Tactical skill plays an important part in determining whether you go all out to score an early hit on your opponent's base or hold back to protect your own vulnerable camp. There are team games too, in which one team tries to escort an unarmed convoy across the city while the other tries to destroy it before it reaches its destination. Until Perfect Dark arrives, this is probably the most comprehensive multiplayer N64 game.

There are several teams to choose from, each with a custom set of tanks, and instead of having a fixed number of lives to play with, you have to jump into a different kind of vehicle if you let the one you're in get destroyed. Since some of the tanks are much more useful than others, you'll have to make careful choices about which one you use next. For instance, using your favourite M1-A1 against a strong enemy is asking for trouble because you might have to switch straight to the uncontrollable hover tank or the too-fast-for-its-own-good mini tank later on. There's more to Battletanx than just shooting.

It's a surprisingly deep game when you get into it. If you're only ever going to be playing on your own then you might prefer to give it a miss as the one-player mode won't last any time at all. With a few mates, it's great stuff. Almost every game has a token four-player battle mode, but this one does it with skill and enthusiasm.