Blazer/Gameplay

Controls

 * Joystick: Use the 4-way joystick to: direct the tank "Vanguard", the helicopter "Maiheriko", and the boat "Maiboto" around the screen. Maiheriko and Maiboto are always moving forward, but you can direct them anywhere; however, they cannot move diagonally because the joystick is not eight-way.
 * Firing Button: Use this button to make Vanguard, Maiheriko, and Maiboto fire bullets at their corresponding types of enemies (ground, air, and sea).
 * Bomb Button: Use this button to make Vanguard fire off anti-aircraft missiles upwards at the air-based enemies if it has its normal shot and to make Maiheriko drop bombs on the ground-based enemies. With Maiboto, pressing this button has no effect (like with Vanguard's 4-way or torpedo shots).
 * 1 or 2 Player Buttons: Push these buttons to begin a 1 or 2 player game.

Vanguard (バンガード)
The player's tank, from the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh and ninth missions of the game. It weighs 56.5 tons, measures 9.88 x 3.6 x 2.71 metres, is powered by a 1500hp V12D V50-ATSH engine spinning at 2500 rpm, possesses a fuel capacity of 1987 litres, and has a top speed of 61 mph; it starts the game out with thirteen squares of fuel, but this amount can be increased up to sixteen by collecting "Full Oil" powerups that some of the air-based enemies leave behind when killed. As well as being able to fire bullets at the ground-based enemies to kill them, it is also able to kill them by driving over them - however, doing so drains a small amount of fuel. When Vanguard is down to three squares of fuel, a warning sound effect will start to be heard from the Namco CUS-30; unless it has its normal shot (so it can fire anti-aircraft missiles), and an air-based enemy leaves an "Oil" powerup behind when killed, it is impossible to avoid running out of fuel and the text "FUEL EMPTY" will appear upon the screen, costing it a life as a result. It will also die whenever it is hit by a bullet fired at it by a ground-based enemy, a bomb dropped on it by an air-based enemy, or a miniscule Jirai Car - however, it will receive two extra lives at predetermined point values in the game, typically 50000 and 100000 points by default. ''To the left is Vanguard as it appears when it has its normal shot. To the right is how it appears when it receives its 4-way shot after going through a gate marked "T-2" (it is referred to as "Jason") and its torpedo shot after going through a gate marked "T-3" (it is referred to as "Buster Cannon") respectively.''

Maiheriko (マイヘリコ)
The player's helicopter from the second, sixth and eighth missions of the game. When Vanguard reaches the end of the first, fifth and seventh missions, you will receive 10 bonus points for every litre of fuel it has remaining as Maiheriko rises into the air; it will then start moving forward of its own accord (and does not need any fuel of its own as a result). As well as being able to fire bullets at air-based enemies to kill them, it is also able to kill ground-based enemies by dropping bombs on them - however, it will die whenever it's hit by an air-based enemy or a bullet fired at it by one. Once it has reached the ending of the second, sixth and eighth missions, it will descend to the landing pad where Vanguard has reappeared as its fuel meter is refilled (its rotor will also momentarily disappear at these points) before the latter starts moving forward again through a hole in a rock face.

Maiboto (マイボート)
The player's boat - which only appears on the tenth and final mission of the game. When Vanguard reaches the end of the ninth mission, you will (again) receive 10 bonus points for every litre of fuel it has remaining, as Maiboto starts moving forward of its own accord (again, it needs no fuel of its own as a result) and the text "THE FINAL MISSION!" appears on the screen; it is only able to fire bullets at the sea-based enemies to kill them, and pressing the Bomb Button with it will again have no effect. It will also die whenever it crashes into a sea-based enemy, a bullet fired at it by one or a wall.

