Tank game, late 1980s or early 1990s, Fired Red Discs [Nova 9]

dosgamer8522 · Post by **dosgamer8522** » Wed May 30, 2018 4:14 am

Here's what I remember:

you control a polygonal black tank, sort-of futurish, might have been a hovercraft-tank hybrid
stages include ocean (on top of the water) and desert areas
Main cannon shot was a red disc
one of the power ups was a green cone shot (piercing?)
You could switch between first-person view and third-person view

I think there was a radar indicating enemy position(s)

One of the computer opponents on the ocean level was heavily armored in the front (like a bulldozer sort-of shield)

Can't remember if it the exact date, but pretty sure it was released before Windows 95.

NOT [Scorched Earth, Battlezone], which were the some of the most common search results for "DOS game tank retro"

NOT [Black Rein] (thanks to Rwolf for ruling out another game, though)

NOT [Tank Time 3D, Thunder Brigade] (thanks to Rwolf for ruling out two other games, though)

Probably NOT [ArcticFox] (thanks to Rwolf for likely ruling out yet another game, though).

SOLVED: Nova 9: The Return of Gir Draxon (1991)

Rwolf · Post by **Rwolf** » Thu May 31, 2018 10:51 am

I haven't played it (yet) but there was a hover-tank arcade wargame called 'Black Rein'. Win3.x & Win95 compatible (16 bit).

dosgamer8522 · Post by **dosgamer8522** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 12:42 am

Rwolf wrote:I haven't played it (yet) but there was a hover-tank arcade wargame called 'Black Rein'. Win3.x & Win95 compatible (16 bit).

Thanks for the lead, but it doesn't seem to be the game I was thinking of.
Ironically, I think those graphics in Black Rein are better than the polygonal tank game I'm remembering.

I found some screenshots here.
https://archive.org/details/triple-threat

Rwolf · Post by **Rwolf** » Sat Jun 02, 2018 10:52 am

Another suggestion: 'TankTime 3D', a Battlezone clone. The tank is black, and there may be some red munitions flying at the opponent in some screenshots. No screen shots of a 3rd person view, not sure about a hover tank option, so it could be wrong.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/tanktime-3d

Another suggestion: 'Thunder Brigade' - this has 1st & 3rd person views, and it's a hover tank. Not black, and no red discs in the screenshots.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/thunder-brigade

dosgamer8522 · Post by **dosgamer8522** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 4:34 am

Rwolf wrote:Another suggestion: 'TankTime 3D', a Battlezone clone. The tank is black, and there may be some red munitions flying at the opponent in some screenshots. No screen shots of a 3rd person view, not sure about a hover tank option, so it could be wrong.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/tanktime-3d

Another suggestion: 'Thunder Brigade' - this has 1st & 3rd person views, and it's a hover tank. Not black, and no red discs in the screenshots.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/thunder-brigade

Thanks for some more potential leads, but alas, neither of those two games are the one I'm remembering.
They are a fair bit newer (released in 2000 and 1998) than "late 1980s or early 1990s".

Rwolf · Post by **Rwolf** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:05 pm

How about the reallly old ones; did it use wireframe/vector grapics?

Arctic Fox is a little beyond that, but still primitive.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/arcticfox

dosgamer8522 · Post by **dosgamer8522** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:23 pm

Rwolf wrote:How about the reallly old ones; did it use wireframe/vector grapics?

Arctic Fox is a little beyond that, but still primitive.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/arcticfox

This seems to check off many more boxes.
Release timeframe, sci-fi/futuristic setting, black tanks, polygonal blockiness.

I want to say this is the game and be able to put this nagging mystery to rest, but I feel that it probably isn't.

Thank you very much for your continued digging, Rwolf.

dosgamer8522 · Post by **dosgamer8522** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:41 pm

By complete coincidence, I stumbled upon the answer to my own query.

Nova 9: The Return of Gir Draxon, which was a sequel to Arctic Fox, mentioned earlier in the thread. (Big thanks to Rwolf!)

Gameplay sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK7MRQHOZf0

Rwolf · Post by **Rwolf** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:14 pm

Good you found it; I'm not sure that it was a direct sequel; even if both were made by Dynamix, there is no mention of the Draxon/Stellar 7 stories which are in the same game group as Nova 9. Still similar gameplay I guess, so it could be they kept improving on the A.F. and adding a more fleshed out story later.