Pop'n Tanks!

Last updated
Pop'n Tanks!
Pop'n Tanks! cover.jpg
Developer(s) Symbio Systems
Publisher(s) Enix
Director(s) Jun Matsumoto
Producer(s) Shinji Wasi
Designer(s) Jun Matsumoto
Junichi Saito
Yuki Ohora
Artist(s) Mine Yoshizaki
Composer(s) AZUMA (Newton)
Hirofumi Sano
Shinji Naga
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
Genre(s) Vehicular combat
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer (up to two players)

Pop'n Tanks! [lower-alpha 1] is a 1999 Japanese video game released for the PlayStation. It was developed by Symbio Systems and published by Enix. The game was directed by Jun Matsumoto, while manga artist Mine Yoshizaki provided character designs.

Contents

The game is a tank combat game, featuring one on one battles between tanks. The game has never been released outside of Japan. The game received mixed reviews with most giving it mediocre scores.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot PS1 Pop'n Tanks!.png
Gameplay screenshot

The game is a one vs. one shooting action game, pitting tanks in a 3D environment. [1] [2] A despot named Talin has lost his newly developed tank called Petit tank, which the player is now in possession of. He mobilizes his empire to retrieve the tank. [2]

The game features two gameplay modes: Story and Tank World. Tank World is direct battles against either a human or computer-controlled opponent. [2]

The player starts with 8 tanks to choose from. The game features strong customization of the player's tank. There are 160 canon parts, 30 special attack parts, and 70 accessory parts. [3] In total, over 300 parts are available. Changes to the player's tank cannon are reflected in the game's graphics. [2] Completely custom tanks can be created, saved to the PlayStation's memory card, and even pitted against another player's custom tank as well. [3] The game's arsenal includes both long range and short range weaponry. [1]

The game features a camera system that automatically locks onto the opponent, [3] and when the player is behind obstacles they become transparent. [1]

Development and release

The game was developed by Japanese game developer Symbio Systems. [4] The game was directed by Jun Matsumoto, [5] and it has character designs by manga artist Mine Yoshizaki. [6] The game's story is told through long anime videos, as well as having an art design that is anime inspired and chibi (super deformed). [1] The game was shown at the 1998 Autumn Tokyo Game Show. [7]

Each tank has approximately 450 polygons to render, and the game's engine attempts to realistically replicate elements of tanks including tread physics, suspension, and engine exhaust. [3] The tank's suspension even bends when making turns. [1]

The game was released on July 29, 1999 for the PlayStation in Japan and was published by Enix. [8] [9] An official strategy guide was released as well. [10] The game has never been released outside of Japan, and has never been released for the PlayStation Network.

Reception

Upon the game's release, four reviewers for Weekly Famitsu gave the game scores of 7, 6, 7, and 6 for a total of 26 out of 40. [11] [14]

Gamers' Republic gave the game a B, saying the game was well deserving of an American localization. They praised the game's controls, physics, and camera, and said the game is fun to play in either single player or multiplayer modes. The review went onto say that the tanks had as much personality as their pilots, and had more "vigor" than those found in the game Tiny Tank . The reviewer wondered if the anime cinemas in the game implied it might be turned into an anime series, and hoped that the game would get a sequel on the PlayStation 2. [1] Gamers' Republic later listed Pop'n Tanks! in their 1999Video Game Buyers Guide and Y2K Preview as one of the best games to import from Japan that year along with The Adventures of Little Ralph , Bangai-O , Neon Genesis Evangelion , Pepsiman , Robot Dandy, Metal Slug 2 , Internal Section, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counter Attack. [15]

Spanish magazine Loading praised the game. [16] Extreme PlayStation gave it a lower score and were not impressed with it. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ポップンタンクス!, Hepburn: Poppun Tankusu!

Related Research Articles

TwinBee (ツインビー) is a video game series composed primarily of cartoon-themed vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up games produced by Konami that were released primarily in Japan. The series originated as a coin-operated video game simply titled TwinBee in 1985, which was followed by several home versions and sequels. The character designs of almost every game in the series since Detana!! TwinBee in 1991 were provided by Japanese animator Shuzilow HA, who also planned and supervised most of the subsequent installments in the TwinBee series. The series also inspired a radio drama adaptation that lasted three seasons in Japan, as well as an anime adaptation.

