"Tanks a lot."

Tanks But No Tanks is one of those simple Atari games that have a simple concept but fun and addictive gameplay. This game is a horribly overlooked classic for the Atari 2600 that just hasn't gotten the popularity it deserves, despite the witty game name.

Story

As with most Atari 2600 games, this game doesn't really have much of a story. Apparently, a bunch of enemy tanks are trying to take over your base, and it's your job to stop them. Are you a bad enough tank to defeat the enemy and save your homeland?

Audio

Not much can be said about the audio in this game. There are two basic sounds in this game: the sound that occurs when a shot is fired, and the sound that occurs when a tank explodes. There is no music in the game, and overall the sounds aren't all that spectacular. However, the sounds aren't too annoying, either. In all, I was somewhat indifferent towards the sounds in this game.

Graphics

The graphics in this game are around average for the time period. The tanks look somewhat like tanks, and the colors are fairly bright and vivid for an Atari 2600 game. Overall, I wasn't too impressed by the video in this game, but I wasn't disappointed, either.

Controls

The controls in Tanks But No Tanks are very simple. The joystick moves your tank, and the button fires ammunition.

Gameplay

As I've stated before, the gameplay is extremely simple. Basically, you play as a tank that has to protect its home base from an enemy invasion. You go through different levels and have a certain number of lives in order to try to get a high score. The difficulty in Tanks But No Tanks can range from fairly easy to fairly difficult. It all depends on how skilled of a gamer you are. The gameplay is pretty quick at times, but fortunately it's not too quick so that you end up getting overwhelmed by the enemy tanks.

Conclusion - Buy, rent, or neither?

If you can find this game at a garage sale, and you have an Atari 2600 lying around collecting dust, by all means buy it. Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot. Tanks But No Tanks is a severely underrated gem that has suffered in obscurity for too long. If you're looking for a game that offers a more than decent amount of gameplay, but you're not a graphics fanboy or you don't too concerned with graphics in video games, then Tanks But No Tanks is a great game for you.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/04