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Battle City (video game)
Encyclopedia
Battle City is a multi-directional shooter video game for the Nintendo Family Computer
produced and published in 1985 by Namco
. The game was later released for the Game Boy
and was included in the Japan
ese version of Star Fox: Assault
. It is a port of the arcade game Tank Battalion
with additional features (including two player simultaneous play, and an edit feature, both explained later). There was also a rendition for Nintendo
's Vs. System
arcade cabinets.
The player, controlling a tank
, must destroy enemy tanks in each level, which enter the playfield from the top of the screen. The enemy tanks attempt to destroy the player's base (represented on the map as a bird, eagle
or Phoenix
), as well as the human tank itself. A level is completed when the player destroys all 20 enemy Tanks, but the game ends if the player's base is destroyed or the player loses all available lives.
s to lure players away from their base so that another Tank can destroy it. In addition, flashing Tanks could be destroyed for power-ups. There are several types of power-ups: Tank symbol gives an extra life, star improves player's Tank (having one star make shots faster, having two stars allow two simultaneous shots, having three stars allow the player to destroy steel), bomb destroys all visible enemy Tanks, clock freezes all enemy Tanks for a period of time, shovel adds steel walls around the base for a period of time and shield makes player's Tank invulnerable to attack for a period of time.
Battle City was also one of the first games to allow two players to play simultaneously. Both players have to defend the base together, and if one player shoots the other, the friendly fire
victim would freeze for a while (but can still shoot).
Battle City was one of the first NES
games to allow players access to an edit mode where they could create custom levels. However, custom levels cannot be saved.
The Game Boy version is more challenging, as the screen is too small to display the whole map and only enough to display one part of it. Players often would have to scroll to different parts of the map to view them and everything in them. As a result, defending the base is even more difficult, while the player is occupied with enemies on one part of the map, other enemies could sneak past the player and right to the base, destroying it without fear of retaliation and by complete surprise. A radar is in the Game Boy version, but not in the NES version.
titles, Battle City did not have a proper storyline or ending. After the player completed stage 35, the game would go back to stage 1 and continue, although enemy Tank pattern is changed now and remains the same for the rest of the game.
In the Game Boy version, however, you would have to go up to level 50, and then start again.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
produced and published in 1985 by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
. The game was later released for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and was included in the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese version of Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault is a third-person shooter video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth released title in the Star Fox series. It was released on February 14, 2005 in North America, on February 24, 2005 in Japan, on April 29, 2005 in Europe,...
. It is a port of the arcade game Tank Battalion
Tank Battalion
Tank Battalion is a multi-directional shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1980. It was later ported to the Japanese Famicom and Game Boy, but for unknown reasons was retitled Battle City...
with additional features (including two player simultaneous play, and an edit feature, both explained later). There was also a rendition for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Vs. System
Nintendo Vs. Series
The Nintendo Vs. System is a coin-operated video game platform designed for two-player competitive play using the VS. UniSystem or VS. DualSystem, arcade system boards based on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Many of these stand-up or sit-down arcade machines had two screens and controls joined...
arcade cabinets.
The player, controlling a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
, must destroy enemy tanks in each level, which enter the playfield from the top of the screen. The enemy tanks attempt to destroy the player's base (represented on the map as a bird, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
or Phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
), as well as the human tank itself. A level is completed when the player destroys all 20 enemy Tanks, but the game ends if the player's base is destroyed or the player loses all available lives.
Gameplay
Battle City contains 35 different stages that are 13 units wide by 13 units high. Each map contains different types of terrain and obstacles. Examples include brick walls that can be destroyed by having either the player's Tank or an enemy Tank shoot at them, steel walls that can be destroyed by the player if he has collected three or more power-up stars, bushes that hide Tanks under them, ice fields that make it difficult to control Tank and pools of water which cannot be crossed by Tanks. There are four progressively harder types of enemy Tanks. The game becomes more challenging in later levels, as enemy Tanks may act as decoyDecoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
s to lure players away from their base so that another Tank can destroy it. In addition, flashing Tanks could be destroyed for power-ups. There are several types of power-ups: Tank symbol gives an extra life, star improves player's Tank (having one star make shots faster, having two stars allow two simultaneous shots, having three stars allow the player to destroy steel), bomb destroys all visible enemy Tanks, clock freezes all enemy Tanks for a period of time, shovel adds steel walls around the base for a period of time and shield makes player's Tank invulnerable to attack for a period of time.
Battle City was also one of the first games to allow two players to play simultaneously. Both players have to defend the base together, and if one player shoots the other, the friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
victim would freeze for a while (but can still shoot).
Battle City was one of the first NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games to allow players access to an edit mode where they could create custom levels. However, custom levels cannot be saved.
The Game Boy version is more challenging, as the screen is too small to display the whole map and only enough to display one part of it. Players often would have to scroll to different parts of the map to view them and everything in them. As a result, defending the base is even more difficult, while the player is occupied with enemies on one part of the map, other enemies could sneak past the player and right to the base, destroying it without fear of retaliation and by complete surprise. A radar is in the Game Boy version, but not in the NES version.
Plot
As with many games released during the first wave of NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
titles, Battle City did not have a proper storyline or ending. After the player completed stage 35, the game would go back to stage 1 and continue, although enemy Tank pattern is changed now and remains the same for the rest of the game.
In the Game Boy version, however, you would have to go up to level 50, and then start again.
Sequels
- An arcade gameArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
follow up to both this game and Tank Battalion called Tank ForceTank ForceTank Force is a multi-directional shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1991. It is the sequel to Battle City, released 6 years earlier, which is a sequel to Tank Battalion, released 11 years earlier than Tank Force...
, was created by NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
in 1991.