Pocket Tanks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pocket Tanks is a very popular 1-2 player computer game, created by Blitwise Productions (the same creator of Super DX-Ball). Adapted from an early Atari 2600 game, this newer version features better physics, dozens of weapons ranging from simple explosive shells to homing missiles, and the ability to move your tank. Pocket Tanks is available in 2 versions: the free demo version, and the full version. The free demo features some of the weapons and terrains while the full version comes with everything, and it supports expansion packs. At the moment, you can have up to 165 different weapons total.
Contents |
[edit] Weapons
One of the most appealing factors of Pocket Tanks, aside from its relative simplicity, is the wide variety of weapons at the player's disposal. Although there are some weapons that simply explode, many of them have more specialization that can add a surprising amount of depth and strategy to the game. These weapon types include: digging warheads, such as the "Worm" and "Hot Foot," which can tunnel underground in a number of different patterns; "splash damage" weapons, such as the "Napalm" and "Hail Storm", which release some substance that accumulates points the more contact it has with the other player; scatter weapons, like the "Fission Bomb" and "Pineapple", that release many smaller missiles in all directions; and "direct hit" weapons, like the "Cannonball" and "Sniper Rifle", that aren't explosive, but are worth a good deal of points for direct hits. There are also defensive weapons; weapons like the "Great Wall" and "Magic Forest" will create thick walls that require the other player to use up a shot to destroy, and dirt weapons, like the "Mud Pie" and "Dirt Ball" that bury opponents and can cause them to damage themselves with their own attack. Another interesing group is the "random location" type of weapon. The members of this group, such as "Mass Driver" and "Golden Bullet" land in random locations, and may harm the intended target, the player who fired the weapon, both, or neither.
[edit] Troubleshooting
Every PT gamer will eventually face a bouncy dirt related glitch, especially with homing projectiles like the Quad Missile or Beehive. Glitches occur when a homing projectile becomes stuck and repeatedily bounces off the bouncy dirt, ultimately bringing the game to an end. With weapons like Quad Missile, you can utilize other game glitches to continue the game, by scrolling the mouse wheel over the move section (assuming you have moves left) you can use up another move and will then be able to fire your weapon again using the spacebar, and hopefully this will clear the bouncy dirt for the stuck projectiles.
[edit] Game Adjustments
Pressing Alt+Enter will toggle fullscreen for the game, the game is set to 800x600, fullscreen stretches the original demensions. F7 also does this.
[edit] In-Game Cheats
There are several in-game cheats for Pocket Tanks. These cheats may have been purposely programmed by the creator, or they may be unintentional.
1) Infinite Move: This only works if you have a mouse wheel. Click on the button where it says "move". Scrolling with the mouse wheel will allow you to move infinitely.
2) Infinite ammunition for a Weapon: When it is your turn, click on the weapons menu to show all weapons. Press the space bar to fire the weapon which you want to use more than once. Your tank will shoot that weapon. Before the weapon hits the ground, change the weapon selected. The weapon selected will be used up, not the one you fired. For example, you could fire a Chain Reaction while "paying" with a Magic Wall.
3)Negative Moves: This is more of a fun trick than a cheat. While in target practice fire your weapon and scroll move until all land has finished moving and weapon has finished doing damage. Stop scrolling. Player 2 will now have one less move. Continue until they have negative moves.
[edit] Future Developments
Blitwise Productions has been in the process of developing a new version of Pocket Tanks, called "Pocket Tanks 2.0", which has an updated AI Bot which will be able to use line-of-sight weapons, some bug fixes and most important, a weapon checklist that gives you the option of disabling weapons you do not wish to play with. As of April 2006, Blitwise has postponed the second version, planning instead to release a "Developer's Version" which will include a number of new features. The new version may also contain interactive terrain objects, and realistic water graphic qualities. Fans have contacted Blitwise, and they have confirmed that a new version of the game with many requested features is well in the works. The Blitwise team also continues to make new Pocket Tanks expansions on a regular basis.
[edit] Full version and expansions
Pocket Tanks Deluxe is the full version of the game. It can be purchased for $15.99 at blitwise.com and can be downloaded or ordered via telephone. Pocket Tanks Deluxe has several new features, including 30 new weapons, new abilities, and support for weapon expansion packs.
[edit] List of weapon expansions
- Snowball Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Gold Pack - 15 weapons
- Gravity Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Fireworks Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Super Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Chaos Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Power Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Flamethrower Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Meteor Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
- Nuke Pack (FREE) - 5 weapons
- Ambush Pack ($7.99) - 15 weapons
