| Tokyo Wars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Composer(s) | Akihiko Ishikawa |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Namco Super System 22 |
Tokyo Wars [lower-alpha 1] is a 1996 first-person shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. [1] [2] [3]
Tokyo Wars allows one to eight players to control separate tanks, either as teammates or as opponents. Players can play either in the heart of downtown Tokyo or at the city's bayside dock. However, the players have twenty seconds to make all the decisions before the game automatically locks them in.
The deluxe cabinets features a pneumatic haptic control that simulates the recoil effect from the tank's main gun. Since the regular cabinets do not offer an air-powered recoil, the deluxe edition delivers slightly more realism than the normal cabinet. [4] Arrows on top the screen help determine teammate from opponent because twenty tanks are rushing down the battlefield looking for an easy kill. While cars can always be demolished by crushing them over, some of the passageways in the game would crumble under the weight of the massive tanks. [4]
A game lasts for fifteen minutes or until all opposing tanks are shot down. [5] The game uses Namco's Super System 22 board, [6] with a custom cabinet. Players must sit down in order to play the game. Games can be played either as a competition with human players on both sides or cooperatively on the same team against AI-controlled opponents. Although only two players can play at a time, up to four machines can be interconnected to provide up to eight players a chance to compete in tournament-style matches. [3]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Next Generation |   [7] |
| Player One | 86% [8] |
Tokyo Wars was a popular title in arcades during the late-1990s; [9] the Japanese arcade game publication Game Machine reported that it was the most popular arcade game of January 1997. [10] A reviewer for Next Generation said the game "is essentially a mondo, testosterone cannonfest with semi-fast tanks (faster than real tanks, but not as fast as you want them to be)", praising the large arenas with strategically useful cover and destructible scenery. He noted that the game was geared heavily towards two-on-two play, to the point where the cabinet is only sold in a four-player configuration, though single-player play is possible. [7]
In 2010, Ron Alpert of Gamasutra believed that Tokyo Wars was one of Namco's most-impressive arcade games at the time, writing that it "dragged the genre kicking and screaming into the new generation with a much more arresting presentation." He compared its gameplay to Atari's Battlezone and shared his admiration for its arcade cabinet. [11] Kotaku Australia writer Chris Jager ranked it among the best tank-themed video games of all time in 2014, believing that it and similar games gave arcades an edge over platforms such as the Nintendo 64. Jager found the graphics to still be impressive today, and also enjoyed its control style and force feedback. [4]
In 2009, Namco Bandai Games produced a spiritual successor to Tokyo Wars, titled Tank! Tank! Tank! . [4] Originally released for arcades, it was later ported to the Wii U in 2012 as a system launch title. [12] Tank! Tank! Tank! features many of the same mechanics and concepts established in Tokyo Wars, focusing primarily on the co-operative play and destroying larger boss enemies. While the arcade version was liked for its gameplay and exhilerating action, [13] [14] the Wii U version was harshly criticized for its lack of online play and depth. [15] [16] Tokyo Wars was also a heavy source of inspiration for the Nintendo 64 game Battle Tanx . [17]
Namco Limited was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, and Shanghai Namco in mainland China.
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to Galaxian (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a starship, the player is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while avoiding enemies and projectiles. Some enemies can capture a player's ship via a tractor beam, which can be rescued to transform the player into a "dual fighter" with additional firepower.
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The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki from Druaga, a demon with eight arms and four legs, who plans to use an artifact known as the Blue Crystal Rod to enslave all of mankind. It ran on the Namco Super Pac-Man arcade hardware, modified with a horizontal-scrolling video system used in Mappy.
Namco Museum is a series of video game compilations developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for home video game consoles. The first title in the series, Namco Museum Vol. 1, was released for the PlayStation in 1995. Entries in the series have been released for multiple platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360. the latest being Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2, released in 2020.
Grobda is a 1984 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. It is a spin-off from Xevious, as the player's tank first appeared in that game as an enemy. It runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware but with a video system like that used in Mappy and The Tower of Druaga, and it also uses a DAC for the "Get Ready" speech sample at the start of each round.
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in Dragon Buster. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play simultaneously. The game was later released on the Famicom, and both this version for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U and the original arcade version for the Wii were later released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service, and for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives line of digital releases. The NES version was also ported to arcades for the Nintendo VS. System as VS. Super Sky Kid, but promotional materials and the cabinet for this version just use the name VS. Sky Kid.
Xevious 3D/G is a 1996 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The eighth entry in the Xevious series, it combines 2D-based gameplay with 3D gouraud-shaded polygon graphics. Players control the Solvalou starship in its mission to destroy a rogue supercomputer named GAMP and the Xevian Forces, using two basic weapon types - an air zapper to destroy air targets, and a blaster bomb to destroy ground targets. The game also features destructive power-ups, new bosses, and two player simultaneous play.
Starblade is a 1991 3D rail shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. Controlling the starfighter FX-01 "GeoSword" from a first-person perspective, the player is tasked with eliminating the Unknown Intelligent Mechanized Species (UIMS) before they wipe out Earth. Gameplay involves controlling a crosshair with a flight yoke stick and destroying enemies and their projectiles before they inflict damage on the player.
Ridge Racer is a 1993 racing video game developed and published by Namco. It was released initially on the Namco System 22 arcade system board and ported to the PlayStation console in 1994. It is the first title in the Ridge Racer series released for arcades and home consoles.
Cyber Sled is a two-player 3D vehicle combat shooter game released by Namco for arcades in 1993. The game's perspective is third-person by default, but can be switched to a first-person perspective. The game was nominated for Most Innovative New Technology at the 1994 AMOA Awards. It later received a sequel in 1994, Cyber Commando.
Muscle March, known in Japan as Muscle Kōshinkyoku, is an action video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii through the WiiWare service. It was released in Japan in 2009, and in North America and the PAL region in 2010. Players control one of seven different bodybuilders and try to catch a thief that has stolen their bodybuilding friends' tub of protein powder. Its gameplay is similar to Hole In The Wall, where players use the Wiimote and Nunchuck to perform specific bodybuilder poses to pass through corresponding holes in walls left by the thief.
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