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View Full Version : My Little Tank: Explosively Fun


Vincent Ferrari
12-10-2008, 08:00 PM
<p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//at/auto/1228857206.usr18053.png" /></p><p><strong>Product Category:</strong> iPhone/iPod Touch Game<br /><strong>Developer:</strong> Astraware<br /><strong>Where to Buy</strong>: <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=295971193&amp;mt=8" target="_blank">iTunes Store</a><br /><strong>Price:</strong> $4.99<br /><strong>System Requirements:</strong> iPhone / iPod Touch with Firmware 2.0 or later<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Pros:</strong></p><ul><li>Simple to learn;</li><li>Explosions are fun;</li><li>Graphics and sounds are both good.</li></ul><p><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul><li>A bit on the easy side;</li><li>Using any controls but tapping the screen can be extremely frustrating.</li></ul><p><br /><strong>Summary:</strong><br />My Little Tank is a fun pick-up and play tank shooter.&nbsp; While it may err on the easy side, it's still a heck of a lot of fun and a great time waster.<br /> <MORE /> &nbsp; <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>There Once Was a Tank...</strong></span><br />In My Little Tank, you play the operator of a little tank.&nbsp; Your job is to protect your base and / or destroy other enemy tanks in the area.&nbsp; Along the way, you pick up power-ups that enhance your firepower or replenish your life meter.&nbsp; Missions range from destroying enemy tanks to protecting bases and cities.</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//at/auto/1228857179.usr18053.png" /><em></em></p><p><em>Figure 1: My Little Tank in action.</em><br /> <br />Along the bottom of the screen are meters for your energy and the number of lives, and the score.&nbsp; To Pause, you simply press the lower right corner of the screen.&nbsp; At the top of the screen in the center is an indicator to tell you how many enemy tanks are still running around on the level you're on.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong></strong></span>For me, the most fun in this game is just flat out blowing stuff up.&nbsp; The explosions are always entertaining and seeing walls fall down and buildings blow up is entertaining and stress-relieving at the same time.</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//at/auto/1228857213.usr18053.png" /></p><p><em>Figure 2:&nbsp; Lots of blowing up stuff happens in the course of a game.</em></p><p><PAGE /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>War Is Hell</strong></span><br />It isn't all perfect, though.&nbsp; One of the things you'll notice in whatever mode you choose to play in is that you don't control the firing of the tank; you simply steer it and it keeps shooting.&nbsp; It forces you to maneuver oddly at times just to aim the tank.&nbsp; Controls include Touch to Move, Swipe to Move, Tilt to Move, and a virtual D-pad.&nbsp; As far as I can tell, the only acceptable way to control the tank is the Touch to Move method.&nbsp; Swiping is okay, the D-Pad is okay (but you tend to miss the buttons while playing intently), and tilting to move is downright unplayable.&nbsp; I don't blame this on Astraware in any way; a lot of companies are under the impression that the accelerometer is a good way to control a game and some people actually like it.&nbsp; For me?&nbsp; Not the control scheme I'd prefer.&nbsp; No way, no how.</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//at/auto/1228857199.usr18053.png" /></p><p><em>Figure 3: Game over!</em></p><p>The only other problem is the difficulty level.&nbsp; There are times when I feel like I'm ripping through levels at a very fast pace.&nbsp; While I can appreciate the appeal of a casual game, and it is fun to just go out and shoot shoot shoot, I would like a bit more of a challenge.&nbsp; The open-field missions where you chase tanks around the playfield are very easy, but the ones where you defend an area or a base are a lot more fun because they're much harder.</p><p>Either way, though, neither of those negatives are a deal breaker for me, and I've spent an enormous amount of time blasting tanks!</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span><br />When I first saw the name, I wasn't expecting much.&nbsp; I was worried it would be kiddish and silly.&nbsp; In the end, what I got was a first-class blast 'em up shooter with a lot of fun explosions.&nbsp; The best part of this game is that it can be picked up and played in short bursts and doesn't really require an enormous time commitment to enjoy.&nbsp; Frankly, at the tender age of 32, I'm not looking for another commitment; I'm perfectly happy with my Wife, cats, and job.&nbsp; My Little Tank is a must-play if you're into shoot 'em ups and as long as you stay away from the accelerometer controls, you should be very happy with every aspect of it.</p><p><em>Vincent Ferrari is an Apple fan, videoblogger, blogger, writer, and all-around geek from the Bronx. He works in the IT Department of a cellular phone company that shall not be named, and lives in a very comfortable apartment with his lovely wife, two lovely cats, three Macs, two iPhones, and God-knows-how-many iPods of varying age.</em></p>

dh
12-15-2008, 11:59 PM
My Little Tank? I can't read that without being reminded of Lieutenant Gruber from 'Allo 'Allo!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_Hubert_Gruber