Decades ago, back in the ancient eighties, a stand-up arcade game called BattleZone was released by legendary video game company Atari. The game used black-and-white graphics with green lines that somehow represented tanks, rocks, and other objects you were supposed to shoot. It was an unusual game, requiring you to stand on it and stare into a scope, as if you were in a tank. This was all part of the illusion, as your hands grasped two joysticks, you became a tank commander with the sole purpose of blasting other tanks. Controls were awkward, and first time players had to adapt quickly or get blasted. Needless to say, the game ate a lot of quarters.

Atari has released BattleZone to a new generation of PSP players. The graphics are a definite quantum leap from what they had before, and are quite photorealistic. It is set in futuristic and international military environments. You get to go through over ten worlds like ruined cities of Russia, jungles of China, desert canyons of the United States, Antarctica’s frozen tundra, and even the Canary Islands. The game puts you at the controls of highly maneuverable hover tanks, where you can use eight customizable team vehicles, plus a whole bunch of high-powered weapons.

Unlike the old-school BattleZone, this allows for multiplayer mode. In fact, the wireless mode allows up to four players to go head-to-head. Other methods of gameplay include Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, Hotzone, Knockout, and Fox and Hound. And yes, there is still single-player option as well, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself against others.

Additional content is available for download onto your PSP through the official website, www.battlezonegame.com, where you can get news, leader boards, and exclusive online level builder tool that allows players to customize game maps. Battlezone is available wherever PSP games are sold, for about $40-50 USD.