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Box artwork for Tank Force.
Box artwork for Tank Force.
Tank Force
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)Namco
Year released1991
System(s)Arcade
Preceded byTank Battalion
SeriesTank Battalion,
Arcade Archives
Japanese titleタンクフォース
Genre(s)Shooter
Players1-4
ModesSingle player, Multiplayer
Arcade Archives Tank Force
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)Hamster Corporation
Year released2023
System(s)Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Rating(s)IARC Ages 7+ESRB Everyone 10+PEGI Ages 7+Parental Guidance
LinksTank Force ChannelSearchSearch
Tank Force marquee

Tank Force is a multi-directional shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1991. It was the last game to run on the company's System 1 hardware and is the sequel to Tank Battalion, which was released 11 years earlier. The US version of the game was also the first game from Namco to feature the FBI's "Winners Don't Use Drugs" screen in its attract mode - the other six were Steel Gunner 2, F.A., Cosmo Gang: The Puzzle, Knuckle Heads, Lucky and Wild, and Numan Athletics, adding to seven.

The gameplay is very similar to that of its predecessor but introduces several new enemies (there was only one type of enemy in the original), powerups (which were not present in the original), and even bosses (which were also not present in the original). It is also considered to be much harder than its predecessor due to its round design, enemy placement and faster pace. And also unlike its predecessor, it can be beaten and has an ending that you will be treated to after clearing the thirty-sixth and final round.

Gameplay summary[edit]

FBI: "Winners Don't Use Drugs"
  • Players 1 and 2 will start at the bottom of the screen next to the HQ, while Players 3 and 4 start at the bottom left and right corners respectively. Enemy tanks will appear from the top, left and right sides of the screen.
  • The players' tanks can fire in four directions. When two projectiles that are fired by a player and an enemy (or another player) collide, they will cancel each other out.
  • If an enemy shot hits your tank, you will lose one life. If an enemy shot hits the HQ, the game will be over regardless of how many lives you have.
  • Bullets can destroy the walls in the rounds, regardless of whether they are fired by a player or an enemy. It takes two shots to destroy a small tile.
  • Enemy tanks will provide the players with powerups when they are killed. The earned power-ups will appear in a random position on the screen.
  • Round is cleared when all the enemies have been destroyed.
  • Multiplayer modes are semi-cooperative. All four players must work together to clear each round, and they don't have the ability to kill each other.

Table of Contents

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