Japanese 3DS developers seem to have a thing for tanks what with the two super simple and super selling Touch Battle Tank games and Keiji Inafune’s Bugs Vs. Tanks and now Tank 3D from perennial eShop publishers Arc System Works. Released earlier in April for ¥700 Tank 3D aesthetically looks like Bugs vs. Tanks (albeit sans bugs, and Nazis!) although plays very much like a 3D version of Touch Battle Tank would.

With fifty missions in story mode Tank 3D is rich in content. The mission objectives are simple enough for the non-Japanese speaker with either a time limit or huge arrow depicting what needs to be done, otherwise just destroy all the other tanks (the radar is on the bottom screen with obviously gameplay taking place on the upper screen). The story is simple enough: regain the Paradise City from the Devil Tank Army.

Choose from three tanks (these vary from the durable to the long shot to the slow but powerful choices) and, er, fire away! Tank controllage is as sluggish as controlling a tank probably would be but it feels more like it’s done for simulation effect than the failure of the developers. You can either choose for ‘lock-on’ to be Auto or Manual where I found automatic lock-on to be totally effective. Each level boasts various buildings and trees.

The scenery is for far more than decorative purposes as they enable some retro Metal Gear-esque stealth. Tactics throughout are entirely up-to the individual player. I prefer to push in and pull out before release although I can confirm that this method isn’t without risk. Innuendos aside; Tank 3D is often a very fun, rewarding and solid gaming experience but it isn’t without several faults that affect the overall enjoyment of the game.

Whilst the difficulty curve is perfectly adequate the inability to move within some openings in-between buildings and trees is wholly frustrating (WHEN YOUR TANK CAN PHYSICALLY FIT DAMMIT) and several objectives involve Japanese text pop-ups at the most inopportune time obstructing crucial vision. Ultimately the game becomes highly repetitive with fifty all too similar levels although these criticisms aren’t to imply Tank 3D is strictly one-dimensional.

With bosses after every ten levels (sadly these aren’t overly exaggerated super huge Contra Spirits type bosses but they are super powerful) and with the stars (up-to five per mission) gained from completing each mission you can level up in a light-RPG style way. Overall Tank 3D is a great little eShop game to pick-up-and-play and with many hours of gameplay offered with fifty missions although just like with all three tanks choices: each good point is counteracted with a bad.

6/10

Review by Bri Bri. For more information on Tank 3D go to http://www.arcsystemworks.jp/arcstyle/tank3d/