It also had a new controller intended to replicate the real controls of the IFV that ended up being used in a number of subsequent Atari coin-op games. Other differences include machine guns and TOW missiles for armament, and helicopters as a target. It differs from Battlezone primarily in that the player only controls the gun (which can now be aimed up and down as well as left and right), and cannot move the vehicle. Ed Rotberg did not want to work on it, but was persuaded to do so after being promised he would never again have to do work for the military. One of the two versions of the cabinet had a viewing goggle periscope and along with the 3D graphics, the game is considered the first virtual reality game.Īnother version, called Bradley Trainer was produced as a training simulation for the US Army's M2 Bradley IFV. The designers of the game are Ed Rotberg (main designer), Owen Rubin who designed the exploding volcano, and Roger Hector who helped in designing the tanks and enemy graphics. A flying saucer is worth 5,000 points when destroyed.īattlezone was developed using vector graphics similar to Asteroids.A guided missile is worth 2,000 points when destroyed.super tank is worth 3,000 points when destroyed.A standard tank is worth 1,000 points when destroyed.

The enemies in the game are worth different points: An extra life is awarded at 15,000 points, and another at 100,000.

It may be shot down, but if not it will hit the player and result in a lost life. Occasionally, a guided missile is launched in the player's direction. Though they cannot be detected by the radar, UFOs appear as moving targets to be destroyed for bonus points and will not fire back. Faster moving tanks called supertanks are harder to hit because of their speed. Enemy projectiles can be avoided by dodging them or by hiding behind indestructible terrain objects (buildings?). The tanks usually move slowly and can be destroyed with one shot. One enemy tank will appear at a time on the battlegrounds. The battlefield is a landscape with a mountainous horizon and crescent moon. The tank can move forward, reverse, and left and right. Enemy tanks are detected by the radar at the top of the screen. The player controls a tank from a first person view and uses the two joysticks to move and the button on the right joystick to fire projectiles.

Battle tank atari 2600