Fire Power (video game)
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| Fire Power | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Silent Software, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | MicroIllusions |
| Designer(s) | Baron R. K. Von Wolfsheild |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple IIGS, DOS, Atari ST, Commodore 64
, WebTV |
| Release date | 1987, 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Action game |
| Mode(s) | Single or multi-player |
Fire Power (sometimes Firepower) is a strategic military tank action game developed by Silent Software, Inc. originally for the Amiga. It was released in 1987 and published by MicroIllusions and Activision. Ports were made for the DOS, Atari ST and Commodore 64 systems in 1988.
Gameplay consists of controlling a tank moving through enemy territory. The objective is to capture the flag inside the enemy base, blasting through walls and rescuing prisoners of war. Three different tanks were available - one was fast and fragile, one was slow but powerful, and the third was rated in between the two. You could swap tanks at any time by re-entering your garage at your home base.
Nonetheless, many players chose to rampage around the map, simply blasting away. Obstacles included enemy turrets spread around the map, various fortifications and destructible buildings, and occasionally a helicopter arrived on the screen. A popular strategy was to sneak into the enemy's base, leaving their buildings untouched, and drop plenty of land mines around assorted choke points as well as right in front of the enemy garage. The enemy would then return from rampaging through your base, carrying the flag and a full load of POWs, and detonate himself (usually at full speed) through the fields of land mines.
One groundbreaking feature was the ability to run over enemy soldiers, crushing then with an accompanying "squish" sound effect. A map editor was available which allowed the player to create custom multiplayer experiences.
This game can be played alone, against a human opponent on a split screen, or even over a modem, which featured an innovative ability both to play the game in real-time, and allow players to chat simultaneously.
Fire Power spawned several sequels, Return Fire, Return Fire II.
Unreleased versions were made for the Mac classic (Black vs. White), and WebTV.
