Death Tank remake on Live tomorrow

By Tom Bramwell Published 17 February, 2009

1200-MSP 2D tank-fighting action.

Death Tank is this week's Xbox Live Arcade release, which means you will be able to get your caterpillar tracks on it tomorrow, 18th February, at 9am GMT.

The game will cost a relatively steep 1200 Microsoft Points (GBP 10.20 / EUR 14.40).

Those with longish memories will recall that Death Tank was once a 2D real-time shooter featuring up to eight tanks, developed by Ezra Dreisbach for Lobotomy Software, and Dreisbach is also at the helm of this Snowblind Studios/Flat Games-developed 3D update.

Once again, your tanks battle it out in real time, still on 2D landscapes but with contemporary visual effects, and each machine is customisable and able to take advantage of various power-ups. Check out the Snowblind website to see it on video.

Offline there's support for four players on a single system, and online you can play in groups of eight, with the usual array of leaderboards and Achievements to track your progress.

Look out for more on Death Tank soon.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_dudefather #1 3 years ago

    saw a video of this yesterday and it looked pretty cool, but the 1200 has put me off

    1200 is the new 800 it seems (which was the new 400)
    Edited by 1 at 17/02/09 @ 09:07

  • mingster #2 3 years ago

    This was the only reason to own a saturn...
    if its good may get a 360 just for this.

  • asphaltcowboy #3 3 years ago

    Great game... but worth 1200? Not sure yet! Will grab the demo. SFIV will be taking up all my time as soon as it arrives anyway!

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #4 3 years ago

    @mingster:

    Clearly you're not a fan of 2D fighters, RPGs or shoot-em-ups, then?

  • MatteG #5 3 years ago

    HAHA 400 points off The Loast and Dammed- FAT CHANCE

    I'm definitely not gonna touch this!
    Edited by 1 at 17/02/09 @ 09:37

  • YoshiMcTaggis #6 3 years ago

    1200 points? Feck off. This suggests Outrun will be 1200 points to me, which means I'll pick up the original Xbox version instead.
    Edited by 2 at 17/02/09 @ 09:40

  • BiscuitBase #7 3 years ago

    This has been on PartnerNet for months. Why did it take them so long to release it???

    The game is awesome by the way, well worth 1200 points.

  • Monkey_Puncher #8 3 years ago

    This had 800 points written all over it, they can fuck right off if they think it's worth 1200.

  • Xerx3s #9 3 years ago

    1200msp? Fuck off then, I'll just install scorched earth again.

  • stepneg #10 3 years ago

    Looks OK and I would have probably tried it the demo if it was 800msp, no point in downloading it though as I am not going to pay for the full game.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #11 3 years ago

    1200? Good luck with that!

  • BiscuitBase #12 3 years ago

    Guys I'll say it again, this game is awesome. We're talking best live arcade game ever type territory, give it a try.

  • TonyB #13 3 years ago

    I agree with BiscuitBase.

  • ManicMarvin #14 3 years ago

    Considering this has been consuming most lunchtimes since it went up on Partnernet, well worth it. Plus it'll be an extra thank you for giving the original away free.

  • mingster #15 3 years ago

    This was the best multiplayer game virtually ever on a console...
    unfortunately no one evr knew about it as it was a secret game tucked away on the Saturn.
    With a multitap it was probably the most fun you could have.
    Its well worth 1200.
    I wanted to buy a saturn and 5 pads just for this so 1200 pts is nothing.
    If its netcode is good then its looking at a 10.

  • AndyT_UK Verified Senior Programmer, Proper Games Ltd #16 3 years ago

    Worms is 400 points, what makes this worth 3 times as much?

  • Enyeez #17 3 years ago

    this game is soooo worth 1200, I've played it 100+ hours on the saturn, and now I get to play it online.... sign me up
    Edited by 1 at 17/02/09 @ 10:36

  • mingster #18 3 years ago

    Its easily 3X better than worms

  • berelain #19 3 years ago

    1200 points? Expensive, but it won't put me off. I spent many crazy evenings with friends on the Saturn rendition of Death Tank Zwei, and this remake is looking every bit as wonderful. Best. Multiplayer. Ever.

    Except maybe 'Blob' and Moonstone on the Amiga.
    Edited by 1 at 17/02/09 @ 10:43

  • ManicMarvin #20 3 years ago

    It's 3 times better than Worms because it's 8 player, real-time, has insane bonus rounds, and you don't already have it on a dozen previous platforms.

  • Pasco #21 3 years ago

    I will explain something to the people who compare this to a GTA expansion:
    Your GTA expansion will be 20 hours of fun at best (that is if you like pointlessly driving around cities, shooting mechanics that are worse than Doom 15 years ago, frame rates that where deemed unplayable 15 years ago, a story that is something like Dirty Dancing for men but considers itself witty and if you like games that will be considered obsolete in five years time).

    Death Tank gives an infinite amount of hours of fun. You don't even have to look for fun. It's inherently there. It has a carefully balanced rule-set and control implementation that were great in 1996, are great now and will be great in 10 years. You can argue that GTA has more work put into it, but it's the worth that I get out of the game that is relevant to me.

    Last but not least, if you don't understand that a riskier game with significantly fewer projected sales needs a higher price to break even and ensure the survival of a smaller developer, then you are stupid.

  • stepneg #22 3 years ago

    @Pasco
    "Last but not least, if you don't understand that a riskier game with significantly fewer projected sales needs a higher price to break even and ensure the survival of a smaller developer, then you are stupid."

    I think what's even more stupid is to release what 'appears' to be a two-bit worms clone the same week as the GTA DLC and SF4 for 1200MSP. Doesn't matter how good it is most people would have never heard of it and at that price it will probably stay that way.

  • homerramone #23 3 years ago

    They are just taking the piss with this 1200pts now.
    I dont see a 1200 pt game. Its largley a MP game methinks.... so you are prolly going to need to convince mates its worth 1200pts too..

    No deal.

  • rhinoxious #24 3 years ago

    Damn,

    No excuse to keep hoarding my Saturn, multitap and seven joypads now.

    Just have to hope my missus doesn't twig.

  • ScrewYouHippy #25 3 years ago

    God I hate Worms. Why do people think that Worms was the "original and the best"

    It's not, and it's nothing like Deathtank, comparing the two is like comparing Tetris with GTA - that's how far apart you're talking.

    I've been playing DT for months now on PartnerNet and can happily predict that this game is going to get a 10 - if it doesn't, its because someone didn't pay enough.

    1200 is an absolute bargin.

  • mingster #26 3 years ago

    i'm hoping this will get a 10 and loads of people buy it.
    Worms is slo-motion turn based this is all at once realtime insane action.

  • Uncle_Fishboy #27 3 years ago

    1200 points? FUCK MY ARSE OFF! FUCK IT HARD. OUCH! YOWSERS!

    Jesus mcChrist it's only 10 quid you stingy bastards. If you don't like it then don't buy it bell ends. Saying 'No Deal' and making comments about userbases or whatever being raped just makes you sound like tossers. Just remember this - no one really cares about you or what you think. Except maybe your mum and possibly your girfriend, if you have one, which I doubt.

  • bad09 #28 3 years ago

    MS got greedy with everything at 1200 now and I really dislike the way they just upped the price with no announcement - just you're now paying this so soak it up. I'm buying nothing off live at the mo (admittedly that is more to do with the crap they shovel on to it) but things like R-Type I may have picked up at 800 MS....

    Oh well it's their lost sales.

  • mingster #29 3 years ago

    1200pts = $15 are you all that tight that you can't afford this?
    Its 3 pints. or about 2 packets of cigarettes.
    This game will last you longer.

  • retr0gamer #30 3 years ago

    400 would have been a must buy. 800 hundred would have been a probably but grudgingly. 1200? As Withnail would have said, they can take their 1200 points, shove it up their arse and fuck off.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #31 3 years ago

    Wow. Real influx of shills today.

  • IronCladChicken #32 3 years ago

    So...

    Willing to pay 1200 points - On half term holidays
    Not willing to pay more than 800 - Browsing the net at work?

  • statusjones #33 3 years ago

    given this is the game i bought a saturn for (along with seven pads and two multitaps) only now it's online, i think it's pretty fair to say i'll be buying it (well assuming the demo lives up to the feel of the original)

    okay so 1200 points might seem like a lot to you, but at least give the free trial a go before mouthing off about it; i think you may be pleasantly surprised

  • mrlee #34 3 years ago

    the vids look very cool!

    death tank zwei was one of the funnest multiplayer games of all time that i proably played for at least 100+ hours. we used to keep track of our rank manually, now we can just use the leaderboards. compared to xbla games its expensive, but, if this is as good as death tank zwei i'll play for at least 100 hours.

    i'm definitely going to download the trial and i'll most likely buy it. ahhh the multi-tap

  • ABXY #35 3 years ago

    RIP OFF!!! ouch