<i>Popn Music</i> 1998 video game

Pop'n Music, commonly abbreviated as Pop'n, PM or PNM and stylized as pop'n music, is a music video game series in the Bemani series made by Konami. The games are known for their bright colors, upbeat songs, and cute cartoon character graphics. Originally released in 1998, the series has had 22 home releases in Japan as well as 30 mainline arcade versions.

<i>Famitsu</i> Line of Japanese video game magazines

Famitsu, formerly Famicom Tsūshin, is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage, a subsidiary of Kadokawa. Famitsu is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the form of special topical issues devoted to only one console, video game company, or other theme. Shūkan Famitsū, the original Famitsu publication, is considered the most widely read and respected video game news magazine in Japan. From October 28, 2011, the company began releasing the digital version of the magazine exclusively on BookWalker weekly.

<i>Legend of Mana</i> 1999 Square Enix role-playing video game

Legend of Mana is a 1999 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation. It was the fourth game released in the Mana series, following 1995's Trials of Mana. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows an unnamed hero as they restore the land of Fa'Diel by creating the world around them and completing a number of interrelated quests in order to restore the Tree of Mana.

Mine Yoshizaki is a Japanese manga creator. His most well known works are Sgt. Frog, a manga he created which later received an anime adaption, and Kemono Friends, a multimedia franchise for which Yoshizaki serves as concept designer.

<i>Torneko: The Last Hope</i> 1999 video game

Torneko: The Last Hope is a 1999 role-playing video game for the PlayStation. The game was co-developed by Chunsoft and Matrix Software and published by Enix. In Japan, the game was ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2001.

<i>Neon Genesis Evangelion</i> (video game) Nintendo 64 video game

Neon Genesis Evangelion, also referred to as Neon Genesis Evangelion 64, is a 1999 fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 in Japan by Bandai. It is based on the Gainax anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the 1997 film that serves as its conclusion, The End of Evangelion. Players control a mech named Evangelion Unit 01 to destroy a race of aliens known as the Angels before they eradicate the rest of the human race. The game is known for its alterations to the source material in order to make its dystopian and unsettling atmosphere suitable for an action game, and features unique endings and plotlines not present in other Evangelion media.

The Bemani Pocket (ビーマニポケット) series is a short-lived attempt by Konami to capitalize on the market of portable entertainment in the late 1990s. They were introduced on the Japanese market in 1998 and they featured versions of most Bemani games, from Beatmania to ParaParaParadise.

<i>Canvas 2: Akane-iro no Palette</i> 2004 video game

Canvas 2: Akane Iro no Palette, also known as just Canvas 2, is a Japanese visual novel developed by F&C FC01, a brand of F&C, released for Windows on April 23, 2004. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2 by Kadokawa Shoten, on January 26, 2006. AiCherry produced a DVD Player Game version of Canvas 2 on November 28, 2008. An iOS version was released on January 12, 2013. A fan disc called Innocent Colors ~Canvas 2 Fan Disc~ was released for Windows on September 24, 2004. The game is a sequel to Canvas ~Sepia-iro no Motif~. Two other spin off games part of the Canvas series were released by F&C.

<i>iS – internal section</i> 1999 video game

iS: internal section is a video game developed by Positron and published by Square and released in 1999.

<i>Popn TwinBee</i> 1993 video game

Pop'n Twinbee (ポップンツインビー) is a top-view shoot-'em-up game originally released in 1993 by Konami for the Super Famicom in Japan. The game was also released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the PAL region. It is the sixth game in the TwinBee series and a direct follow-up to the arcade game Detana!! TwinBee. The European version was published by Konami's Palcom Software division and was the first of three TwinBee games localized for the European market, followed by a Game Boy version of Pop'n TwinBee and the side-scrolling platform game Pop'n TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures. It was released in North America 27 years after its Super Famicom launch through a February 2020 update to the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library.

<i>TwinBee RPG</i> 1998 video game

TwinBee RPG is a role-playing video game for the PlayStation. It is a spin-off of the TwinBee shoot-'em-up series featuring a storyline based on the TwinBee Paradise audio drama serial. It was released exclusively in Japan.

