I wasn't expecting to find anything on this game let alone a scripted video taking a look at the whole thing. I loved playing this as a kid even though I never knew how it worked, but I really liked the first person part. Super awesome you made this video.
Same! Except I never knew there was a first person part when I was a kid. XD I didn't understand the controls and how the bombs worked, the game was in Japanese for some reason, and I couldn't get past the large black bug around the first barrier on the desert planet. I mostly played the practice mode. No one ever talks about this game, but to me it's a classic!
That's really disappointing. I could see this game easily on the DS-setting up command posts, different tanks for harsh environments, etc. Coulda been a great series. I still really like the artwork.
Games like this are begging for small romhacks. There must be hundreds of almost-kickass games that need polishing, rebalancing, slightly cuter artwork etc. to elevate them. Not that full translations and restorations aren't cool too. And Game Boy seems like a good platform for this, due to the satisfying simplicity of so many of these games. Maybe one day someone will make Game Boy Re-Works, eh? It just depends on whether anyone so skilled finds these games worth revisiting and tweaking.
My cousins used to have this game. I liked playing it whenever I visited, but the game was just ridiculously hard, even when starting out. It was just frustrating to me.
This is in English?! The version I played was in Japanese! It wasn't mine, but a friend's, and as bad as I was at the game, I loved it! I wish it stuck around long enough to get refined into something better while keeping that unique style. And when I say I was bad, I mean I didn't know about the first person parts until eight years ago, and the RPG elements until now. I never hear about this game, and I never got very far, but this game holds a special place in my heart. Thank you for doing a video on it!
Atlus! ...I mean, at last! This is what I've been looking forward to. CM was one of those unique experiences I've had as a kid. Lots of patience and a walkthrough was required, but in the end it just felt good to finally beat it. Despite its shortcomings, it still stands firmly on my top 10 list of unappreciated gems. And at least you thoroughly explained now why it happens to be so unappreciated. Real shame that they never made an improved sequel.
I was at a used video game store yesterday and one of the workers was telling me that this was a great game and can still be found at a fairy inexpensive price. Glad you already did the review of it. As a Child of the Gameboy, I had heard of this game before, but none of my friends had it when we were kids.
The first person sections in this game reminds me of the vehicle combat in Sega's Phantasy Star 4, even though this game came out first. Also looks like something I'd be into, I have a certain fondness for games like this, even if they tend to fall short.
I've been replaying Cosmo Tank a bit recently. Was always a favorite, back in the 90s, even though at first I didn't own it and only played it at a friends place. That short title screen music jingle gets me pumped, every time. Thanks for featuring that in it's entirety in this review!
Ah, Cosmotank: my first-ever Game Boy game (well, along with Tetris, natch), on the strength of the title and box art. Absolutely maddening, but how I loved it. The atmosphere, enemy designs, music--all great. The fact that I somehow managed to beat it back in the day is one of my better gaming accomplishments. But boy, what I wouldn't have given for a battery back-up...
Hehe that's the beauty of old-school atlus I love all the games they have all the way to mid 90's for that same reason , they are odd and kind of enjoyable
The overhead sections remind me of Reflect World for Famicom Disk System from 1987. That game is also grindy and has similar stations where you can buy upgrades. I haven't played Cosmo Tank, but it almost looks like a sequel to Reflect World. Maybe they were inspired by it. Or it could just be a coincidence! I guess they both share Combat as a common ancestor.
Great review! I've been playing this one off and on, trying to prep for my own review, and you've really nicely articulated all the flaws that keep CosmoTank from being a true classic. So much potential, but as you've stated, the game is too unforgiving to really give the player a balanced experience. There's nothing wrong with a game being really hard, like the original Ninja Gaiden series was, but when you combine that extreme difficulty with effectively neutering the player's combat ability each time they die, it becomes more an exercise in frustration than a fun gaming experience.
I wonder if Cosmo Tank was an influence on Etrian Odyssey IV, which had a similar "third person overworld, first person dungeons" split (and was also by Atlus).
I had this game for my first Gameboy had this and Casper I had a Gameboy color game that didn't fit my original Gameboy it was tom Clancy rainbow six I rebought all three games I have always loved and missed
I owned "Cosmo Tank" as a kid, but I had no idea the game had a Stage Select or shmup sections until I watched this video. I'm not sure I ever got that far, unless I've just forgotten. Definitely one of those games that makes you wonder, "how the hell did they expect 10 year olds to play this?"
Another Game Boy game I've never seen or played! It sounds like they took on too many game mechanics in this game should have focused on one or two things and done them great instead of mixing a million ideas together. Very ambitious indeed. Thanks for the review, I really enjoyed it as always!
