Tanks But No Tanks (1983) for the Atari 2600.

Pac-Man meets Combat is the right vibe—maze running, cat-and-mouse angles, and chunky tank duels. You’re guarding the bottom of the screen while “phantom” tanks blink in and out, and the job is simple enough: drop 20 per wave to advance. Only one shot can exist on screen, so it’s all about timing and lane control. Three layouts cycle—busy maze, tiny island shield, then a cruel open arena—and the difficulty jump is real.

Controls are classic 2600 joystick. Four variations are on the switch—Easy 1P, Easy 2P, Hard 1P, Hard 2P—with alternating turns for two players and five lives to start. Scoring is 100 points per kill. The manual even rewards ramming with a joke “Low Sanity Medal” and 200 points if you go full kamikaze. It’s rough, goofy, and surprisingly tense once the screen opens up.

History bit for collectors: ZiMAG shipped this in the U.S. right as the ’83 crash cratered everything. Under the hood it’s Bit Corporation’s Phantom Tank—sold across PAL regions under names like Phantom-Panzer and Ghost Tank. ZiMAG’s whole 2600 line leaned into bonkers branding—Dishaster, I Want My Mommy, Cosmic Corridor—and yes, this one’s title still makes me grin.

Not everyone loves it. I do. It’s snackable arcade defense with just enough rhythm to keep you chasing one more wave—and one more very dumb medal.

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