io9
Ever wanted to pilot a tank on an alien world while blasting enemies and flying saucers to bits? Well, once upon a time in 1980, that was possible. And when Battlezone comes out on Xbox Live tomorrow, you can do it all over again. The new game will include both the updated online multiplayer version, and the original vector graphic classic. Back in the day when a quarter could put you in command of a tank light-years from home, making change could turn you into a hero. Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the original Battlezone below.
- Battlezone was developed in 1979 by Atari and released in 1980. Morgan Hoff at Atari was the lead designer, and Ed Rotberg served as the principal programmer. Both had worked on many of Atari's other classic games.
- Battlezone was a tank simulator that gave you two joysticks, one for the left tread and one for the right, and a single button that fired your gun. You would drive all over an alien landscape, complete with an erupting volcano, and blast enemy tanks and spaceships while dodging simple geometric shapes.
- In addition, the screen would "crack" when you were killed by an enemy, and would also play Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture when you would enter your initials for the high score.
- Battlezone incorporated many new design elements that hadn't been seen in coin-operated games before, like a persicope-like viewer and realistic (for the time) simulated tank driving. The game also featured a built-in step to allow shorter gamers to reach the periscope.
- The game featured wire-frame vector graphics in black and white, but they overlaid red and green cellophane onto the monitor to make it look like the game actually had different colors. The radar and warning messages were in red, while the main graphics were in green.
- Once the game was released, it was an instant hit. In fact, it became so popular that the United States Army approached Atari and had them design a version of the game that would train gunners on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Only two prototypes were produced that featured realistically modeled enemy helicopters, tanks, and other vehicles.
- Ed Rotberg was so incensed that Atari was getting involved with the military, that he had several shouting matches with his bosses. He agreed only to stay on at Atari as long as he never had to work on another military project again.
- Because players covered up most of the game with their face and body, other editions were designed like one without the periscope (because of concerns over hygiene as well, with everyone pressing their faces up against the viewer) and a cocktail table prototype.
- Rumors persisted that you could drive up to the volcano, enter a secret passage, and then find and explore a castle. Also, people thought that if you continued driving straight for over an hour (!) you could eventually reach the mountains and find a tank factory that was building the enemy tanks. Sadly, neither were true.
- Red Baron was a game released almost a year after Battlezone, featuring similar wire-frame graphics and gameplay except sit in a World War I biplane instead of a futuristic tank on an alien world. In fact, many Red Baron cabinets were just conversions of Battlezone units, and you could peel off the Red Baron stickers revealing the Battlezone artwork underneath.
- Battlezone remained popular much longer than most games that came out at the same time, and several different versions of been produced over the years. The game was ported to just about every home and portable video game system, and there were multiplayer versions and sequels produced for PCs.
- In Battlezone, the 1998 remake for PCs, they included an actual story. Meteors fall on the Earth in 1957, and the Americans and Soviets find a rare element inside them called bio-metal, which lets them build vehicles with special abilities. Of course, the Soviets and Americans use this ability to wage war across the solar system rather than better mankind.
- Peter Hirschberg is an amazing computer animator and arcade owner who frequent makes 3D models of old arcade cabinets in his spare time. He contributed models to the retro-gaming documentary Chasing Ghosts, and you can check out his Battlezone and Tron models here. Keep in mind there are completely rendered in the computer, and are not photographs or filmed images.
Comments
Anyone remeber the strategy-influenced remake in 98 or so? It was pretty spiffy as well.
Reminds me of Artic Fox from 1986, that was one of the first games I ever played.
Ah, Battlezone and Asteroids...vector graphic bliss.
"Ed Rotberg was so incensed that Atari was getting involved with the military, that he had several shouting matches with his bosses. He agreed only to stay on at Atari as long as he never had to work on another military project again."
So what you're saying is, Ed Rotburg was an idiot. Tank game = good, Army = bad?
Battlezone was a sweet game, though.
-Kle.
I love Battlezone, best vector game ever.
An updated version of Battlezone? On Xbox Live?
Freaking. Sweet.
Maybe I'm hopelessly retro, but I just love 'em good old vector graphics.
This is 20 MS points, right? Right???
@ggodo: Tempest and Star Wars called, they're very sad now ;)
This game is awesome though ;)
@Seth L: I was actually pretty disappointed that the Xbox Live title wasn't a port/update of the PC title.
