Robot Tank, nice game!

[KAZ]

I just tried Robot Tank on my emulator, and I'm definitely gonna pick this one up sometime. What a fantastic "death screen". I had no idea the 2600 could do something so awesome. Very impressed!

 

The game is plenty fun too

[Miles Tails Prower]

I too was impressed by this! Good game, is it not?

[Room 34]

Yeah, I think this one is pretty nifty. I just recently picked up a copy of it, and suddenly remembered having played it as a kid. (I think it was my grandparents' neighbor kid who got a bunch of the late-era Activision games, like H.E.R.O., Private Eye, and Robot Tank. I played his games a bunch but then he moved!)

 

I hadn't seen Robot Tank in years, and had gotten used to Battlezone. Don't get me wrong, I think Battlezone is pretty good, but by 1983 Atari and Activision seemed to be at each other's throats releasing competing titles (i.e. Defender and Chopper Command, Star Raiders and Starmaster, Pole Position and Enduro, etc.) and usually Activision turned out the more solid product.

 

You're right... that death screen is AWESOME and I had forgotten all about how impressed with it I was as a kid!

[Gregory DG]

Robot Tank scores an average of 85% on TAT and the review score by Ethan C. Nobles is 95%. See the complete review at:

 

http://www.ataritimes.com/classics/reviews...6robottank.html

 

[KAZ]

Can you guys think of any other games that have these really super cool effects? I can only think of like Yar's Revenge.

 

The programmer really outdid himself with that death screen. I should disassemble the bin to see if I can figure out how it was done.

 

Artillery Duel was another one where I just love the "death sound", it changes in pitch and tone each time. Sometimes you get this really metallic grating sound. And the funny "glitch" with the "ambulance men" in that game too, where one of them is "left behind".

[NE146]

Can you guys think of any other games that have these really super cool effects? I can only think of like Yar's Revenge

Here ya go Kaz..

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.p...=special+effect

[ubersaurus]

I love robot tank. My friend picked up a copy for me, which is great, since I can't find one.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Kaz:

 

Robot Tank it definetly better than Battlezone. I do like the little tank and tread effects and the different enemies in Battlezone. But the weather effects...and day/night changes win out in Robot Tank.

 

If your still looking for a copy of this...then take a gander here and perhaps a trade could be made :wink:

 

http://ivorytower.emuviews.com/index_files...es/sheet014.htm

[liveinabin]

Yeah, that effect rules. Activision were right on top of their game then. I also love the fog in Enduro, just goes to show you don't need much processing power to pull off a convincing effect, just skill and artistry.

[+Cafeman]

Just how was that static screen effect done? Is it all in black & white, or are there colors on screen?

 

If I were to try to duplicate it, I'd start by reading some random location of memory and translating it into 1's and 0's, 1=white pixel, 0=black pixel. Just a guess.

 

You know, I have been programming for the more powerful 5200 system for many months now, but I have no idea how I'd program Robot Tank or Enduro even using the 5200's Antic chip. I'd have to learn how to program a kernel first I suppose, which my games do not use on the 5200 (on 5200 you can basically bypass the Antic chip and stay in an interrupt for the entire screen, in effect the same as the 2600's kernel I THINK).

 

Getting back to Robot Tank, I like how the screen rolls up & down to simulate driving over ruts & valleys in the ground. Cool effect!

[Room 34]

If I were to try to duplicate it, I'd start by reading some random location of memory and translating it into 1's and 0's, 1=white pixel, 0=black pixel.  Just a guess.

It's not just "random" noise, though... it's various angled bands and, I think, it has different colors. (Maybe it just cycles through a palette like the rainbow effects that are so often used.)

 

OK, now, does anyone who actually KNOWS something about this have something to add?

[Jetboot Jack]

I think the static in Battlezone is done by a kernel that shifts the horizontal position of players and missiles on each scan line to create the diagonal stripes and spinning effect - it may even shift playfield data too..

 

Cafeman - Enduro's road is very simple I would think - on the 2600 it could be done using the two missiles as the kerbs - the kernel shifts the horizontal position every scanline to make the missile into a diagonal line and then moves each slice horizontally to create corners.

 

On the 5200 you could use the same technique or use Antic E and draw a road then a horizontal scroll set on each mode line to scroll the mode lines to make corners happen...

 

sTeVE

[+Cafeman]

Thanks for the explanation. I may take this conversation to PROGRAMMING....

[+kisrael]

Battlezone is so much better than Robot Tank...it's a real *world*, people! You can hear a bullet fired offscreen, figure out which of the two dots on your radar it likely came from, slam your tank into reverse and watch the bullet pass harmlessly ahead...a far cry from Robot Tank's "if I can't see the bullet it can't see me" gameplay with a tank that steers like a gokart based turret.

