Touch Battle Tank SP mini review
Several months ago I said that I wanted every Wii U game on Nintendo Switch and SilverStar Japan clearly listened. With four games on 3DS, one on Wii U and now Switch – the Touch Battle Tank series is clearly doing something right. And indeed it is but intuitive: choose either the powerful-but-slow Blue Battle Tank or fast-but-weak Red Battle Tank with the former boasting an R-Type-type power-up shot and the latter a jump ability; and just blast your way through 70 levels of rebel tanks, landmines and enemy crossfire.
The Touch Battle Tanks have always offered elements of fun alas with inevitable repetition. Unfortunately in my asking for every Wii U game on Switch, I forgot to consider the technical variances of the two consoles, and indeed Touch Battle Tank SP suffers from being a very literal ‘Touch’ Battle Tank with the TV mode ruled inherently impossible by default of the touchscreen mechanics, and the handheld mode involving trying to control your Tank with one hand with the other often covering both the screen and enemy-fire.
It can be argued that the developer’s laziness be forgiven by the relatively low price-tag (¥500) but it does offer a stark warning to be careful of what you wish for. Once you find a way of playing that is the least uncomfortable then some fun is to be found, and the $4.5 entry fee is relatively cheap. Expectations have to be reigned in however: the graphics and sound are almost N64-era, there’s no online whatsoever and it’s over all too quickly. All-in-all a reasonably fun -albeit shortlived- but ultimately lazy affair.
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