Panzer Front

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Panzer Front
Developer(s)	Enterbrain
Publisher(s)	Agetech, Inc.
Release date(s)	September 10, 2001
Genre(s)	Tank Combat Simulation
Mode(s)
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PlayStation

Panzer Front was first released in Japan by Enterbrain in late 2000. It was a hit there, mainly because PC gaming, and therefore PC tank sims are almost non existent in Japan. It was then released in the USA, Oceana and Europe in the middle of 2001. It was not given much attention, due to a lack of promotion, and the fact that it was a PS1 game in what had become a PS2 world. It was released almost as an afterthought.

Panzer Front is a no holds barred, realistic (as possible for a PS1 game) World War II tank simulation. It features over 40 WW2 era tanks--US, UK, Germany & Soviet Union--all with their own different attributes, abilities and weaknesses. It also has 4 'fantasy' tanks and 2 modern MBTs.

Panzer Front has been described as being in the middle of 'Saving Private Ryan' in a tank^{[citation needed]}. The player must operate a tank and manage the battlefield at the same time.

Panzer Front has 25 historical missions, based on real events. Examples include Michael Wittman's destruction of a British armored column in 'Villers-Bocage'; the US Army's defense against a ferocious German counterattack in 'le Dezert'; The defense of the Reichstag by two desperate Tiger II's in 'Berlin' and several based from the Battle of Kursk.

The designers of the original game released an updated version, Panzer Front Bis, in Japan around the same time that the original Panzer Front was released in the rest of the world. Bis (French for 'improved') features all the original tanks and missions of Panzer Front, with additional tanks - including Japanese tanks, 10 more missions and a mission building feature. Panzer Front Bis was never released outside Japan. It was due to be released in Europe in the middle of 2002, but JVC, PFB's UK developer, shut down its video game branch before PFB could be converted and released to the western world.

Most of the original members of the Panzer Front Preservation Society were able to procure imported copies of Panzer Front Bis, and are creating and playing missions that are far beyond the original Panzer Front Missions.