Heavy Weapon
Encyclopedia
Heavy Weapon is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up
developed by PopCap Games
and released in 2005.
, can be aimed up and down at various angles. The game's storyline deals with a Red Star
(Soviet Union) invasion, and the player takes the role of the commander of an Atomic Tank to repel the invasion back into the main headquarters of Red Star. The main premise of the game is one individual against the collective forces of Communism
.
The game features a total of 19 levels/missions along with two game modes (mission and survival). In mission mode, one must blast through countless enemies and defeat a boss at the end. Mission mode allows for three lives each mission. Upon defeating the boss, the player visits the armory
, where one can get various upgrades and power-up
s for use in subsequent missions. After going through the first nine bosses, the player must destroy the same nine bosses in the remaining nine levels, until the final level. The new bosses are slightly different in weapons and armor.
In PC Version of the game, Survival mode only has one life, and one survives through never-ending waves of enemies until the tank is destroyed. In Xbox 360 Version of the game, you can either choose to survive by yourself or join a War Party survival game where up to four players can join. The game gives various, sometimes insulting messages when you press the quit button, as an encouragement to keep playing the game.
Xbox Live Arcade
version was made available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace
on January 17, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points
(10 USD). It features a full (four-player) co-op mode compatible with Xbox Live
. The game has since been released for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network. As of January 2011, the Sony Online Entertainment release is priced $9.99 or 7,95€ on Playstation Network.
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
developed by PopCap Games
PopCap Games
PopCap Games is an American video game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people...
and released in 2005.
Gameplay
In Heavy Weapon, the player guides a powerful atomic tank through level after level of opposing enemy forces. The tank moves only left and right, while its main weapon, a turret gunTurret gun
A turret gun is a type of multi-shot hand-held firearm. It is a variation on the percussion revolver, designed with chambers in a drum mounted so it would rotate horizontally , rather than around a horizontal axis, in an attempt to circumvent the patent by of Samuel B. Colt...
, can be aimed up and down at various angles. The game's storyline deals with a Red Star
Red star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is an important ideological and religious symbol which has been used for various purposes, such as: state emblems, flags, monuments, ornaments, and logos.- Symbol of communism :...
(Soviet Union) invasion, and the player takes the role of the commander of an Atomic Tank to repel the invasion back into the main headquarters of Red Star. The main premise of the game is one individual against the collective forces of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
The game features a total of 19 levels/missions along with two game modes (mission and survival). In mission mode, one must blast through countless enemies and defeat a boss at the end. Mission mode allows for three lives each mission. Upon defeating the boss, the player visits the armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, where one can get various upgrades and power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s for use in subsequent missions. After going through the first nine bosses, the player must destroy the same nine bosses in the remaining nine levels, until the final level. The new bosses are slightly different in weapons and armor.
In PC Version of the game, Survival mode only has one life, and one survives through never-ending waves of enemies until the tank is destroyed. In Xbox 360 Version of the game, you can either choose to survive by yourself or join a War Party survival game where up to four players can join. The game gives various, sometimes insulting messages when you press the quit button, as an encouragement to keep playing the game.
Availability
The limited free version of Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank can be downloaded online at various websites, including PopCap's own site. The full version, Heavy Weapon Deluxe, can be purchased for a fee. An Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
version was made available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
on January 17, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...
(10 USD). It features a full (four-player) co-op mode compatible with Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. The game has since been released for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network. As of January 2011, the Sony Online Entertainment release is priced $9.99 or 7,95€ on Playstation Network.
Reception
Heavy Weapon has received a good reception. It has been reviewed to have a very nice presentation with humor and good graphics. The soundtrack has also been praised, as it adds to the game's enjoyment. In the PC version, some have said the controls are difficult at times; however, the Xbox version has been said to have decent controls. The lasting appeal for the game has not been well received, as it gets too repetitive over time.External links
- Heavy Weapon at PopCap Games
- Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank (360) Reviews at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...