is a 1991

multi-directional shooter Twin-stick shooter is a subgenre of shoot 'em up video games. It defines a multidirectional shooter in which the player character is controlled using two joysticks: the first for movement on a flat plane and the second to shoot in the direction th ...

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...

developed and published in Japan by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...

. It was designed by Yutaka Kounoe, whose works include ''

Dig Dug is a maze arcade video game released by Namco in 1982. It was distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player digs underground tunnels to attack enemies in each level, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...

'', '' Lucky & Wild'', and '' Point Blank''. The game is a successor installment to Namco's '' Battle City'' (1985), itself a successor to '' Tank Battalion'' (1980). In 2017, the two-player version was re-released for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

as part of the ''

Namco Museum is a series of video game compilations developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for home video game consoles. The first title in the series, ''Namco Museum Vol. 1'', was released for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation in 1995. En ...

'' compilation.

Gameplay

The gameplay is much like that of ''Tank Battalion'', except that this time up to two (on an upright model) or four (on a cocktail) players can play simultaneously. There are seven new types of enemy tanks (Normal Tanks, Speed Tanks, Hard Tanks, Big Tanks, Rapid Tanks, Tomahawk Tanks and Jeeps) and fifteen types of powerups (Bonus 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000, Shot Powerup, 4-Way Shot, Hyper Shot, Ripple Laser, Twin Shot, Small, Shield, Bomb Attack, Timer Stop, Force Field and Extend) which appear for players to collect in order to increase their tanks' firepower and boost their score. The enemies also roll into view from the top of the screen instead of just appearing and can also enter from the left and right sides. Every fourth round is a "boss" round where the players must fight Train Cannons, AK Tanks and Boss Cannons at the top of the screen as well as the round's regular enemies. The players cannot destroy their own headquarters walls, when one player shoots another they will be pushed back. The game has an ending which will be seen after clearing all thirty-six rounds.

Reception

''Game Machine'' reported that ''Tank Force'' was the fourth most-popular arcade game of February 1992. In his review for ''Namco Museum'' on the

, Damien McFerran of ''

Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...

'' said that ''Tank Force'' made for an odd inclusion due to its obscurity, describing it as "''

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

'' with tanks and destructible environments".

Notes

References

External links

* 1991 video games Arcade Archives games Arcade video games Multidirectional shooters Namco arcade games Tank simulation video games Video game sequels Video games developed in Japan Virtual Console games Multiplayer and single-player video games {{scroll-shooter-videogame-stub