BattleTanx II

BattleTanx is a series of vehicular-combat games developed and published by The 3DO Company in the late 1990s, set in a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by a plague that has wiped out most of the female population, leaving heavily armed gangs to wage tank warfare over the survivors. The first BattleTanx debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, followed by BattleTanx: Global Assault in 1999, which expanded the concept with new tanks, weapons, a story spanning global locations and refined multiplayer. The games cast the player as Griffin Spade, leading a tank squad through campaign battles while commanding multiple vehicles and deploying an arsenal of conventional and exotic weaponry, from machine guns and missiles to nuclear and mind-control ordnance. A major draw was the frantic four-player split-screen multiplayer, which gave the series a reputation as a party-friendly arena combat experience. Critics generally enjoyed the over-the-top action, varied weapons and chaotic multiplayer, while noting the rough presentation common to 3DO's output of the period. As part of the publisher's prolific late-1990s console line-up, BattleTanx exemplified its appetite for accessible, action-driven concepts, and the series retains a cult following among Nintendo 64 enthusiasts. The series never received a third entry, leaving Global Assault as the franchise's final installment.