Tank Hero for iOS

Tank Hero is a top-down 2D one-player tank combat game with fast-paced levels and three game modes.

The game looks great, and its three control schemes let you choose between swiping, tapping, and virtual directional pads to move and shoot--but we found the two virtual d-pads to be the most precise. On each level, you're trying to eliminate enemy tanks as quickly and accurately as possible while keeping your health intact, and you're awarded a bronze, silver, or gold medal based on your performance.

As you advance through the game's 120 short levels (split across three fairly similar "worlds"), you get access to new guns, face enemies with different behavior and weaponry, and play on levels with destructible environments. The bigger, better guns are satisfying (including a triple-shot cannon and explosive shells with arcing trajectories), but in the harder, higher levels, Tank Hero almost feels like a puzzle game as you must find the correct path in order to quickly dispatch your enemies and find cover to survive.

This solo game is fun, with the medal system and the Survival and Time Trial modes adding some repeat play value. Even semiserious arcade gamers, however, will clear out all 120 levels in relatively short order (largely thanks to the game's predictable enemy AIs). Tank Hero has all the elements to make an excellent multiplayer game, and we can only hope that future versions will add this capability.