<i>Tornekos Great Adventure 3</i> 2002 video game

Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko's Great Adventure 3 – Mystery Dungeon is the third game in the Torneko series. It is part of the Mystery Dungeon series and contains randomly generated dungeons and uses turn-based action combat. It is the third Dragon Quest spin-off game in Mystery Dungeon. The game was also made for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 as Torneko's Great Adventure 3 Advance.

<i>Rakugaki Showtime</i> 1999 video game

Rakugaki Showtime is a 1999 fighting game for the PlayStation developed by Treasure and published by Enix. It is a full 3D battle arena fighting game, featuring characters that resemble crayon drawings. The game was only released in Japan.

<i>The Adventure of Little Ralph</i> 1999 video game

The Adventure of Little Ralph is a 1999 Japanese video game for the PlayStation. It was developed by the New Corporation and released only in Japan. It is a 2D platform game.

<i>Pepsiman</i> (video game) 1999 Endless runner developed and published by KID for the PlayStation

Pepsiman is an action video game developed and published by KID for the PlayStation. It was released in Japan on March 4, 1999, and is based on the eponymous Japanese superhero mascot for the American carbonated soft drink Pepsi. It focuses the player on avoiding obstacles by running, dashing, and jumping, while Pepsiman automatically runs forward through each of the game's stages.

<i>Dungeon Explorer II</i> 1993 video game

Dungeon Explorer II is an action role-playing video game developed and originally published by Hudson Soft for the TurboDuo in Japan on March 26, 1993, and in North America by Turbo Technologies in October of the same year. A sequel to 1989's Dungeon Explorer, it is the second installment in the eponymous franchise.

<i>Dive Alert</i> 1999 video game

Dive Alert: Becky's Version and Dive Alert: Matt's Version are role-playing video games developed by Sacnoth for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. They were published by SNK in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America. Following the exploits of protagonists Becky and Matt as they complete missions on a flooded Earth to gain access to the remaining land of Terra, the gameplay involves the protagonist completing missions by fighting monsters and underwater crafts. The Japanese version is compatible with the console's Wireless Link adaptor for online multiplayer matches, while the Western version is limited to use of the console's physical link cable.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "World Republic Preview: Pop'n Tanks". Gamers' Republic. Vol. 2, no. 5. Millennium Publishing Inc. October 1999. p. 90.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "World Republic Preview: Pop'n Tanks". Gamers' Republic. No. 9. Millennium Publishing Inc. February 1999. p. 84.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "World Republic Preview: Pop'n Tanks". Gamers' Republic. Vol. 2, no. 4. September 1999. p. 91.
  4. ↑ シンビョウシステムズ沿革 (in Japanese). Symbio Systems. Archived from the original on 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  5. ↑ Staff credits, Pop'n Tanks, 1999, Enix
  6. ↑ Mine, Yoshizaki (January 2013). Yoshizaki Mine World = ALL ABOUT MINE YOSHIZAKI: 1988-2013. Kadokawashoten. ISBN   9784041103494. OCLC   840098166.
  7. ↑ "TOKYO GAME SHOW Information". tgs.cesa.or.jp. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  8. ↑ "Square Enix Japan: Games 1996–2000" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  9. ↑ "POPN TANKS | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". www.jp.playstation.com. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  10. ↑ Pop'n Tanks Official Strategy Guide. Tōkyō: Media Works. 1999. ISBN   4840211752. OCLC   170273372.
  11. 1 2 "ポップンタンクス！ [PS]". Famitsu. Kadokawa Corporation . Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  12. ↑ "Zoom: Pop'n Tanks". Joypad (in French). No. 89. France. September 1999. p. 114.
  13. 1 2 Osborne, Ian (November 1999). "On import - Overseas News - Pop'n Tanks". Extreme PlayStation. No. 23. Quay Publishing. p. 77.
  14. ↑ "New Game Cross Reviews Part 2". Weekly Famitsu. No. 555. Kadokawa Corporation. August 6, 1999. p. 33.
  15. ↑ "Best of Imports '99". Millennium Presents: 1999 Video Game Buyers Guide and Y2K Preview. Millennium Publications. 1999. p. 118.
  16. ↑ MegaMan (December 1999). "Novedades - PlayStation - Importacion - Pop'n Tanks". Loading (in Spanish). No. 5. Spain: Ares Informática. p. 40.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.