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Release Date: 1983
This was a major 1980 arcade jaw-dropper, that effectively used a green and red overlay over a pretty smart vector showing monitor. Previous FPS games were not available to consumers until this arcade tank game. A version was released in 1983 for home computers, the first successful mass-market game featuring a first-person viewpoint and 3D graphics. Commonly considered the earliest progenitor of first-person shooters (FPS), this is a 3D tank game. It's based on a Bradley Trainer simulator which is considered the first VR training device used by the U.S. Army. Earth has been invaded, and you and your tank lead the defensive effort. You drive around the battlefield from a first-person view, targeting and firing at tanks, planes and UFOs. You have a radar to help you see where the enemies are in direction and distance. Objects can be used as strategic cover. Controls simulate the tracks of a tank realistically, so the direction and speed settings are varied - combining forward right and backward left movements (as you can on keyboard versions) sees you change direction more quickly. In 2008, a free remake by Stuart Goodwin was released with six levels of difficulty and additional controls for people with disabilities in the Helen and Douglas House hospices. Play modes: eyetracker - the gameplay is directed solely by an eyetracker; eyetracker + switch - the tank is directed by an eyetracker, firing by a switch; keyboard - conventional play using a conventional keyboard. |