 

Weather, shmether. For both techincal achievement and pure gameplay, Battlezone has it over Robot Tank hands down.

[KAZ]

Battlezone is so much better than Robot Tank...it's a real *world*, people! You can hear a bullet fired offscreen, figure out which of the two dots on your radar it likely came from, slam your tank into reverse and watch the bullet pass harmlessly ahead...a far cry from Robot Tank's "if I can't see the bullet it can't see me" gameplay with a tank that steers like a gokart based turret.

 

Weather, shmether. For both techincal achievement and pure gameplay, Battlezone has it over Robot Tank hands down.

 

 

The jury has reached a verdict! I just played Battlezone, and I think it is much better for gameplay definitely. I still like the death screen better in Robot Tank than Battlezone. It has a more gritty feel and sound to it. The death screen special effect is what makes the game so appealing. I nearly want to die just to see it. Battlezone is a much better tank game, the enemies are so much better, and its death screen is pretty much like Robot Tank. The cheesy opening tune in Battlezone was kinda hard on my nerves. At least it did have music tho (I guess). So there's my novice game review!

[KAZ]

Both these games are definitely good for showing off the Atari 2600.

 

It might be true that it is hard to impress those who grew up on Nintendo, but seriously, where in Nintendo can you find a "death screen" like the one in Robot Tank? Nowhere, it is like the technology is too high to render such a "low resolution" effect. Sometimes "good graphics" can make it impossible to make an effect like this, does anyone agree?

 

Could you have an effect like in Robot Tank on the Super Nintendo? How would it look on it? Would it sound/look the same? I somehow doubt it. Atari simply rocks, just from this effect, nuff said!

[+kisrael]

Nah, there's no jury, no verdict.

 

And I don't even want to take a vote, because "Robot Tank" seems to have the greater number of fans. I just find it much less satisfying of a game, and think Battlezone is the most amazing technical feat I've seen on the 2600.

 

Robot Tank has: fast kinetic gameplay, weather/night conditions, neat up-n-down effect as it travels, and variable damage.

 

Battlezone has: a realistic 3D model, two enemies at once, 4 different types of enemies, and the tanktreads move realistically.

 

So you can take your pick.

(Any other features I missed for either?)

 

I don't remember the Robot Tank death scene but the Battlezone one sticks in my head...I should check out the former.

[Room 34]

I guess I am going to have to go home tonight and do a side-by-side (or more likely, one-after-the-other) playtest and lay down the law with my absolutely authoritative opinion on the matter!

[KAZ]

Battlezone will win in every category except:

 

Death Screen

Weather changes

 

I looked at the website trying to figure out which came first. I'm thinking Battlezone came after Robot Tank. It doesn't say on the site tho.

 

But really none of this makes a difference, I'll likely pick up both sometime. I would probably play Battlezone if I was going to play a tank game on the Atari. And I'd play Robot Tank just to show the death screen to someone.

[C_A]

nice game ^_^

[NE146]

I looked at the website trying to figure out which came first. I'm thinking Battlezone came after Robot Tank. It doesn't say on the site tho.

If you're talking conceptually of course Battlezone the arcade game was first and hence Robot Tank got it's inspiration from said game.

 

Now as far as the 2600 goes, I'm not sure which version came out first but I seem to recall them coming out approximately the same time... Atari "official" Battlezone and the Activision "cool clone" Robot Tank. Which one do I like better? I don't know, it's sort of a toss up. Guess I'll have to play each of them in depth again!

[Big Player]

I like Robot Tank so much that I hardly ever hook-up my 7800, since it won't work on the system.

 

I really like both Battlezone and Robot Tank.

 

One thing in Robot Tank's favor is its difficulty level. Battlezone is a much easier game.

[+Cafeman]

Hear Ye Hear Ye! I am Hear-by ressurecting this thread because ...

 

I have just seen and played 2600 Battlezone for the very first time, and I was AMAZED at the quality.

 

I honestly could NOT believe how attrative the game looks, and I like the 'real world' application, where your shots DON'T follow the screen as in Robot Tank, and how it's really in a true 3D-ish world.

 

The game *looks* better than nearly any 2600 game I can think of. Sure, its not Vector like the arcade, but for the 2600 it is arguably impressive stuff. Don't your think?

 

[Forrest Gump imitation] That's all I have to say about thaaat. [/FGi]

[Atari freak 1]

If you think about it, All it is, is a 3d combat!

[Turnspike]

I have always prefered Robot Tank to Battlezone. The viewpoint of the player is that of sitting inside the tank, not on top of it like in Battlezone. I like the way the landscape bounces as you travel, the way the enemy tanks bob and weave to avoid you, and the way you "switch to reserve tank" when your tank is destroyed. Also I much prefer the way the way you can avoid a shot by steering until it is off screen. In Battlezone it is tough to be sure you have moved enough to avoid the shot, until it has passed.