Pocket Tanks

"Pocket Tanks" is a 1-2 player computer game for Windows and Mac OS X, created by Blitwise Productions, developer of "Super DX-Ball" and "Neon Wars". Adapted from Michael Welch's earlier Amiga game "Scorched Tanks", this newer version features modified physics, dozens of weapons ranging from simple explosive shells to homing missiles, and the ability to move the tank. It supports several expansion packs. At the moment, players can have up to 230 different weapons total. Pocket Tanks is often abbreviated as PTanks.

Gameplay

First, the players are taken to the "weapon shop", where they take turns picking weapons. There are 20 randomly generated weapons.Two tanks, one always a human and one can be played with AI or a friend, lob shots at each other at a turn basis. Each weapon can only be used once. Different weapons have extremely varying effects. These effects generally are:

* Damage
* Dirt creation
* Dirt removal
* Randomizing of the tank's angle and power
* Kick back
* Giving the dirt around the area special properties

This gives the game strategic depth. There are also defensive weapons, such as shelter, flak, great wall, magic wall, and bouncy wall. This gives the game yet another strategic dimension. Hits give the opponents score, and there is no "health", so there will ALWAYS be 20 shots fired. At the end of the game, the person with the most points wins.

Developments

Version 1.3 was released November 2007. It contains more bug fixes, LAN and IP support.

Expansions

There are "weapon packs" available which give the player more weapon choices during gameplay. However, these expansion packs are only available to those who own "Pocket Tanks Deluxe". All packs that include 5 weapons are free, while those with 15 have to be purchased. Here is a list of current Expansion Packs:
* Laser Pack - 15 weapons (only for v1.2): Space Laser, Bunker Buster, Bushwhack, Repeater, Puddle Jumper, Elevator, Breakout, Orbiter, Bouncy Tunnel, Barrage, Fire Hose, Bumpers, Web, Blowtorch, Mudslide.
* Rocket Pack - 5 weapons (only for v1.2): Pop Rocket, Sky Strike, Power Washer, Cheap Shot, Blackout.
* Magic Pack - 5 weapons (only for v1.2): Magic Beans, Grab Bag, Railgun, Sandstorm, Lemon.
* Acid Pack - 15 weapons (only for v1.2): Acid Bombs, Chroma Blaster, Cauldron, Zipper, Bubble Wrap, Chalk Dust, Mower, Trailblazer, Bulldozer, Lead Balloon, Dive Bomb, Toaster, Time Bomb, Burn Barrel, Char.
* Nano Pack - 5 weapons (only for v1.2): Nanobots, Phase Missile, Gyro Glue, Warp Gate, Tesla Coil.
* Fuzz Pack - 5 weapons: Fuzz Ball, Burning Rubber, Side Kick, Blockade, Stun Gun.
* Tornado Pack - 15 weapons (only for v1.2, an engine improvement has been done for this update that allows the effects in this pack): Tornado, Thor's Hammer, Stampede, Hot Coals, Fizz Bombs, Graviton, Shield, Firefly, Glue Storm, Glue Gun, Run 'n' Gun, Scorcher, Saucer Attack, Tractor Beam, Smoke Bomb.
* Snowball Pack - 5 weapons: Snowballs, Sledgehammer, Collide-o-scope, Neon Blast, Island.
* Gold Pack - 15 weapons: Golden Bullet, Melt down, Streamers, Mass Driver, Molten Plastic, Spinner, Flying Discs, Phaser, Shredder, Aqua Bomb, Tunnel, Lava, Bouncy Ball, Laser Strike, Whiplash.
* Gravity Pack - 5 weapons: Gravity Well, Hot Potato, Funnel, Crazy Wall, Burnt Popcorn.
* Fireworks Pack - 15 weapons: Fireworks, Super Nova, Great Wall, Snowblower, Lava Cannon, Solar Flare, 10 Shot, Stinger, Mega Reaction, Ant Farm, Sonic Blast, Rockslide, Lightning Rod, Star Dust, Water Balloons.
* Super Pack - 5 weapons: Fireball, Flea Circus, Super Star, Drillers, Gamma Blaster.
* Chaos Pack - 5 weapons: Chaos Grenade, Tar Ball, Lightning Strike, Acid Rain, Porcupine.
* Power Pack - 15 weapons: Power Grid, Shadow Blast, X-Ray Cannon, Bazooka, Lucky Shot, Shelter, Fire + Ice, Anvil, Flare, Super Flare, Fracture, Claymore, Phantom, Earth Mover, Flak.
* Flamethrower Pack - 5 weapons: Flamethrower, Skimmer, Volcano, Pedestal, Fire Storm.
* Meteor Pack - 15 weapons: Meteor Shower, Roman Candle, Flying Digger, Comet, Sunburn, Riptide, Buzzsaw, Static Ball, Mystery Bombs, Flower Power, Turn and Burn, Dome Protect, Backfire, Old Faithful, Bouncy Bomb.
* Nuke Pack - 5 weapons: Nuke, Mega Nuke, Pillow Fight, Sink and Swim, Hot Foot
* Ambush Pack - 15 weapons: Ambush, Beehive, Blast Off, Fire in the Hole, Lob-o-Matic, Rainbow Dirt, Super Laser, Ground Shocker, Bouncy Wall, Lodestones, Particle Bomb, Magic Forest, Buckshot, Quad Missile, Carpet Bomb.

These are 230 weapons total including 30 from the Demo and 30 from the Deluxe Version.

Collector's Edition

A Collector's Edition of Pocket Tanks was released on November 16, 2007. It contains the first 14 expansion packs and the Deluxe version of Pocket Tanks. The CD and case comes with special art, and it is cheaper to buy the expansion packs through the Collector's Edition, but other than that there are no differences between the Deluxe and Collector's Edition.

Online potential

Network play has been made available with the latest (v1.3) release. Actual online play will be developed in the future, although it is possible to simulate this through Hamachi or other similar programs. A hidden IP-to-IP mode can also be enabled by editing a settings file. [http://forums.blitwise.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2616]

Trivia

The weapon "Laser Battery" may be a reference to the Metallica song called "Battery", where the lyrics says "Circle of destruction hammer comes crushing". This is what the weapon does, it circles around the target before it falls onto the target to give the "crushing" effect.

External links

* [http://www.blitwise.com/ptanks.html Official site]

References

* [http://download.nytimes.com/Pocket-Tanks/9103-8027_4-10067397.html?tag=tab_rev cnet editor review]
* [http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=366 Inside Mac Games review]
* [http://www.macworld.com/article/23601/2003/06/thegameroom.html MacWorld review]