Battlezone was originally an arcade game released by Atari in 1980. It was later ported to many home computer systems, including DOS, Apple II, Atari ST, and the Commodore 64. It was a huge hit in the arcades and on home computers. Even though its graphics and sound effects are simple, this old-school classic lives on.
Even though the game doesn’t have true 3-D graphics, Battlezone could easily be the first game to feature an interactive 3-D-like environment. The game uses a wireframe model for its graphics.
Battlezone was originally an arcade game released by Atari in 1980. It was later ported to many home computer systems, including DOS, Apple II, Atari ST, and the Commodore 64. It was a huge hit in the arcades and on home computers. Even though its graphics and sound effects are simple, this old-school classic lives on.
Even though the game doesn’t have true 3-D graphics, Battlezone could easily be the first game to feature an interactive 3-D-like environment. The game uses a wireframe model for its graphics. This lets the graphics flow smoother during fast animation. Also, the developers used vector graphics, which allows for more detailed graphics. This is especially noticeable when the graphics are magnified. When using the other common raster (or bitmap graphics) the images are
blurry when enlarged. These graphical factors gave Battlezone a unique look, helping the game become so popular.
The viewpoint of the game is first-person, as you are inside of a tank. You can’t call this game a simulation…you are just shooting the enemies, not controlling specific aspects of the tank. Yet, the US government was so much impressed with this game that they commissioned the creators to make customized versions of Battlezone to be used in military training. Plus, this game led to the creation of true war simulation games and inspired remakes of the game, including one for Windows in 1998.
The battles take place in a large valley surrounded by mountains, including a volcano. The scenery also includes a crescent moon and some geometric shapes, such as pyramids and blocks, which can be used to hide behind.
At the top of the screen, there is a radar that shows where the enemies are located. The enemies you encounter are simple: slow tanks and faster moving supertanks. There are also UFOs that appear on the screen, but aren’t found on the radar. They don't fire upon you, but you can shoot them down for points. There is only one hostile enemy on the screen at a time. There are also guided missiles that you have to avoid. Any target can be destroyed by one shot from the player.
The scoring system is simple: a slow-moving tank is 1,000 points, a supertank is 3,000 points, the UFO is 5,000 points, and the guided missile is 2,000 points.
Battlezone brings back memories for die-hard Atari fans. If you are one, it’s a no-brainer that you have to download this original arcade-style game.
