The one real advantage that the 3DS has as a gaming platform is the ability to play games in a 3D environment, which can be used to enhance the game play area.

Bugs Vs Tanks! is new to download from the Nintendo store. You find yourself as a German tank unit, fighting in World War 2, until your whole battalion is shrunk. Now the Allies are no longer your biggest threat, it is the insects which surround you. In order to survive you will have to go head to head with these monsters as well as salvage whatever you can from other tanks in order to customise your machine as you take on harder missions.

It’s not often that you find yourself playing a German during this point in history and there is always the problem that a lot of people will presume that you will be playing a Nazi, without realising that the army was split into two factions - the regular army and the Nazis. It’s not specified which part of the army you are playing as and it would probably have been less controversial if the game had specified that you’re not a Nazi unit.

The game provides exactly what the title suggests, bugs and tanks going head to head in a shrunken environment. To survive you will have to kill.

Your play area is a top down view of the combat area. You get to trundle around blowing the hell out of bugs as you try and complete your mission. Each mission lasts around five minutes and there are forty in all to play through. There is the option to engage in a co-op game but you'll need a friend who also owns a copy of the game.

As the game progresses the missions become more challenging, but your ability to customise your tanks which will go some way of evening the odds. One thing you might find strange is the lack of a map. If you’re sent off to find parts from other vehicles then you’re going to have to explore with little in the way of help.

Personally I thought this was a good idea and, in keeping with the fact that you’ve been shrunk, the inclusion of a GPS would have been anachronistic, given the time period. The bottom screen does have a kind of short range radar which shows the immediate vicinity, but is mostly useful for spotting bugs which surround you. This does mean that you have to rely on your own special awareness and memory as there is no in-game counter to tell you how many things you’ve collected. This enhances the exploration aspect of the game, but some might find this a little frustrating.

Controlling the game takes a little time to master, it’s a bit like rubbing your belly while tapping your head as you get to control the direction of the tank and independently have the ability to rotate and fire the turret. Both the graphics and sound enhance your gaming experience.

The game does what it says on the tin, tanks kill bugs, there is a story which slowly unfolds and the 3D works well, but if you’re not really up for the basics of the game it may feel a little repetitive.

6

Charles Packer