Panzer 1945
Release type: Freeware
Release date: May 19, 1995
Levels: 1
Author: PPP Team
Website: Bilou Homebrew's Blog
Related games: Blork Carnage, Panzer 2019, Panzer III
If Badman progresses like Sonic, Panzer develops more like Ikari Warriors. Accordingly the Panzer series is maybe less iconic than Badman. What it shares with that series is a refusal to be bound by the normal Game-Maker tropes and limitations. Panzer goes further, though, in refusing to be bound even by its own format.
In a broad sense Panzer 1945 feels like your typical overhead view tank game. What makes it unusual from a Game-Maker perspective is its Robotron-style controls. One wonders, given the key binding limitations, why more games didn’t hit on this control scheme. Granted in this case they’re all cramped over by the numerical keypad, making fast reactions rather difficult. Yet once you get used to them it’s impressive how much nonsense four-way firing can resolve.
Finally we see a fast-paced action game with nuanced player responses. Furthermore the exploration-based design melds a sense of danger with one of ownership. When you clear an area, it stays clear — yet there’s no telling what the next screen will bring, and whether you will find all your progress undone. Though on paper it may sound dubious, in practice you get some of that unfolding physical mystery of the Zelda overworld crossed with the action of an arcade title.
Granted there's only the one level, and the graphics and sound feel very tentative, as if the designer was unsure whether to fully commit to the game. Still, what's here is pretty enlightening.
Contents
Story
Jack Booster from Blork Carnage has been transported back in time, and is now in control over a hulking green tank with a rapid-fire cannon. His mission is to find a purple key, then infiltrate the enemy base. Hint: The water isn't as deep as it seems.
Instructions
To play, use the numerical keypad on the keyboard.
Movement:
- 8: Move up
- 2: Move down
- 4: Move left
- 6: Move right
Aiming:
- 7/Home: Attack up
- 1/End: Attack down
- 0/Ins: Attack left
- 9/PgUp: Attack right
Credits
Game made by PPP Team SFT
Availability
Prior to this archive's online presence, this game was only available in small-scale distribution amongst the close associates of PPP Team.
Archive history
Along with several other PPP Team titles, this game was added to the archive on September 29, 2010. It was located on an FTP archive maintained by Pierre Martin, after contact with his brother Sylvain Martin, through his blog and social media -- who in turn was located through a link on cly5m's Game-Maker page.
Links
Sites
Interviews / Articles
Misc. Links
Downloads
- Panzer 1945 (216.3 kB)
