Description of Tank Battalion
Here is the video game “Tank Battalion”! Released in 1984 on MSX, it's still available and playable with some tinkering. It's an action game, set in an arcade, shooter and tank themes and it was released on Arcade as well.
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Comments and reviews
Adam 2025-01-04 0 point MSX version
The MSX version is actually something between a slight modernization of coin-op original and FamiCom's Battle City, but closer to an update from coin-ops.
The only feature taken from Battle City is leveling tanks up - you have to shoot the blinking color tank, but it's a lottery: sometimes you'll get the higher leveled tank (up to lv 3), sometimes not. Just like in coin-op original - beware of close distance shots: the high scored shots will lure you. Don't shoot from such a close gap.
The walls are changing colors every 4 rounds or so here, but I don't know if it was in coin-op Tank Battalion. There are no videos which could show you the feature from there. The emulators warn you the colors are imperfect. So it's tough (if not impossible) to compare the original pcb gameplay to MSX conversion.
Maybe you didn't notice, but the last tank to be shot down requires more than just 1 hit. You'll have to load 5 rockets (if not more) at later stages.
Another thing I adored here was extra life after 30k and 70k pts, absent in coin-op Tank Battalion and FamiCom's Battle City (there was only 1 extra life: Tank Battalion - default @ 20k; the operator could choose between 10k, 15k, 20k factory and even... no extra life, where Battle City - 20k only). But the biggest flaw is the game is single-player mode. Not even alternate double player from the original. Just 1p, like in Namco(t)'s conversions for MSX. There's no demo mode, so the risk of ghost image (when you don't press Space on the title screen) is HIGH.
I can recommend this conversion only if you're bored. If you want a better tank-themed game, play FamiCom's Battle City.
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MSX Version
Arcade ROM
- Year: 1980
- Publisher: Game Plan, Inc., Namco Limited
- Developer: Namco Limited
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