Battle City/How to play

Controls

• : Use the D-pad to direct your tank in any one of four directions. Diagonals are not possible.
• or : Press either button to fire in the direction your tank is currently facing.
• : Pauses the game.
• : Not used.

Tanks

Players

These are the tanks that the first and second players control. Player 1 controls the yellow tank, and player 2 controls the green tank simultaneously. Both tanks can only have one of their own shots on the screen at one time, and may not fire again until the shot hits an enemy or collides with a wall. Unless a force field is surrounding the tanks, preventing them from taking damage, they can be destroyed by one enemy bullet. If one player shoots another, it will prevent the other player from moving, although it will still be possible to turn and fire.

Basic Tank

This is the weakest enemy tank. They move a bit slower than your tank, and their bullets travel at the same speed as yours (with no power-ups applied.) It takes one shot to destroy them. They generally pose a little threat. Each basic tank scores 100 only.

Fast Tank

This is the fastest enemy tank. They can move at a substantially faster rate than your tank can travel. Their bullets, however, travel at normal speed. It takes one shot to destroy them. These are generally more dangerous to headquarters than a player and should be dispatched quickly. Each fast tank scores 200.

Power Tank

This tank has the greatest offensive power. They move at the speed of normal tanks, but their bullets travel much faster, as fast as your tank can when you collect the star power up. It takes one shot to destroy them. It's highly advised not to enter into their line of fire. Although they are generally more dangerous to player, they will cut through bricks much quicker than other tanks which is especially clear in level 34. Each power tank scores 300.

Armor Tank

This tank has the most defensive power. They can move and shoot at normal speeds. However, it takes four shots to destroy them. They start out green and gradually become gray until the fourth shot destroys them. It's highly recommended not to destroy tanks with head-on approach before you've collected 2nd star powerup. Each armor tank scores 400.

Power-Ups

A power up will appear in one of sixteen locations randomly on the screen whenever a tank that flashes red is hit. You must touch them to collect them and activate their effects. Collecting each powerup gives 500 points to player.

	Picking up the grenade power up instantly wipes out ever enemy presently on the screen, including Armor Tanks regardless of how many times you've hit them. You do not, however, get credit for destroying them during the end-stage bonus points.
	The helmet power up grants you a temporary force field that makes you invulnerable to enemy shots, just like the one you begin every stage with.
	The shovel power up turns the walls around your fortress from brick to stone. This makes it impossible for the enemy to penetrate the wall and destroy your fortress, ending the game prematurely. The effect, however, is only temporary, and will wear off eventually. In addition of adding steel blocks, it also repairs the damage previously done to the wall.
	The star power up grants your tank with new offensive power each time you pick one up, up to three times. The first star allows you to fire your bullets as fast as the power tanks can. The second star allows you to fire up to two bullets on the screen at one time. And the third star allows your bullets to destroy the otherwise unbreakable steel walls and also destroys two layers of bricks at once instead of one. You carry this power with you to each new stage until you lose a life.
	The tank power up grants you one extra life. The only other way to get an extra life is to score 20000 points.
	The timer power up temporarily freezes time, allowing you to harmlessly approach every tank and destroy them until the time freeze wears off.

• Powerups will disappear when another flashing tank starts to appear.
• The 4th, 11th and 18th tanks in the level are flashing ones.

Environment

There are a few different types of obstacles scattered around each stage. Knowing how to use them to your advantage is the key to your survival.

	Bricks stop tanks and bullets, but they can be slowly chipped away by shooting at them. A block of bricks the size of the one presented here would take four shots from the same direction to destroy completely (Two when player's tank is upgraded to maximum level).
	Steel walls completely stop tanks and bullets. Unlike bricks, they can not be destroyed, with the single exception of a player's tank who has collected three stars.
	Trees allow tanks and bullets to pass through unchecked. But they partially obscure the view beneath the tree tops making it hard to tell precisely where the enemy tanks are, and even harder to tell where their bullets are.
	Tanks cannot traverse water, but bullets can safely fly across.
	Your tank can drive over ice, but it will slide a little bit in the direction that it was traveling in when you let go of the D-pad while still standing on the ice. It also makes projectiles hardly visible.