I never completed more then one or two planets in this game. I put way too many hours into it as it was one of the better of the few games I had for the gameboy.
The technical proficiency on display is, at least, remarkable. Very little sprite priority issues due to judicious use of backgrounds, the 3D sequences are pretty snappy, everything just Works. I love ambitious games like this just begging for a little ROM hack to make them an all-timer.
Who was Asuka Tech? They've got no other titles. Were any names connected to that studio? This was a VERY early game with a great soundtrack and gameplay. Absolutely blew my mind at the time.
That's actually kinda disheartening...that combination of gameplay looks like it'd be fun if only they actually made it feel like a rpg and not power you down when you die. Otherwise it's a intriguing looking game :-\
@@JeremyParish I'd love to see someone do it. Games with fairly varied gameplay like this intrigue me but they're almost never done right in some way or another. At least I've never seen it done right. Almost all of them have some weird flaws that ruin it XD
![Game Boy World #062: Dexterity [SNK, 1990] & Boxxle II [Atelier Double/Pony Canyon/FCI, 1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eAfG1yE3YQU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Game Boy World #062: Dexterity [SNK, 1990] & Boxxle II [Atelier Double/Pony Canyon/FCI, 1990]](/img/tr.png)
![Game Boy World #053: Mercenary Force [Live Planning/Lenar/Meldac, 1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3QkjI4uP2bY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Game Boy World #058: Ultraman Club [TOSE/Bandai, 1990] & Zoids Densetsu [Nova Games/Tomy, 1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7IbXIEQUUQQ/mqdefault.jpg)
that opening music :O
+Esteban Conejeros So metal
I wasn't expecting to find anything on this game let alone a scripted video taking a look at the whole thing. I loved playing this as a kid even though I never knew how it worked, but I really liked the first person part. Super awesome you made this video.
Same! Except I never knew there was a first person part when I was a kid. XD I didn't understand the controls and how the bombs worked, the game was in Japanese for some reason, and I couldn't get past the large black bug around the first barrier on the desert planet. I mostly played the practice mode. No one ever talks about this game, but to me it's a classic!
That's really disappointing. I could see this game easily on the DS-setting up command posts, different tanks for harsh environments, etc. Coulda been a great series. I still really like the artwork.
"You got cosmo in my tank."
"You got tank in my cosmo."
Games like this are begging for small romhacks. There must be hundreds of almost-kickass games that need polishing, rebalancing, slightly cuter artwork etc. to elevate them. Not that full translations and restorations aren't cool too. And Game Boy seems like a good platform for this, due to the satisfying simplicity of so many of these games. Maybe one day someone will make Game Boy Re-Works, eh? It just depends on whether anyone so skilled finds these games worth revisiting and tweaking.
I always wanted to recreate the Cosmotank (the actual tank, not the game) in full 3D. It seemed to be such a cool design.
My cousins used to have this game. I liked playing it whenever I visited, but the game was just ridiculously hard, even when starting out. It was just frustrating to me.
Gotta love Atlus' ambition. Surprised you didn't make an Evangelion reference with Asuka Technologies!
This is in English?! The version I played was in Japanese! It wasn't mine, but a friend's, and as bad as I was at the game, I loved it! I wish it stuck around long enough to get refined into something better while keeping that unique style. And when I say I was bad, I mean I didn't know about the first person parts until eight years ago, and the RPG elements until now. I never hear about this game, and I never got very far, but this game holds a special place in my heart. Thank you for doing a video on it!
Atlus! ...I mean, at last! This is what I've been looking forward to.
CM was one of those unique experiences I've had as a kid. Lots of patience and a walkthrough was required, but in the end it just felt good to finally beat it.
Despite its shortcomings, it still stands firmly on my top 10 list of unappreciated gems. And at least you thoroughly explained now why it happens to be so unappreciated.
Real shame that they never made an improved sequel.
I was at a used video game store yesterday and one of the workers was telling me that this was a great game and can still be found at a fairy inexpensive price. Glad you already did the review of it. As a Child of the Gameboy, I had heard of this game before, but none of my friends had it when we were kids.
The first person sections in this game reminds me of the vehicle combat in Sega's Phantasy Star 4, even though this game came out first. Also looks like something I'd be into, I have a certain fondness for games like this, even if they tend to fall short.
I've been replaying Cosmo Tank a bit recently. Was always a favorite, back in the 90s, even though at first I didn't own it and only played it at a friends place. That short title screen music jingle gets me pumped, every time. Thanks for featuring that in it's entirety in this review!
