The "Roman Candle", one of the 145 weapons in Pocket Tanks Deluxe.
Pocket Tanks is a very popular 1-2 player computer game, created by Blitwise Productions (the same creator of Super DX-Ball). Adapted from an early Atari 2600 game, this newer version features better physics, dozens of weapons ranging from simple explosive shells to homing missiles, and the ability to move your tank. Pocket Tanks is available in 2 versions: the free demo version, and the full version. The free demo features some of the weapons and terrains while the full version comes with everything, and it supports expansion packs. At the moment, you can have up to 145 different weapons total.
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Contents
- 1 Gameplay
- 2 Weapons
- 3 Troubleshooting
- 4 Game Adjustments
- 5 In-Game Cheats
- 6 Future Developments
- 7 Full version and expansions
- 7.1 List of weapon expansions
- 8 External links
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Gameplay
Pocket Tanks is a simple game to play. It involves changing the angle and power of a shot and choosing a weapon to fire. You play against one other opponent. The variety of weapons is very large: It reaches from 30 different weapons in demo mode to a total of 145 weapons with the full version and all expansion packs. Instead of destroying the opponent tank, players have to cause as much damage to the opponent tank as possible. You can also fight in different environments such as plains or mountains. Player with more points at the end of the 10th volley wins the game. There is also a Target Practice mode where you have an endless quantity of all the weapons in your version of Pocket Tanks, and there is no volley count.
Weapons
One of the most appealing factors of Pocket Tanks, aside from its relative simplicity, is the wide variety of weapons at the player's disposal. Although there are some weapons that simply explode, many of them have more specialization that can add a surprising amount of depth and strategy to the game. These weapon types include: digging warheads, such as the " Worm" and "Hot Foot", which can tunnel underground in a number of different patterns; "splash damage" weapons, such as the "Napalm" and "Hail Storm", which release some substance that accumulates points the more contact it has with the other player; scatter weapons, like the "Fission Bomb" and "Pineapple", that release many smaller missiles in all directions; and "direct hit" weapons, like the "Cannonball" and "Sniper Rifle", that aren't explosive, but are worth a good deal of points for direct hits. There are also defensive weapons; weapons like the "Great Wall" and "Magic Forest" will create thick walls that require the other player to use up a shot to destroy, and dirt weapons, like the "Mud Pie" and "Dirt Ball" that bury opponents and can cause them to damage themselves with their own attack.
Troubleshooting
Every PT gamer will eventually face a bouncy dirt related glitch, especially with homing projectiles like the Quadmissle or Beehive. Glitches occur when a homing projectile becomes stuck and repeatedily bounces off the bouncy dirt, ultimately bringing the game to an end. With weapons like Quadmissle, you can utilize other game glitches to continue the game, by scrolling the mouse wheel over the move section (assuming you have moves left) you can use up another move and will then be able to fire your weapon again using the spacebar, and hopefully this will clear the bouncy dirt for the stuck projectiles.
Game Adjustments
Pressing Alt+Enter will toggle fullscreen for the game, the game is set to 800x600, fullscreen stretches the origional demensions.
In-Game Cheats
There are several in-game cheats for Pocket Tanks. These cheats may have been purposely programmed by the creator, or they may be bugs. 1) Infinite Move: This only works if you have a mouse wheel. Click on the button where it says "move". Scrolling with the mouse wheel will allow you to move infinitely. 2)Infinite of a Weapon: When it is your turn, click on the weapons menu to show all weapons. Press the space bar to fire the weapon which you want to use more then once. Your tank will shoot that weapon. Before the weapon hits the ground, change the weapon selected. The weapon selected will be used up, not the one you fired. For example, you could fire a Chain Reaction while "paying" with a Magic Wall. If you use "fire in the hole" while the oponnent is sitting on the bottom of the level with no dirt under them then you can get nearly 200 points.
Future Developments
Blitwise Productions has been in the process of developing a new version of Pocket Tanks, called "Pocket Tanks 2.0", which was rumored to contain LAN networking. As of April 2006, Blitwise has postponed the second version, planning instead to release a "Developer's Version" which will include a number of new features. Fans have contacted Blitwise, and they have confirmed a new weapon expansion, due out July 3rd, 2006. No details are known about the weapons included, only when they are coming out.
Full version and expansions
Pocket Tanks Deluxe is the full version of the game. It can be purchased for $15.99 at blitwise.com and can be downloaded or ordered via telephone. Pocket Tanks Deluxe has several new features, including 30 new weapons, new abilities, and support for weapon expansion packs.
List of weapon expansions
- Gravity Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Fireworks Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Super Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Chaos Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Power Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Flamethrower Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Meteor Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Nuke Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Ambush Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
External links
- BlitWise Productions
- CTSP Games (Mac OS Version)
- Pocket Tanks
- Pocket Tanks Cheats
Categories: Windows games | 2001 computer and video games | Turn-based strategy computer games