American Pinball has finally given a full unveil of their 5th game, titled Galactic Tank Force and the initial teases that it would be a little quirky are certainly backed up here. The website doesn’t have the game page up for it yet but here’s a quote from the front page, then the trailer:
Get ready for an out-of-this-world Adventure as American Pinball unleashes ‘Galactic Tank Force’ on March 22nd, 2023! With cutting-edge graphics and gripping gameplay, these cosmic exploits guarantee non-stop laughs, thrills, and excitement for pinball fans everywhere!
Travel to the distant moon of Luminar in the far-off Namdron Galaxy as the newest member of the Galactic Tank Force. Tasked with patrolling and protecting the recently established lunar research base, your mission is to defend it from the ruthless Empress Annoya and her invading forces. Take control of the Model 375A Battle Tank and fend off massive enemy tanks, robots, and UFOs, all sent by the evil Empress to destroy you. Feel the rumble of approaching enemy tanks and prepare to face them head-on with Major Duke Moonwalker guiding and supporting you from the orbiting space station. Experience challenges and close calls from far, far away as you embark on this incredible journey through space and time!
That’s one way to put it but you really need to check the trailer…
The game is debuting at the Texas Pinball Festival on Friday; I am also expecting to see it at Amusement Expo 2023 a week from now. Here’s a view of the playfield:
As I mention in the title, it’s capturing the same kind of energy or vibe that one might find from 1990s FMV games – which some might consider bad but I’ve got some nostalgia for that (particularly in games like Return To Zork) and it seems to me that the actors are going to help guide the player through the process in a way that’s a little deeper than your usual pinball game (at least I hope so – I think this is something often lacking in designs, so casuals often don’t give the game a full chance). Of course, I’ll need to play it to get a full feel for it but I don’t mind the cheesy nature of it – it’s always great when a game has fun side to it.
Also to note is that Kerri Hoskins there is the same actress who starred in several Midway arcade games from the 1990s when they were digitizing actors.
There are four versions available, Standard, Classic, Signature & Deluxe; It does appear that the signature & deluxe versions have the tank topper with the turret sticking up as some thought. I’m not sure how that might work in making the game deeper than usual (so it would stick out further in a typical pinball setup) but I still like the side panels.
What are your thoughts on this? If you have a location or a collection, does this appeal to you?