I got this game from a friend as gift years ago. Still playing it to this day and trying to beat it. The theme song kicks butt.
I adored this game back in the day, warts and all.
I played this alot back in the day and loved it
This game is so much fun. Not much of a story but great fun none the less.
Ah, Cosmotank: my first-ever Game Boy game (well, along with Tetris, natch), on the strength of the title and box art. Absolutely maddening, but how I loved it. The atmosphere, enemy designs, music--all great. The fact that I somehow managed to beat it back in the day is one of my better gaming accomplishments. But boy, what I wouldn't have given for a battery back-up...
Hehe that's the beauty of old-school atlus I love all the games they have all the way to mid 90's for that same reason , they are odd and kind of enjoyable
The stinger was completely unexpected.
I love the music in this game.
The overhead sections remind me of Reflect World for Famicom Disk System from 1987. That game is also grindy and has similar stations where you can buy upgrades. I haven't played Cosmo Tank, but it almost looks like a sequel to Reflect World. Maybe they were inspired by it. Or it could just be a coincidence! I guess they both share Combat as a common ancestor.
Great review! I've been playing this one off and on, trying to prep for my own review, and you've really nicely articulated all the flaws that keep CosmoTank from being a true classic. So much potential, but as you've stated, the game is too unforgiving to really give the player a balanced experience. There's nothing wrong with a game being really hard, like the original Ninja Gaiden series was, but when you combine that extreme difficulty with effectively neutering the player's combat ability each time they die, it becomes more an exercise in frustration than a fun gaming experience.
Ah, I don't know why I thought you had covered this already. I'm a big fan of this game, it reminds me of Sega/Westone's Aurail.
Used to love this game.
The game did have a hidden "God mode" cheat built in on the first planet too.
lol I didn't know this was an Atlus game. I used to play this as a kid.
Color setting on the Super Gameboy for those who love the Virtualboy lol Great looking game though.
it one best soundtrack ever on the gameboy
I wonder if Cosmo Tank was an influence on Etrian Odyssey IV, which had a similar "third person overworld, first person dungeons" split (and was also by Atlus).
I had this game for my first Gameboy had this and Casper I had a Gameboy color game that didn't fit my original Gameboy it was tom Clancy rainbow six I rebought all three games I have always loved and missed
Great review. I admire The Guardian Legend and had never heard of Cosmo Tank. Definitely seems like a near-miss.
veay good soldier.
I owned "Cosmo Tank" as a kid, but I had no idea the game had a Stage Select or shmup sections until I watched this video. I'm not sure I ever got that far, unless I've just forgotten. Definitely one of those games that makes you wonder, "how the hell did they expect 10 year olds to play this?"
ATLUS - they did Hamster Heaven GB as well.
I'd like to own this.
Thanks for the peek.
I will think about getting this game.
Those 60fps on the shmup sections.
Another Game Boy game I've never seen or played! It sounds like they took on too many game mechanics in this game should have focused on one or two things and done them great instead of mixing a million ideas together. Very ambitious indeed. Thanks for the review, I really enjoyed it as always!
I never completed more then one or two planets in this game. I put way too many hours into it as it was one of the better of the few games I had for the gameboy.
This game is too hard for children. I remember dying so many times in this back in the day.
Surprisingly similar to Sega/Westone's arcade game Aurail.
The technical proficiency on display is, at least, remarkable. Very little sprite priority issues due to judicious use of backgrounds, the 3D sequences are pretty snappy, everything just Works. I love ambitious games like this just begging for a little ROM hack to make them an all-timer.
Cosmotank needs a reimagining in 16 bit.
Just bought this game for 3 bucks at a swap meet. Couldn't read the label. Had to get it out of curiosity.
Good pick-up at that price!
Who was Asuka Tech? They've got no other titles. Were any names connected to that studio? This was a VERY early game with a great soundtrack and gameplay. Absolutely blew my mind at the time.
comment before the end lol~!
I had this game as a kid, and I've been trying to figure out what it was for years. Leave it to Jeremy.
Never ever seen this game.
Btw, SMT 3. Really, you HAD to put Matador as an example? I hate that guy with a passion.
That's actually kinda disheartening...that combination of gameplay looks like it'd be fun if only they actually made it feel like a rpg and not power you down when you die. Otherwise it's a intriguing looking game :-\
Yeah, this is one that could be revisited and made into something wonderful with a few fairly straightforward tweaks.
@@JeremyParish I'd love to see someone do it. Games with fairly varied gameplay like this intrigue me but they're almost never done right in some way or another. At least I've never seen it done right. Almost all of them have some weird flaws that ruin it XD