Everyone who had an iPhone a few months ago has heard of iShoot. The $2.99 app topped the charts, hovering at the number 1 paid app spot for many weeks, along with its lite version leading the free apps. Recently, another tank game was released, as an improved port from the computer version. It is $4.99, and called Pocket Tanks Deluxe, and it simply blows iShoot out of the water.
In Pocket Tanks Deluxe, you control a tank and you can move small distances. Your main mission is to shoot weapons at your enemy tank. There are three game modes, One Player, Two Player, and Target Practice. In One Player, you battle against the iPhone AI, and at the beginning of the round, you take turns choosing weapons from a randomly generated set of 20 weapons, out of the total 105.
Randomly choosing is also an option. In Two Player, you play against another player on the same device, with the same weapon selection as One Player. In Target Practice, you control two tanks, and can try out and perfect your use of the weapons.
To start your turn in any of the modes, you go to the bottom left of the screen, which has the move button. If you want to move, you tap it, then tap the arrows on the pop-up. You do not have to move every turn, or at all. Next to the move button is the weapon selection. When you tap it, a scrolling list of your weapons comes up, and you just scroll up or down, then press the check mark to choose your weapon. Next to the weapon button is the fire button, and on the right is the Angle button. Once in the angle selection, you can either tap on the screen, spin a wheel, or press arrows to change the angle of the shot. Once you press the Power button, you can move a marker along a bar to choose the power, or press arrows. Then you press fire, and you watch the weapon fly. The next turn, the game remembers your power and angle. Unlike iShoot's goal of killing the enemy, your goal in Pocket Tanks is to get as many points as possible from hitting the enemy. I prefer this method, because that way, if your opponent has an incredibly strong weapon, you still have a chance to win after, but in iShoot, if you get hit, that's the end of the round, and you have no way to do anything. The round ends when both players run out of weapons, which would be 10 volleys.
The weapons in the game are much more unique and plentiful than iShoot. The weapons range from simple weapons, like a Single Shot, to complex ones like Side Kicks. There are weapons with one projectile, multiple projectiles, weapons with special abilities, such as the Gamma Blaster going through land, and what I call "terra-forming" weapons. These weapons change the landscape, including Dirtball, Funnel, Crazy Wall, Island, Neon Blast, Blockade, Blackout, Magic Beans, Railgun, Tar Ball, Digger, and more. This is my favorite type of weapons, and since some even take away terrain, and don't make the dirt fall, I like using them in Target Practice and the other modes to first attack the enemy, then make a cavern to hide in for the rest of the round. I also build up mounds on the enemy to get them to attack themselves to get out. There are so many weapons in this game, I never get tired of it.
Another extra feature is the ability to zoom in and out, and scroll through the playing field.
Pros:
105 Unique Weapons
Great Graphics
Really Fun Gameplay
Cons:
Addicting (But is that really a bad thing?)
Overall:
I have been playing this constantly, and so should you. Go out and buy this, try out the free version if you are on the fence, and I guarantee you that you will absolutely love Pocket Tanks Deluxe.
Score:
9.9/10
WiFi Multiplayer is self explanatory, it is multiplayer over WiFi. In Pursuit mode, you are the only player, and you move along a path with some alternate paths, and try to get to the end of each level. Pass 'N Play is a mode where you play with 2-4 players and pass the device every turn.