Tank Command (7800, plus flash cart & controller adapter)
Posted: March 9th, 2021, 9:11 am
Yesterday I played and, after a couple hours, beat Tank Command for the Atari 7800. The Critic hasn't reviewed this one yet, which is understandable since it's the rarest game for the system by far and commands a premium price.
Fortunately I have two pieces of hardware that made it possible to play and beat the game, and I want to take a moment to recommend them:
1. A Concerto cart from batari at AtariAge. There's a waiting list, but I was lucky enough to get one. The firmware is still being perfected but it's worked just about perfectly for me so far -- just a little bit of garbage on the title screen for Jinks and that's it. I beat Midnight Mutants a few days ago and Tank Command last night, and had no issues or crashes.
2. A Seagull 78 Controller Adapter, also from AtariAge, that lets me use a Genesis gamepad on the 7800 with both action buttons. What a game changer! I'd never have been able to beat Tank Command without it. The Proline joysticks are unplayable torture, but the Genesis controller is smooth as silk to use.
Anyway, I like short and punishingly difficult games and Tank Command was just what the doctor ordered. It has the reputation of being impossibly hard, but after I understood the game's basic mandate -- haul ass at all times! -- I progressed rapidly, first reaching Level 2, then Level 3 (the last one), then getting close to the end, and at last I captured the opponent's flag.
The game has a few quirks -- the collision detection is biased toward the left, and the system to adjust your cannon is better left untouched -- but honestly, I liked it.
Not sure what my next 7800 target will be. Tower Toppler? Water Ski? Karateka? We'll see...
Fortunately I have two pieces of hardware that made it possible to play and beat the game, and I want to take a moment to recommend them:
1. A Concerto cart from batari at AtariAge. There's a waiting list, but I was lucky enough to get one. The firmware is still being perfected but it's worked just about perfectly for me so far -- just a little bit of garbage on the title screen for Jinks and that's it. I beat Midnight Mutants a few days ago and Tank Command last night, and had no issues or crashes.
2. A Seagull 78 Controller Adapter, also from AtariAge, that lets me use a Genesis gamepad on the 7800 with both action buttons. What a game changer! I'd never have been able to beat Tank Command without it. The Proline joysticks are unplayable torture, but the Genesis controller is smooth as silk to use.
Anyway, I like short and punishingly difficult games and Tank Command was just what the doctor ordered. It has the reputation of being impossibly hard, but after I understood the game's basic mandate -- haul ass at all times! -- I progressed rapidly, first reaching Level 2, then Level 3 (the last one), then getting close to the end, and at last I captured the opponent's flag.
The game has a few quirks -- the collision detection is biased toward the left, and the system to adjust your cannon is better left untouched -- but honestly, I liked it.
Not sure what my next 7800 target will be. Tower Toppler? Water Ski? Karateka? We'll see...