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Battlezone [Model CX2681]

Atari 2600 cart. published 41 years ago by Atari, Inc.

Listed in MAME

Battlezone [Model CX2681] screenshot

Battlezone © 1983 Atari, Incorporated.

The year is 1999, and the nations of the earth have declared a world-wide peace plan. But there is a problem with the proposed truce. A council of military commanders has unleashed battalions of automated weapons into the countryside. These aerial fighters, flying saucers, tanks, and supertanks will turn the world into a lifeless landscape unless you can stop them.

Luckily, you've discovered an old military tank hidden inside the museum. Use your joystick to steer the tank as you search for enemy automatons. Since your electronic periscope only gives you a front view from the tank, you'll have to rely heavily on your radar screen to detect the enemy. If you see a blip on the radar, you need to move fast! Use your joystick to turn your tank until the enemy appears on the screen, and press the red controller button to fire your turret gun.

You have five tanks to complete your mission. Your tank will be destroyed each time it is hit by enemy fire. The enemies you'll encounter are:

TANKS - Tanks are your most common enemy. They move a bit slower than your tank, and can be identified by their blue turrets.

SUPERTANKS - These look like regular tanks, but have yellow turrets and can move faster than your tank.

FIGHTERS - Fighters always appear directly in front of you, then zigzag toward your tank. When a fighter reaches point-blank range, it will veer to the side and fire an anti-tank shell directly at you. You can identify a fighter by the "buzz" sound it makes as it flies.

FLYING SAUCERS - Flying saucers do not fire at you, but are hard to hit and can distract you when a tank, a fighter, or a supertank is firing at you.

Use your joystick to maneuver your tank. Plug the Joystick firmly into the left controller jack at the back of your console. Hold the controller with the red button to your upper left, toward the television screen.

Push forward on your joystick to move your tank forward; pull back on the Joystick to move your tank backward. To rotate your tank in position, push the Joystick directly right or left. Move the tank in an arc by pushing your Joystick diagonally in the desired direction.

Fire your turret gun by pressing the red button on your controller. If you miss a target, you cannot fire again for approximately 2 seconds.

TECHNICAL/MACHINE PICT.
1

Model CX2681

TRIVIA

Export releases:
PAL "Battlezone [Model CX2681P]"

SCORING
Tank 1,000 points
Fighter 2,000 points
Supertank 3,000 points
Saucer 5,000 points
Bonus Tank At 50,000 and 100,000 points
TIPS AND TRICKS

* A good way to evade enemy shells is to rotate your tank 45 degrees, then immediately move the tank forward or backward.

* Listen for the sound of an enemy gun being fired. As soon as you hear a shot, take evasive action. Do not simply rotate in the same spot.

* Keep moving after you fire a shot -- don't wait to see if the shot hit its mark.

* If a tank is close behind, you can bring it within sight by moving your tank in reverse until the enemy tank appears on the screen. You'll be able to shoot as the enemy tank turns to face you.

* Try to lure one enemy into another enemy's line of fire. For example, by moving your tank to one side, you can move a flying saucer into a shot fired by an enemy tank.

* Don't waste shots, since you can't shoot your turret gun again until the shell either hits an enemy, or disappears from your main screen.

STAFF
PORTS

CONSOLES:
usa Microsoft XBOX (nov.16, 2004) "Atari Anthology [Model 26084]"
usa Sony PS2 (nov.22, 2004) "Atari Anthology [Model SLUS-21076]"
japan Microsoft XBOX (aug.4, 2005) "Atari Anthology [Model B7X-00001]"

HANDHELDS:
usa Nintendo DS (nov.2, 2010) "Atari Greatest Hits Vol.1 [Model NTR-BR6E-USA]"

COMPUTERS:
usa PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (nov.11, 2003) "Atari - 80 Classic Games in One! [Model 25069J]"

OTHERS:
Atari Flashback usa (2004)
usa Atari Flashback 2 (2005)
usa "Atari Flashback 2+" (2010)
usa "Atari Flashback 3" (sept.16, 2011) by AtGames
usa "Atari Flashback 4" (nov.13, 2012) by AtGames

SOURCES

Game's ROM.