Battlezone - PSP

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Battlezone (PSP)
Viewed: 3D First-person / Third-person Genre:
Shoot 'Em Up
Media: Custom optical disc Arcade origin:No
Developer: Paradigm Soft. Co.: Atari
Publishers: Atari (GB)
Released: 9 Feb 2007 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 12+
Accessories: Memory Duo Stick, Wireless Compatible

Summary

Gamers of a certain age will recall the phrase Battlezone, but will maybe a little more than surprised at the appearance of this PSP version. After all, the Battlezone of the early 1980s was a big, brash experience that had you facing into the corner of the arcade, clinging to two joysticks while snuffing out any peripheral vision by peering intensely into the periscope. Back then, Battlezone was a bit of a novelty in that it almost sucked you into the machine (well, apart from the sit-down version, which was about as much fun as darts on the radio). The PSP version will not suck you in like the cabinet of old. It will, however, nudge a few memories of lost afternoons from the decade that time forgot, as the gameplay remains largely the same, but this time around, with more variation for those with a short attention span.

PSP BattleZone's lovingly-rendered environments are a world away from the sparse black/green vector graphics of old. These landscapes depict military combat sites such as the abandoned cities of Russia, Chinese jungles, desert canyons of the United States, the Antarctic tundra. Oh, and the Canary Islands, just for those craving year-round warmth!

Six game modes are on offer, both in solo and multiplayer mode. These include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Hotzone, Knockout, and Fox and Hound. The multiplayer options can accommodate up to four players. As you would expect from a game of this ilk - tank combat if you really have been living in a cave for the last 25 years - there are unlockable weapons a go-go available, along with upgradeable vehicles and customisable game maps.