@vega480: Holy Smokes, I hadn't thought about Arctic Fox in years. I loved that game too!
That video is awesome. I have never wanted to dry hump a game cabinet before. Haha, well actually, there was this one time...
The PC Battlezone game was pretty awesome. It was actually one of the first hybrid RTS/first-person-view action games, and actually worked really well in that way. The graphics were also top notch for the time, and if I remember correctly, the multiplayer mode was pretty good too.
in case anyone cares, and owns a mac, going to the widget page and selecting the games you'll find an asteroids game. it looks and sounds just like the real thing.
many other classics redone there too.
Battlezone was HUGE. Atari should issue a special set of hardware to go with this reissue. Just the sheer uncomfortableness of the controls was a pleasure. If more games were like Battlezone, I might not have lost interest in video games. (don't hurt me...)
@monkity: I not only won't hurt you, I will carry you on my shoulders like the hero you are!
When I was little, a local arcade closed down. They auctioned off all the games, and my dad went to the auction. He waited all day for Battlezone to come up, and someone swooped in and bid the highest bid of the day (beating even the incredibly popular Punch Out). Since Battlezone was last, my dad came home empty-handed.
I don't think any gift my dad ever actually got me was half as awesome as knowing he tried to get me Battlezone.
Vector graphic arcade games were the most awesome things. I spent a large part of the 1980's subsidizing the coin-op vector graphics industry, $0.25 at a time.
Also, I think the Sony Playstation included Battlezone on one of their retro-emulator titles.
I loved Battlezone...
I can still hear that "boo-boo-boop!" sound when a new enemy appeared...and the rush of adrenaline as I searched the radar screen...
Wow, I still remember playing the pc version of this on my old windows 3.1 machine. The quasi-3D graphics blew my 10 year old mind.
xbox live is officially the greatest thing ever. i had this game on my mac plus, and i managed to break it beyond repair -- thinking i would never ever get to play it again. and now it's back!
this, and the TMNT arcade game.... wow.
So many hours playing Battlezone.
@SundaySunday: Yep me too.
Asteroids and Lunar Lander, Battlezone and probably topped out for me with the sit-in Star Wars.
I can't speak on the original Battlezone or the new XBLA remake, but the Activision PC "reimagining" from '98 was AWESOME. It was way ahead of it's time, with a pretty decent story and some absolutely amazing game mechanics. It's unfortunate that it didn't sell, but I have a feeling that it influenced more modern games than some might think.
The '98 version of Battlezone stands out as one of the best games I've ever played - as an experience, it was outstanding, with a truly fascinating storyline (probably the best I've encountered in a game), great soundtrack, and great thought and care right down to the details (the game manual was presented as a 1960s-era government document).
As robotnations says, the game was way ahead of its time and influenced many games down the line.
I'd love for BZ98 to be remade and put on XBLA...
Does anyone remember a Mac version of this game? I remember playing it, but forget the name. I know I played it on my Performa 475, and it was VERY similar, and you had the option instead of filled shapes to go vector. I should go him and check my box o' floppies.
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Man, I loved playing Battlezone. Every day after school I was there plugging token after token at the mall arcade. I still love that game. Now a days I play it on my Gameboy Micro on breaks in the men's room at work. The next time you use the men's room and see a "wide stance" don't worry, listen for the game sounds and understand my stance is simply me using body english against that damn smart missle!
GitEmSteveDave: you're thinking of "Spectre", and/or "Spectre VR", which was an updated Battlezone clone with multiplayer. I'd love to see Spectre updated for XBL (it's really a natural), but Velocity Development is long out of business and I doubt it would be easy to obtain the rights to the game now.
@Doctor_Memory: YEAH! There was also Spectre Supreme, which was the sequel. I remember buying it from a catalog. I probably still have the disks, and if the company is out of business, there's no one to sue, so porting should be easy, right?
Admittedly, when I think of tank games and the 1980s I think of Ogre
BATTLEZONE!
BATTLEZONE!
BATTLEZONE!
Oh... Nothing happened. Hmmm...
I thought when you said it three times a tank was supposed to appear out of nowhere.
Maybe next time.
On another note, I just watched the Tron/Battlezone video.
It just about made me cry.
@Seth L: One of my most favorite games of all time. Battlezone II.
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