Armor Attack is a game where players can shoot in many directions. It was created by Tim Skelly and first released as an arcade game by Cinematronics in 1981. Sega and Rock-Ola were allowed to release the game in Japan and other areas. The game uses special computer images to show a player's jeep fighting enemy vehicles from above, like looking down on a town maze. Buildings are not drawn on the screen but are shown as a plastic piece placed over the monitor. This plastic piece also makes the images look green. Armor Attack was later released for the Vectrex in 1982.

Gameplay

One button turns the jeep to the right, and another button turns it to the left. A third button acts like a gas pedal, making the jeep move forward. A fourth button launches a rocket straight ahead. The player can have two rockets in the air at the same time.

Tanks appear from different spots on the edge of the screen and move toward the player. Tanks always travel in straight horizontal or vertical lines, unlike the jeep. The tank turrets turn to follow the player, allowing them to shoot in any direction. Tanks usually need two hits to be destroyed. The player can only have two rockets on the screen at one time. The helicopter appears from any location and flies in looping paths over the jeep, getting closer to the player. It fires at the player periodically. If hit, the helicopter spins downward. Destroying the helicopter gives the player an extra life.

The player can be killed by being shot by tanks or the helicopter or by crashing into tanks. In two-player mode, players cannot harm each other. The game gradually becomes faster over time to make it more challenging.

Reception

David H. Ahl, a writer for Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games, commended the "amazing realism" of the enemy helicopter in the Vectrex version.