Robot Tank

"Our time has come..."

Technology rules our lives. As time progresses, society will become increasingly reliant on technological advancements. We've been able to create robots that can travel through space and research our neighboring planets. We can explore the deepest fathoms of our oceans. DVDs can be played on a machine that can fit in our pockets. Hell, even the computer you're using is an essential tool for gathering information, its Internet connection a now commonplace aspect of our culture. We trust these machines, their constant improvements keeping our needs satisfied. But what if technology ceased to be beneficial? What if we could no longer search the stars? What would you do if your beloved Internet were taken away from you? Without the presence of usable technology, society would stumble backwards a few steps, losing so much of what it could have possibly learned.

Welcome to humanity's future, where an over-reliance on technology has the potential to doom mankind. The United States military has developed an army of highly advanced Robot Tanks, their firepower and maneuverability unlike anything ever seen on the modern battlefield. But while these mighty chunks of metal can wipe out any threat to the homeland, their power is not something to take for granted. One fateful day, the majority of the Robot Tanks went haywire, ignoring orders and annihilating anything in their path. As their massive sweep of the country continues, they have set their sites on Santa Clara, a small city alive and well with an urbanized community. Though this place offers nothing in terms strategy or any type of advantage for either side, it will become the first large-scale victim of the revolt. Taking control of your own Robot Tank, it's your duty to roll out into the grassy plains of California and stop the mechanized menaces with any means necessary.

You'll start your crusade on a field, its alternating shades of green stretching as far as the eye can see. As you look down at your control panel, you'll notice a tiny dot on your radar showing where your soulless nemesis is hiding. Your tank will venture forward into the unknown, its treads rumbling over hills and ditches with ease. But mere seconds after moving, you'll come across your first foe, its black armor giving some stark contrast to the beautiful surroundings. Before it can even aim its massive cannon at you, you'll fire off a shot, blowing it up in a massive fireball of sparkly pixels and flashy colors. However, your job isn't finished. As soon as you wipe out one baddy, another will appear on the radar, just itching to be taken out. Thus the onslaught will continue, with you constantly rolling back and forth across the battlefield as you strike down one foe after another. Some will be able to evade your attacks with their incredible agility, while others will be able to kill you long before you manage to get them in your sights. All you can do is keep moving and pray that you won't roast alive when some unfriendly fire goes your way.

Your epic quest of human salvation will never stop. As you traverse the beautiful landscape of the Golden State, you'll be on constant watch, fighting around the clock for the safety of humanity. As twilight falls and you start drifting off into the sweet bliss of sleep, you'll still find yourself surrounded by enemy tanks, each of their cannons poised to send you to hell. Not only will your battle rage through night and day, but through weather conditions as well. Though California is called a sunny state, its unpredictable weather patterns will become a sharp thorn in your side. Before long, you'll be driving through rain and snow, barely able to make any progress on your warpath. But sometimes, you'll roll right into a fog bank, your visibility reduced to a few blades of grass. From there, it's nothing more than a deadly game of hide-and-seek with your survival hanging in the balance.

If the weather problems weren't enough, you'll also have to deal with the systems of your tank. While you may be piloting the finest the American government can offer, it's still as fragile as glass. Both its video monitoring and radar systems will black out on you, forcing you to make a blind foray into hostile territory. Your weapons can be damaged, limiting your shots to a mere sputter of cannon fodder. When your tire treads go, you're essentially a sitting duck in a pond of wild piranha. Once all your systems fail, all you can do s lean back in your chair, close your eyes, and pray for a quick and merciful death. It's this constant threat of faulty equipment that will keep you on your toes as you wipe out everything that crosses your path.

Though this maddening tension is sure to pull you on the edge of your seat, you can still take some time to appreciate the impressive display that Activision has given us. The world of Robot Tanks is an endless expanse of green pasture, complete with a perfectly clear blue sky and a mountain range in the far distance. Yes, this is a simple but beautiful rendering of the Californian landscape, devoid of any people, cars, or anything else that remotely looks like civilization. The only thing ruining this little nature walk are the hundreds of deadly Robot Tanks rumbling around the field. Their thick, black casings seem so starkly different and nearly offensive, practically forcing you to divert your attention away from the beautiful surroundings to their metal hides. Once you get sick of watching these dark behemoths wander around, you can always blast them to smithereens and watch the mechanical monsters disappear in a bright flash of fireworks and a loud explosion. At least some effort was put into the environmental hazards, complete with differently colored screens for the various weather effects. While this giant pallet of pixels may not seem like much compared to the realism of today's games, the quality and effort put into this Atari game can't go unnoticed.

Atari fans will recognize Robot Tank as the ultimate Battlezone clone. Though the stories may be different and the environments portrayed in a different manner, the core gameplay is still the same, but with a few minor twists to keep gamers from falling asleep. But despite the similarities with the more popular classic, Robot Tank can still shine on its own, an impressive game that lost the potential fame to its rival. Its fast-paced warfare will have you constantly struggling for survival, be it out on the open field or lurking through the foggy mists. In the unlikely event that this game bores you, you can still take solace in the fact the effort put into both the gameplay and graphical aspects of this game were top notch for their time. Thus the battle for humanity continues, with no end in sight.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/13/05