Ground-based enemies
Brown Tank (タンク・茶色) - These brown military vehicles (which aren't palette-swaps of Vanguard) attack by shooting flames at you. 80 points. Ochre Tank (タンク・黄土色) - These ochre military vehicles will also attack by shooting flames at you, but take multiple bullets to kill. 160 points. Green Tank (タンク・緑色) - These green military vehicles, which are different from Browns and Ochres, attack by firing bullets at you. 60 points. Super Tank (タンク・スーパー) - These "super" military vehicles, like the Green Tank shown above, will attack by firing bullets at you. 200 points. Hyper Tank (タンク・ハイパー) - These "hyper" military vehicles, like the Green and Super Tanks, will attack by firing off bullets at you. 80 points. Green Artillery (砲台・緑) - These green large-calibre cannons, which sometimes can't be driven over, attack by firing bullets at you. 360 points. Ochre Artillery (砲台・黄土色) - These ochre large-calibre cannons also attack by firing bullets at you, but take multiple bullets to kill. 980 points. Bomb Cannon (爆弾連射機) - These automatic heavy guns, which sometimes can't be shot out at, will attack by firing pellets at you. 540 points. Enormous Tank (巨大タンク) - These giant military vehicles (which cannot be driven over) attack by firing bullets at you from their left side. 10000 points; the reason why they cannot be driven over is due to the fact that they are larger than Vanguard, and if you try to do it to one, you will die (but it will also die instantly). However, it may well be resurrected, if Vanguard had more than one life remaining upon its death. Truck (トラック) - These covered wagons (which sometimes emerge from holes in walls), attack by firing bullets at you before fleeing. 100 points. Jirai Car (地雷車) - These miniscule vehicles will attack by emerging from the ground and moving towards you. 10000 points if one touches you.

Air-based enemies
Gray Heli (ヘリ・グレイ) - These gray helicopters can fly into view from any side of the screen, but will not drop bombs on Vanguard. 100 points. Ivory Heli (ヘリ・アイボリー) - These ivory helicopters can also fly into view from any side of the screen and will not bomb Vanguard. 100 points. Big Jet (大型戦闘機) - These large camouflage-paint aeroplanes can fly into view from either the top or bottom of the screen. 2000 points. Concorde (コンコルド) - These small light-blue aeroplanes can fly into view from any side of the screen, and will drop bombs on you. 700 points. Hurricane (ハリケーン) - These small gray aeroplanes can also fly into view from any side of the screen and will drop bombs on you. 600 points. Killer (キラー) - These small yellow-green aeroplanes can also fly into view from any side of the screen, and will drop bombs on you. 100 points. Boeing (ボーイング) - These small purple aeroplanes can also fly into view from any side of the screen, and will drop bombs on you. 800 points. Bazooka (バズーカ) - These short-range tubular rocket launchers, which are seen on top of towers, attack by firing missiles at you. 1000 points. Rock (岩) - These large masses of consolidated mineral matter attack by dropping down to ground upon you from above and are indestructible.

When Vanguard is in its normal shot incarnation, and fires an anti-aircraft missile up at an air-based enemy to kill it, it will sometimes leave a powerup box behind; once you have fired a bullet to destroy it (it is not advisable to drive over them), it will leave one of four different types of powerups: Oil (オイル) - When Vanguard collects one of these powerups, a quarter of its ever-decreasing fuel meter will be refilled (and if it was lower than three squares the warning sound effect will stop being heard from the Namco CUS-30); its effect will not prevent Vanguard from dying, however. Full Oil (フルオイル) - When Vanguard collects one of these powerups, an extra square will be added to its ever-decreasing fuel meter (up to a maximum of three for a total of sixteen); again, its effect will not prevent Vanguard from dying, and you will also have to collect more "Extends". Shield (シールド) - When Vanguard collects one of these powerups, it will start glowing white to indicate that it is temporarily invulnerable; it can now drive over ground-based enemies without any cost to its fuel, and anything that is fired at or dropped on it by an enemy will have no effects. Extend (エクステンド) - When Vanguard collects one of these powerups a small tank-like symbol will appear below its fuel meter; once you have collected thirteen, fourteen, fifteen or sixteen of them (depends on the size of the aforementioned fuel meter), Vanguard will receive an extra life.

Sea-based enemies
Jirai (宇遊機雷) - These flashing mines (which cannot be driven over for exploding), attack by floating back and forth in front of you. 100 points. Submarine (潜水艦) - These submersible watercrafts attack by emerging from oceans to fire pellets at you, and (like Rocks), are indestructible.