stage 17.  Needless to say, these passwords do not work with the Japanese versions of NECTARIS.