Armor Battle

"One of Intellivisions most addictive games."

Armor Battle is definitely one of the three most addictive games on the Intellivision(the others being Snafu and Shark! Shark!) and even very fun today which I was surprised
to see.

Story 1
There is no real story to Armor Battle, but the game was released in April of 1979 so what do you expect.

Gameplay 9
You fight an opponent(either the computer, or a human) for a chosen number of rounds and you each have two tanks that you can switch control of whenever you feel it is necessary. You have to destroy your opponent's two tanks to win the round. Now this is what surprised me, this game has a good amount of strategy to it! You have very different landscapes to move about in every level such as roads, woods, and small bodies of water. Roads allow you to move freely and the woods offer a safe haven from fire, but you also loose the ability to shoot. The actual control is very simple with just moving the joystick where you want to go. There is a button to shoot and you can also lay a mine, but you must be cautious because it can mean your own demise if you hit it. Also if you shoot, you will experience recoil backwards and a slight turn. I thought this was a nice feature that can help you get into the game and it makes Armor Battle feel like more of an authentic combat experience

Graphics 8
They were good for the time and you can clearly see everything like the water, trees, buildings and the blue and black tanks.

Music/Sound 8
There is no music which doesn't bother me, but some simple battle tunes would have been a nice feature.

The sound is nicely done with a clear rolling effect when you move your vehicle and good firing and explosion sounds.
For 1979 this was very well done.

Final Result 8
While it may be old and outdated this game still offers a very addictive gaming experience and I believe it to be a classic that deserves recognition. The randomly generated levels offer a new experience every time you go to play and you can always develop new strategies against your opponents. So, for a fun and nostalgic time play Armor Battle and you will relive an era of gaming that has long since been whisked away into extinction.

This can be found on the original intellivsion still, but if you want to play it along with 29 other gaming classics then pick up Activision's A Collection Of Classic Games From The Intellivision on PSX. It comes highly recommended.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/20/03