Tanks a Lot

Retro writer Hamster simply can’t get off of its Namco kick in the mean time. This week’s entry to its classic-filled Arcade Archives is among the developer’s lesser-known arcade releases. Now accessible to obtain on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, it’s Namco’s futuristic tank battler, Assault.

Released to the Japanese arcade scene in 1988 underneath the title “Akeaka Assault,” earlier than trundling west underneath its less complicated, localized title, Assault is a future-set top-down shooter that places the participant within the driving seat of an intergalactic tank, and duties them with bringing down their planet’s colonizers in a uniquely darkish narrative — and one that’s surprisingly prescient to fashionable eyes…

In Assault, you play a local warrior of a far-off planet, who begins out upon a one-man rebel towards the human race, who’ve invaded your world, stolen your entire assets, and brought each the land and expertise of your folks for themselves and their very own futures. Quite the narrative oddity for the gaming trade on the time; as a substitute of saving mankind, in Assault, you might be basically out to destroy it.

As you’ll be able to see from the above motion, (courtesy of YouTuber Quadri Chuply) Assault is a rotational twin-stick shooter, that permits the participant to have interaction in fight with the people and their forces in full 360-degree movement. The purpose right here was to create a extra modern model of the 1980 Atari traditional Battlezone, switching out the vector graphics and first-person view for a faster-paced and extra colourful top-down perspective. Like many Namco titles, it additionally sports activities a fairly funky soundtrack.

Assault utilized Namco’s newly-created System 2 software program, which permits for the rotational visuals and sprite-scaling seen within the title. Additionally, the primary participant sprite and most of the enemies had been designed by Gundam veteran Kunio Ogawara, additional emphasizing Namco’s need to make Assault one thing of a status launch for the developer. Assault would obtain a lot vital reward on launch, and would additionally spawn a Japan-only remix within the type of Assault Plus, which featured improved visuals in addition to new enemies and stage layouts.

While Assault will not be referenced even a tenth as a lot as different Namco titles corresponding to Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, or Galaxian, it does deserve to sit down within the Namco corridor of fame as a groundbreaking arcade launch.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been enjoying video video games because the Eighties. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse