Tank Commander (video game)

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Tank Commander is a game that features the capability to play via modem as well as network.

Tank Commander was developed by UK studio Big Red Software for publisher Domark. In 1993, the two companies had formed a partnership after Big Red cut ties with Codemasters and shifted focus from console games to PC games. Tank Commander was Big Red's most expensive project to date, costing £80,000.{{cite magazine | author=Crookes, David | date=October 2007 | title=Company Profile: Big Red Software | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20042/page/78/mode/2up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Imagine Publishing | issn=1742-3155 | issue=42 | pages=78–9}} The developer's Paul Ranson stated that the team never intended the game to be a hyper realistic simulation like those of MicroProse, wanting instead to essentially "write a version of Battlezone for the 90s" with a focus on action while still containing strategic undertones.{{cite magazine | author=PC Games staff | date=April 1995 | title=Preview: Barrels of Fun | url=https://archive.org/details/pcgames-09/page/n33/mode/2up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=EMAP | issue=9 | pages=34–5}} Ranson elaborated that they wished to add excitement to the typically "boring" nature of real-life tank warfare by including an array of exotic weaponry not normally associated with the vehicle. 3D assets including soldiers were also made larger relative to the tank to give them more detail. For the basis of its tank graphics, Big Red received technical assistance from British engineering firm Vickers, the manufacturer of the Challenger 1 tank.{{cite magazine | author=Brooks, M. Evan | date=May 1995 | title=Preview: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-games-strategy-plus-issue-54-may-1995_202501/page/26/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Games Strategy Plus | publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc. | issue=54 | page=26}} However, artists were prohibited from looking inside the Challenger, so the game's designs were mostly fabricated.

Big Red was simultaneously working with very early 3D computer graphics cards from Yamaha and a variety of virtual reality headsets. The first consumer iterations of these headsets were tested using Tank Commander.{{cite web | author=Stuart, Keith | date=September 11, 2015 | title=PlayStation and me: how a console shaped my life | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/playstation-console-sony | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108112305/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/playstation-console-sony | archive-date=November 8, 2020 | website=The Guardian | accessdate=April 2, 2025}}{{cite magazine | author=Stuart, Keith | date=December 9, 2023 | title=Doom at 30: how a LAN session changed my life | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/doom-at-30-how-a-lan-session-changed-my-life | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121021609/https://www.eurogamer.net/doom-at-30-how-a-lan-session-changed-my-life | archive-date=January 21, 2025 | website=Eurogamer | accessdate=April 3, 2025}} The game was released in April 1995. Big Red was purchased by Domark shortly thereafter. Domark itself was purchased by the larger Eidos Interactive which commissioned a sequel to Tank Commander, but it was ultimately cancelled.

{{Video game reviews

| CGR = 76/100{{cite magazine | author1=Perry, Kevin | author2=Chapman, Ted | author3=Kaiafas, Tasos | date=June 1995 | title=Reviews: Become the Next Reincarnation of General George S. Patton | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-issue-47-june-1995/page/n43/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Game Review | publisher=Sendai Publishing | issn=1062-113X | issue=47 | pages=44–5}}

| CGW = {{rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine | author=Cirulis, Martin E. | date=July 1995 | title=Review: See Shells By The Score | url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_132/page/n105/mode/2up | magazine=Computer Gaming World | publisher=Ziff Davis | issn=0744-6667 | issue=133 | pages=102, 104–5}}

| Hyper = 72%{{cite magazine | author=Wheeler, Chris | date=July 1995 | title=Review: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/hyper-020/page/56/mode/2up | magazine=Hyper | publisher=nextmedia | issue=20 | issn=1320-7458 | pages=56–7}}

| NGen = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=8|publisher=Imagine Media|date=August 1995|page=73|author=Next Generation staff|issn=1078-9693|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-008/page/n74/mode/1up}}

| PCGUS = 69%{{cite magazine | author=MacDonald, T. Liam | date=August 1995 | title=Reviews: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/UneditedPCGamer_marktrade/PC_Gamer_015u/page/n89/mode/2up | magazine=PC Gamer | publisher=Future US | issn=1080-4471 | issue=15 | pages=89–90}}

| PCZone = 60/100{{cite magazine | author=MacDonald, Duncan | date=May 1995 | title=Review: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_26_May_1995/page/96/mode/1up | magazine=PC Zone | publisher=Dennis Publishing | issue=26 | issn=0967-8220 | pages=97–8}}

| rev1 = Dimension-3

| rev1Score = 88%{{cite magazine | author=Off, Gregory | date=July 1995 | title=Rollin'-Rollin'-Rollin': Domark Keeps Those Tanks A-Rollin' | url=https://archive.org/details/dimension-3-july-1995/page/n35/mode/2up | magazine=Dimension-3 | publisher=Dimension Publishing | issue=3 | pages=36–7}}

| rev2 = Gambler

| rev2Score = 85%{{cite magazine | author=Koztowski, Wiktor | date=September 1995 | title=Czterej Pancerni Bez Psa | trans-title=Four Tank Men Without a Dog | url=https://archive.org/details/gambler_magazine-1995-09/page/n23/mode/2up | magazine=Gambler | publisher=Lupus | language=pl | issn=1230-8676 | pages=24–5}}

| rev3 = Génération 4

| rev3Score = 76%{{cite magazine | author=Ernaux, Éric | date=May 1995 | title=Test: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/generation4-magazine-077/page/n105/mode/2up | magazine=Génération 4 | publisher=Pressimage | language=fr | issn=1624-1088 | issue=77 | pages=106–7}}

| rev4 = Joystick

| rev4Score = 175/200{{cite magazine | author=Baron, Cyrill | date=May 1995 | title=Vidéotest: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/joystick060/page/n91/mode/2up | magazine=Joystick | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | language=fr | issn=1145-4806 | issue=60 | pages=92–4}}

| rev5 = MikroBitti

| rev5Score = 65/100{{cite magazine | author=Kauppinen, Jukka O. | date=August 1995 | title=Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/MB1994-1997/mb_1995/page/n487/mode/1up | magazine=MikroBitti | publisher=Sanoma | language=fi | issn=0781-2078 | page=70}}

| rev6 = PC Games

| rev6Score = 68%{{cite magazine | author=Wagner, Harald | date=June 1995 | title=Review: Tank Commander |

url=https://archive.org/details/PC.Games.N033.1995.06-fl0n/page/n91/mode/2up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=Computec | language=de | issn=0946-6304 | issue=33 | pages=92–3}}

| rev7 = PC Joker

| rev7Score = 72%{{cite magazine | author=Magenauer, Max | date=May 1995 | title=Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/pcjoker-mai-1995-images/page/n37/mode/1up | magazine=PC Joker | publisher=Joker-Verlag | language=de | page=38}}

| rev8 = PC Player

| rev8Score = 64/100{{cite magazine | author=Langer, Jörg | date=May 1995 | title=Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1995-05/page/n93/mode/2up | magazine=PC Player | publisher=Future plc | language=de | issn=0943-6693 | pages=94–5}}

| rev9 = Pelit

| rev9Score = 60/100{{cite magazine | author=Nirvi, Niko| date=May 1995 | title=Panssarin Pörinää | trans-title=The Rumble of the Armor | url=https://archive.org/details/pelit199505/page/n42/mode/1up | magazine=Pelit | publisher=Fokus Media Finland | language=fi | issn=1235-1199 | page=43}}

| rev10 = Play Time

| rev10Score = 65%{{cite magazine | author=Wiesner, Thomas | date=June 1995 | title=Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/play-time-1995-06/page/n52/mode/1up | magazine=Play Time | publisher=Computec | language=de | pages=85–6}}

| rev11 = Power Play

| rev11Score = 73%{{cite magazine | author=Heukemes, Frank | date=May 1995 | title=Heavy Metal: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1995-05/page/n107/mode/1up | magazine=Power Play | publisher=Future plc | language=de | issn=0937-9754 | page=108}}

| rev12 = Power Unlimited

| rev12Score = 74/100{{cite magazine | author=de Dood, Ben | date=September 1995 | title=Review: Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/020_20231030_20231030/024/page/n51/mode/1up | magazine=Power Unlimited | publisher=VNU Media | issn=0929-760X | issue=24 | page=52}}

| rev13 = Secret Service

| rev13Score = 88%{{cite magazine | author=KayTeck | date=September 1995 | title=Tank Commander | url=https://archive.org/details/secret-service-04-1995/SecretService_09_1995/page/n65/mode/2up | magazine=Secret Service | publisher=ProScript | language=pl | issn=1230-7726 | issue=9 | pages=66–7}}

| rev14 = Score

| rev14Score = 77%{{cite magazine | author=Anastasov, Andrej |

date=April 1995 | title=Recenze: Tank Commander | url=https://score.cz/1.812.aktuality.clanek-score-16 | magazine=Score | publisher=Omega Publishing Group | language=cs | issn=1210-7522 | pages=44–5}}

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Next Generation gave the game two stars out of five; although positively commenting game's visuals, the magazine considered the title as inferior to MicroProse's M1 Tank Platoon. Ted Chapman of Computer Game Review dubbed it "fiendishly addictive".

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{{reflist}}

• [https://www.mobygames.com/game/30365/tank-commander/ Tank Commander] at MobyGames

Category:1995 video games

Category:Big Red Software games

Category:Domark games

Category:DOS games

Category:DOS-only games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Tank simulation video games

Category:Third-person shooters

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom