Tank Commander (video game)

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Tank Commander
Tank Commander cover.jpg
Developer(s) Big Red Software
Publisher(s) Domark
Platform(s) DOS
ReleaseApril 1995
Genre(s) tank simulation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tank Commander is a tank simulation video game developed by Big Red Software and published by Domark for DOS in 1995.

Contents

Gameplay

Tank Commander is a game that features the capability to play via modem as well as network. [1]

Development and release

Tank Commander was developed by UK studio Big Red Software for publisher Domark. In 1993, the two companies had formed a partnership after Big Red cut ties with Codemasters and shifted focus from console games to PC games. Tank Commander was Big Red's most expensive project to date, costing £80,000. [2] The developer's Paul Ranson stated that the team never intended the game to be a hyper realistic simulation like those of MicroProse, wanting instead to essentially "write a version of Battlezone for the 90s" with a focus on action while still containing strategic undertones. [3] Ranson elaborated that they wished to add excitement to the typically "boring" nature of real-life tank warfare by including an array of exotic weaponry not normally associated with the vehicle. 3D assets including soldiers were also made larger relative to the tank to give them more detail. [3] For the basis of its tank graphics, Big Red received technical assistance from British engineering firm Vickers, the manufacturer of the Challenger 1 tank. [4] However, artists were prohibited from looking inside the Challenger, so the game's designs were mostly fabricated. [3]

Big Red was simultaneously working with very early 3D computer graphics cards from Yamaha and a variety of virtual reality headsets. [2] The first consumer iterations of these headsets were tested using Tank Commander. [5] [6] The game was released in April 1995. [3] Big Red was purchased by Domark shortly thereafter. Domark itself was purchased by the larger Eidos Interactive which commissioned a sequel to Tank Commander, but it was ultimately cancelled. [2]

Reception

Next Generation gave the game two stars out of five; although positively commenting game's visuals, the magazine considered the title as inferior to MicroProse's M1 Tank Platoon . [1] Ted Chapman of Computer Game Review dubbed it "fiendishly addictive". [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Next Generation staff (August 1995). "Finals". Next Generation . No. 8. Imagine Media. p. 73. ISSN   1078-9693.
  2. 1 2 3 Crookes, David (October 2007). "Company Profile: Big Red Software". Retro Gamer . No. 42. Imagine Publishing. pp. 78–9. ISSN   1742-3155.
  3. 1 2 3 4 PC Games staff (April 1995). "Preview: Barrels of Fun". PC Games. No. 9. EMAP. pp. 34–5.
  4. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (May 1995). "Preview: Tank Commander". Computer Games Strategy Plus . No. 54. Strategy Plus, Inc. p. 26.
  5. ↑ Stuart, Keith (September 11, 2015). "PlayStation and me: how a console shaped my life". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ Stuart, Keith (December 9, 2023). "Doom at 30: how a LAN session changed my life". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Perry, Kevin; Chapman, Ted; Kaiafas, Tasos (June 1995). "Reviews: Become the Next Reincarnation of General George S. Patton". Computer Game Review . No. 47. Sendai Publishing. pp. 44–5. ISSN   1062-113X.
  8. ↑ Cirulis, Martin E. (July 1995). "Review: See Shells By The Score". Computer Gaming World . No. 133. Ziff Davis. pp. 102, 104–5. ISSN   0744-6667.
  9. ↑ Wheeler, Chris (July 1995). "Review: Tank Commander". Hyper . No. 20. nextmedia. pp. 56–7. ISSN   1320-7458.
  10. ↑ MacDonald, T. Liam (August 1995). "Reviews: Tank Commander". PC Gamer . No. 15. Future US. pp. 89–90. ISSN   1080-4471.
  11. ↑ MacDonald, Duncan (May 1995). "Review: Tank Commander". PC Zone . No. 26. Dennis Publishing. pp. 97–8. ISSN   0967-8220.
  12. ↑ Off, Gregory (July 1995). "Rollin'-Rollin'-Rollin': Domark Keeps Those Tanks A-Rollin'". Dimension-3. No. 3. Dimension Publishing. pp. 36–7.
  13. ↑ Koztowski, Wiktor (September 1995). "Czterej Pancerni Bez Psa" [Four Tank Men Without a Dog]. Gambler (in Polish). Lupus. pp. 24–5. ISSN   1230-8676.
  14. ↑ Ernaux, Éric (May 1995). "Test: Tank Commander". Génération 4 (in French). No. 77. Pressimage. pp. 106–7. ISSN   1624-1088.
  15. ↑ Baron, Cyrill (May 1995). "Vidéotest: Tank Commander". Joystick (in French). No. 60. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. pp. 92–4. ISSN   1145-4806.
  16. ↑ Kauppinen, Jukka O. (August 1995). "Tank Commander". MikroBitti (in Finnish). Sanoma. p. 70. ISSN   0781-2078.
  17. ↑ Wagner, Harald (June 1995). "Review: Tank Commander". PC Games (in German). No. 33. Computec. pp. 92–3. ISSN   0946-6304.
  18. ↑ Magenauer, Max (May 1995). "Tank Commander". PC Joker (in German). Joker-Verlag. p. 38.
  19. ↑ Langer, Jörg (May 1995). "Tank Commander". PC Player (in German). Future plc. pp. 94–5. ISSN   0943-6693.
  20. ↑ Nirvi, Niko (May 1995). "Panssarin Pörinää" [The Rumble of the Armor]. Pelit (in Finnish). Fokus Media Finland. p. 43. ISSN   1235-1199.
  21. ↑ Wiesner, Thomas (June 1995). "Tank Commander". Play Time (in German). Computec. pp. 85–6.
  22. ↑ Heukemes, Frank (May 1995). "Heavy Metal: Tank Commander". Power Play (in German). Future plc. p. 108. ISSN   0937-9754.
  23. ↑ de Dood, Ben (September 1995). "Review: Tank Commander". Power Unlimited . No. 24. VNU Media. p. 52. ISSN   0929-760X.
  24. ↑ KayTeck (September 1995). "Tank Commander". Secret Service (in Polish). No. 9. ProScript. pp. 66–7. ISSN   1230-7726.
  25. ↑ Anastasov, Andrej (April 1995). "Recenze: Tank Commander". Score (in Czech). Omega Publishing Group. pp. 44–5. ISSN   1210-7522.
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