Robot Tank

Robot Tank is a first-person shoot 'em up written by Alan Miller for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983.[1] It is similar in design to Atari, Inc.'s Battlezone tank combat arcade video game and more so to its 2600 port. Robot Tank adds different systems which can individually be damaged—instead of the vehicle always exploding upon being shot—and weather effects.

Robot Tank
Developer(s)Activision
Publisher(s)Activision
Designer(s)Alan Miller[1]
Platform(s)Atari 2600
Release1983
Genre(s)Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay
The first person view from the tank

The player remotely controls a robot tank in 2019,[2] using radar to find and destroy enemy robot tanks intent on reaching downtown Santa Clara, California, United States. The enemy is organized into squadrons of 12 tanks each.[3] Defeating an enemy squadron adds a reserve tank to the initial three, to a maximum of 12.[2] The game ends when all of a player's tanks are destroyed.

As the player's tank is damaged, firepower and/or visual display capabilities are irreparably worsened.[2] Enough damage eventually destroys a tank. Combat can take place at any time of day or night (displayed on-screen), which adds challenge in tracking enemy combatants by radar alone. Weather conditions, announced at the start of each level, can be clear, rain, snow, or fog. Rain slows the tank's movements. Snow causes the tank to lose traction. Fog impairs the tank's vision.

Reception

Computer and Video Games rated the game 84% in 1989.[4]

Reviews

See also
  • Encounter!, a 1983 Atari 8-bit computer game with similar gameplay

References
  1. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers". Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. "Atari 2600 VCS Robot Tank". Atarimania.com. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  3. "Robot Tank - The Atari Times". Ataritimes.com. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. "Complete Games Guide" (PDF). Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. 16 October 1989.
  5. "GAMES Magazine #44". October 1983.
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