BattleTanx explained

BattleTanx is a 1998 action game released for the Nintendo 64, produced by The 3DO Company. The game was followed by a 1999 sequel, titled .

Plot

In 2001, a virus has killed 99% of the female population of Earth. Various countries fight over each other's quarantine zones, and end up engaging in nuclear war, destroying much of civilization. The few remaining women (called Queenlords) are held by gangs who have taken over small pieces of the world. The main character, Griffin Spade, had his fiancée Madison taken away from Queens, New York by the U.S. government. Griffin becomes separated from his fiancée, and New York City is destroyed. He claims a tank for his own and sets out to cross the United States to find her, battling gangs as he reaches his goal. After surviving the ruins of New York City, Griffin heads westward gaining recruits in the countryside, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

Gameplay

There are three tanks in the game for the player to choose from. The player can choose between a Moto Tank, M1A1 Abrams MBT, or the Goliath. There are 17 levels to complete in order to finish the single player game, all of which are filled with enemy tanks. Each level is located in a specific place in the United States, such as New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. The game features destructible environments, and in some cases, interactive environments.

In the game's multiplayer mode, players can battle with up to 4 players simultaneously. There are four different multiplayer configurations; Battlelord mode (equivalent to capture the flag), Deathmatch, Family Mode, and Annihilation.

• Battlelord Capture the opponent's Queenlords.
• Deathmatch The first to seven kills win.
• Family Mode Deathmatch, but ammo cannot be switched, only used up.
• Annihilation provides each competitor with five tanks, last survivor wins.

Reception

The Nintendo 64 version received favorable reviews, while the Game Boy Color version received unfavorable reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. Next Generation said that the former console version was "fast [and] controls well, and it's got tanks blowing up everything in sight – sounds good to us."