___________ __ __________ __ \__ ___/____ ____ | | __ ______ \______ \__ ___/ |_ | | \__ \ / \| |/ / / ___/ | | _/ | \ __\ | | / __ \| | \ < \___ \ | | \ | /| | |____| (____ /___| /__|_ \/____ > |______ /____/ |__| \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ _______ ___________ __ \ \ ____ \__ ___/____ ____ | | __ ______ / | \ / _ \ | | \__ \ / \| |/ / / ___/ / | ( <_> ) | | / __ \| | \ < \___ \ \____|__ /\____/ |____| (____ /___| /__|_ \/____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ Apathetic Aardvark 9/12/2004 Version 1.0 sinenomine@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i. Basics ii. Controls iii. The Enemies & Gameplay iv. Hints & Tips v. Disclaimer vi. Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i) Basics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tanks But No Tanks is oddly enough, a tank game... in which, you have no tanks, minus the one you have to defend the entire world with! Against you are... tanks. Lots of them. Twenty per level in fact. They can kill you in a variety of ways, from shooting you, to ramming you. While you are busy trying to stop them, they make their way to your base. One solid hit and it will be destroyed and you will lose. As it may seem obvious, keeping your "base" in one piece is more important than just one of your five lives. There are four different modes to the game. Two One-Player modes and Two Two-Player modes. The second modes [game 3 and 4] are the harder versions of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii) Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The controls for the game are simple, as most 2600 games are. First, make sure you have the joystick plugged in properly! Now, align it so the orange button is facing the upper left corner... the word "top" will appear at the top of the joystick, amazing. Now. The Orange button fires a tank shell straight in front of you in the direction in which you are facing. Unlike many Atari 2600 games, the shot will actually go straight, so do not waste your time trying to make it go off in a strange direction. The joystick will move your tank in the corresponding direction, unlike other tank games there is no need to manually turn the tank around, just pound in a new direction. Use the game select feature to choose which of the four versions you wish to play. As near as I can tell the difficulty switch does nothing, but if you figure out that it does to something, and what, feel free to contact me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii) The Enemies & Gameplay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The only enemies to speak of in the entire game are other tanks. They will slowly attempt to work their way from the top end of the screen to shoot and destroy your base [which is done in one shot!]. Your base is in the bottom center, in case you had no clue what the rock-like structure was. Each tank you destroy will give you 100 points. In the event you crash into an enemy tank, you will be given 200 points, along with an honorary loss of one reserve tank. You can only shoot one shot at a time, so do not waste your time trying to get a miracle shot on a tank cruising by on the other side of the screen, unless it is your only chance to save your own base. There are three different "levels" in which you must defend your "base" from twenty enemy tanks each. Usually, there are only five tanks on the screen at a time, but when one is destroyed, another will replaced it provided there are more left. When an enemy tank is destroyed, your base will quickly flash how many more remain for the level. Likewise, when you lose a tank, your base will quickly flash how many more lives you have. There are three levels in which you will need to protect your base. The first takes the shape of a level which looks as if it were straight out of Pac-Man. The enemy tanks will have to weave their way through it, often getting lost and going in a few circles too. This map is ideal for hit and run ambush tactics. However, getting stuck on walls is something which is easy to do, making you an easy target. Also, if you get too far to one side of the map, an enemy can easily make it to your base and you will have no clear shot at it. Be wary. The second map has only a few rocks in the middle, at both sides and the direct center. This map is fun. Enemy tanks will have a much easier time getting to your base, but you will be able to shoot at them from pretty much any point on the map. The placement of the level will prevent them from getting any super long shots on your base, but nevertheless, avoid wandering off too far. The third map is wide open. This offers virtually no protection and it becomes almost necessary to hunt the other tanks down before they can gang up and eventually overwhelm you. There is not a lot of strategy here, so just do your best to keep the "base" from being hit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv) Hints & Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - You can only shoot one shot at a time, so do not waste your time trying to get a miracle shot on a tank cruising by on the other side of the screen, unless it is your only chance to save your own base. - Avoid getting too far away from the base in the maze-like level, it may be too late when you attempt to return to it. - Remember, the base being destroyed is an instant game over, so if you have to lose a life to save it, that is a good deal, unless of course it is your last and you may as well let the rest of the world die while you retreat. - Taking out enemies as they roll by you, not necessarily towards you, is often more effective than chasing them around for ages at a time. - Much as you may only have on shot fired on the screen at a time, so can each tank. Use this to your advantage. If you make one miss and the shot has a ways to fly, let it. Use the time it can not fire to get a clean shot at it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v) Disclaimer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2004, Apathetic Aardvark All rights reserved. The following sites have my permission to post this without asking; www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com Any site, magazine, or other form of media, that is not included on this list caught hosting this guide without my written consent is in violation of copyright laws and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the laws. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi) Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CJayC - Founder of GameFAQs NickBush24 - For writing a dazzling review and having ADD O_O The people of the Tanks but no Tanks message board, whom I expelled myself from. ;_; ___________________________________ Copyright 2004, Apathetic Aardvark| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