BattleZone Review
by Tim Miller
Battlezone was first released in the 1980 by Atari and featured Vector graphics and a two joystick design that helped you feel like you were actually driving a tank. In junior high two of my friends and myself used to sneak off campus and go to a nearby pizzeria that had an arcade room in the back. We spent more time on Battlezone then any of the other games there, trying to get a higher score. With this in the back of my mind I was excited about the idea of having the game released on XBLA and PSP.
Gameplay
I started with the classic version which holds true to the game I remember from my junior high days. The vector graphics always gave the game a "cool" feel to it, and I soon found myself maneuvering my tank around blasting tanks, supertanks, ufos, and missles with a smile on my face. For anyone who ever played the game and enjoyed it, you owe yourself to play the game using the two stick control scheme to go back in time when this was state of the art gaming. If you have never played the original and are too young to remember the original, the game still holds merit, but you will more then likely enjoy the evolved version more. Online play allows the use of the 360 vision so you can see opponents. Being able to play the game against another gamer adds to the fun vs. only being able to play against the AI. I did find that I fared better against humans then the AI.
Graphics
In the evolved game the graphics are enhanced and I found that Atari and Stainless Games did a very good job of updating a classic while still keeping everything that was good with the original. The red trails of color and explosions are very nice touches. I ended up playing this version more, and enjoyed the online game.
The Vector graphics still have the coolness factor, the evolved graphics are an improvement and the game features 1080i which looked very sharp on the 70" LCD the game was tested on. In both versions the volcano erupting on the horizon is still in tact and looks better evolved.
Sound
Battlezone features Dolby 5.1 surround with adequate sound effects. In both classic and evolved the sound of enemy tanks are almost more important then the radar for taking evasive action to incoming shots.
Controls
The controls for the game are easy to learn. I am suggest using the two stick control scheme to get the feel as it was meant to be. Other iterations of the game have lacked the two stick control scheme to my knowledge, and the XBLA version gets it right. I did try the other setup for reasons of this review, and found it lacking the right feel and quickly changed back. By pushing the sticks both up, you go straight; both down, you go backwards; one up and one down results in sharp turns. The controls are very responsive but gameplay can be frustrating when using a slower tank as you will want it to move faster. That is when you will need to master mobility and using the landscape to your advantage.
Conclusion
Battlezone has a lot to offer for old fans and gamers new to the game. With the added appeal of achievements and multiplayer the game has too much to offer not to download.
The graphics look great, the sound is good, and the controls are a great throwback to the games past.
20 days ago
great review I cant wait to play it!