''Abrams Battle Tank'' is a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

developed by

Dynamix Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator Red Baron (1990 video game), ''Red Baron'', the puzzle video game, puzzle game ''The Incredible Machine (video game), The Incredible Mach ...

and published by

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...

in 1988 for

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few op ...

. Designed by

Damon Slye Damon Slye (born June 15, 1962) is a computer game game designer, designer, director, and game programmer, programmer. In 1984 he founded Dynamix with Jeff Tunnell in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. He is best known for creating the historic fligh ...

, the game is a 3D

vehicle simulation Vehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles. This includes automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, and a ...

of the

M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

. The 1991

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

port by

Realtime Games Software Realtime Games Software Ltd. was a British computer game developer, founded in 1984 by three Leeds University students: Ian Oliver, Andrew Onions, and Graeme Baird. Their first game, '' 3D Tank Duel'', was a wireframe graphics game, in the st ...

was renamed to ''M-1 Abrams Battle Tank''.

Gameplay

Although the simulation depicts the four crew positions, and is advertised as a simulation, gameplay is not actually very realistic; the missions are

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 ...

-like with a fixed sequence of actions to perform. The graphics were very good for their time, but reviews are mixed, with many players enjoying the "fun factor" introduced by the lack of realism, and others decrying it for the same reason.

Ports

The port from MS-DOS to Genesis was performed by

in the UK using their own 3D engine that was earlier used in ''

Carrier Command ''Carrier Command'' is a 1988 video game published by Rainbird for the Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC compatibles, ZX Spectrum, Macintosh, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. ''Carrier Command'' is a cross between a vehicle simulation game and a real-time s ...

'' with some tweaks to adapt it to the Genesis and the needs of the tank scenario.

Reception

In 1989, ''

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

'' gave the MS-DOS version of the game 3 out of 5 stars. ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

'' gave the game two and a half stars out of five, stating that ''Abrams Battle Tank'' was a good game but a poor simulation. The magazine cited the commanding officer's briefings, at one point threatening failure with execution, as unprofessional and offensive to military personnel. In a 1994 survey of wargames the magazine gave the title two out of five stars, stating that newer games had superseded it and criticizing the simulation of a single tank instead of a company or squad. ''

Compute! ''Compute!'' (), often stylized as ''COMPUTE!'', is an American home computer magazine that was published from 1979 to 1994. Its origins can be traced to 1978 in Len Lindsay's ''PET Gazette'', one of the first magazines for the Commodore PET. ...

'' agreed that the game was not very realistic, but advised players to "accept the game as a graphically excellent, tactically complex simulation". In 1994, ''

PC Gamer US ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...

'' named ''Abrams Battle Tank'' the 50th best computer game ever.

Reviews

* ''

Games-X ''Games-X'' was a multi-format weekly computer and video game magazine published in the United Kingdom. It was launched in May 1991. The publisher was Europress. Editor Hugh Gollner later described it "a big mistake" in terms of finances. See al ...

'' (Jun 27, 1991) * ''

Raze Raze may refer to: * Demolition **Slighting * Raze, Haute-Saône, a town in France * Raze (Underworld), a fictional character in the Underworld films * Raze (magazine), a videogame magazine published by Newsfield Publications from 1990-1991 * ''Ra ...

'' (Oct, 1991) * ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...

'' (Aug, 1991) * ''

The One The One may refer to: Buildings * The One (shopping centre), a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong * The One (Toronto), a mixed-use skyscraper under development in Toronto, Canada * The One, a residential skyscraper under constru ...

'' (Jul, 1989) * ''

ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) ''ACE'' (''Advanced Computer Entertainment'') is a discontinued multi-format computer and video game magazine, first published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and later acquired by EMAP. History ACE launched in October 1987, roughly ...

'' (Jul, 1989) * ''

ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) ''Aktueller Software Markt'' (literally ''Current Software Market''), commonly known by its acronym, ''ASM'', was a German multi-platform Video game journalism, video game magazine that was published by Tronic-Verlag from 1986 until 1995. It was ...

'' (Jul, 1989) * ''Video Games'' (Sep, 1991) * ''

The Games Machine ''The Games Machine'' was a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published '' CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', '' Amtix!'' and other magazines. History ''The Games Machine'' ran head ...

'' (Jun, 1989) * ''Power Play'' (May, 1989) * ''

Jeux & Stratégie ''Jeux'' (''Games'') is a ballet written by Claude Debussy. Described as a "poème dansé" (literally a "danced poem"), it was written for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. Debussy initially objected to the ...

'' #59

References

External links

* {{Dynamix 1988 video games DOS games Dynamix games Electronic Arts games Realtime Games Software games Sega Genesis games Single-player video games Tank simulation video games