Do you remember the ‘80s and ‘90s video game arcades?  As a child, I only got to experience them at the amusements on holiday.  The retro graphics with bright shimmering colours, blazing out sounds as if they compete against the other arcade cabinets.  Ballistic Tanks brings back that feeling as an arcade shoot ‘em up.  When you load up the game the main menu has a mini demo of AI tanks battling each other as loud music pumps out the beats.  It’s already enticing you to play and you don’t need any quarters.

You can play single-player, 2 player co-op or multiplayer with up to 4 players.  The premise is simple: Destroy enemy tanks and be the last tank remaining.  There is no network support, it’s couch co-op.

In single-player and co-op you earn coins, which are dropped randomly by destroyed tanks. Pick them up before they disappear from the arena and you get to spend the coins on upgrading your tank on the next play through.

There are also other random drops that upgrade your tank in lieu of purchasing them and include special abilities otherwise unavailable, e.g. a bubble shield that effectively gives an extra life and a laser that shoots through walls.

Multiplayer is a 4 player affair and will automatically assign bots for any absent players.  It includes several modes to keep you interested.  Powershift is the most interesting, adding a gameplay modifier to each round that adds to the fun, e.g. small tanks, hostile environments, and modified weapons.  Juggernaut has a central capture location which will turn the capturer into a juggernaut tank.  In all modes, the winner in each round earns a gold star.  The first player to win 5 gold stars wins the match.

There is enough gameplay and content to keep you entertained in solo player mode for the first few hours.  The novelty really lies in it becoming something you'd pick up and play for short bursts.   Multiplayer will add to its longevity if you have friends or family around to play.

Firing at and destroying other tanks provides satisfaction to the ears, and the eyes are equally pleased with simple 2D presentation enhanced by bright colours and graphical effects.   The music and sound effects complement the ongoing action.

Your tank can be controlled via mouse and keyboard or gamepad. For multiple players additional gamepads will be required.  I found using the mouse and keyboard to be easier as the mouse pointer can be used to gauge your shots better than with a thumbstick.

Levels are given variety through destructible walls and conveyor belts.  There are also entryways allowing you to quickly traverse through to the opposite side of the arena.

The AI is pretty basic, relying on numbers to increase the difficulty. The AI doesn't know how to work the entryways I mentioned earlier, which can be used to the player's advantage.  They can also get stuck behind walls and other tanks as they struggle to find the best route to the player.

There is nothing morally concerning outside of destroying other tanks.  When playing multiplayer you will be shooting each other.  The game does not state if the tanks are occupied or if they are radio controlled and there is no indication there are people inside of the tanks.

Ballistic Tanks is a fun game with appeal for those wanting to scratch their retro gaming itch or who like a quick shoot ‘em up.  It’s a fast-paced action game requiring twitch-like reflexes while keeping one eye on your tank and the other on all others.  There is fun for the solo player and even more fun when friends are involved.