M1 Tank Platoon

Game Review

M1 Tank Platoon is a tank simulation created by MPS Labs and released by MicroProse for the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS in 1989. The game can be played as a first person action/simulation game or as a strategy/tactical game, depending on the user choice. The reviews were very positive and in 1990 the game won the prize for Simulation Game of the Year.

Users Reviews

Here is another splendid simulator, revived by the friends of "Gamesnostalgia".
We are talking about "M 1 Tank Platoon".
At the beginning of the 90's certainly one of the best among the simulators of armored vehicles. Specifically, the game seats us inside the mighty main battle tank ... "M1 Abrams". We can take on the role of the tank pilot, or the commander, or even the gunner and we can have different views, both inside our armored vehicle and outside, where the view of the environment is wider.

It is also possible to play at the semi-strategic level, in the sense that it is possible to drive an entire platoon of Abrams tanks, plus the means of support.
In this way we will give orders that can involve 4 tanks and not just one. The operations of movement, engagement and fire would be charged by the artificial intelligence.

As the driver, we have the responsibility of maneuvering the path of our tank, choosing whether to move in the open, using all our speed, or try to take advantage of the covers that the ground has to offer us and advance with due caution. In that of commander we manage the main resources of the tank, but the position of gunner is the most engaging! An impressive array of electronic tools will help us strike the first shot, in all weather conditions.

Tactics in this game are very important because many variables are taken into account. For example, if you are hit, several factors come into play, first WHERE you are hit, then WHAT you are hit with, and the various abilities of the individual crews. In this way, you could be hit by a shot fired from a 76 mm gun, if you are hit on the frontal armor you can have a good chance of getting out of it practically unscathed, but if the shot reaches the sides or, even worse, the rear parts of our vehicle, then the chances of damage being inflicted on us would greatly increase.
Maybe the blow doesn't destroy us completely but a track could be damaged, thus compromising our mobility. Obviously it is quite different if the enemy shot is a high-speed penetrator, fired from an enemy tank. In this case, even if you are hit in the most protected part, namely the front, the chances of catastrophic damage can be high. And that's why tactic is a factor to always keep in mind! Our tank is one of the best in the world, especially in terms of protection, but it is always better to avoid testing our "luck". So it is better to avoid running in the open field in front of the well entrenched enemy with many anti-tank weapons! Better to take advantage of the covers. Homes, woodlands, small hills, even large boulders or hollows in the land, can be used to shield our movements from the enemy. Trying, for example, to reach the flanks of the enemy. Using smoke grenades can also be a good idea!

Enemy who, in this game, is the former U.S.S.R. and its Warsaw Pact allies.
The game also includes being able to use support fire, which can be a "Barrage" of heavy artillery, an air attack from an "A 10" or an anti-tank helicopter. But be careful to use these aids wisely, otherwise we will face their destruction. For example, if we decide for help from our air forces, it would be wise to try to annihilate any anti-aircraft weapons first. Thus, our aviation support could even be decisive.

The simulation also offers training "stages", which is always extremely welcome.
Then there are individual battles and then the whole campaign, where with your battle group, you have to participate in a real campaign. Being able to keep your soldiers alive means campaigning with more and more experienced men.

Another thing to point out is the manual, full of news images and illustrations that not only serve a lot to understand the dynamics of "M1 Tank Platoon", but also as a source of absolutely controlled, relevant and truthful news. So a very valuable accompanying document to the game. The game was published by the legendary "Microprose" using the development of "MPS labs".

Another game quite similar to "M 1 Tank Platoon" is "Steel Thunder", the latter published by the "Accolade", came out shortly before, ie between 1988 and 1989 and saw the light in DOS and Commodore 64/128 versions. I have recently seen the DOS version, but I bought the one for Commodore 64/128 and I can tell you that the latter was much superior.
It would be nice if the friends of Gamenostalgia could also insert "Steel Thunder" in their database.

Review by: Maurizio Petta
Published: 10 August 2022 7:59 pm