ThinkTanks is one of those games that is deceptively simple; you drive around in a little tank while launching your own little panzerblitz on everyone else. You only have three tanks to choose from, and the controls are about as simple as they come, so how much fun can the game be? Well, thanks to some unique weaponry and powerups, a better-than-average 'bot AI and the ability to customize the heck out of the game, you'll find a lot of hidden goodness in this $20 package. I'd even hazard to say that the amount of pure fun you'll have for $20 makes those $50 titles on the market seem about as deep as a mud puddle.

Gameplay

As I've said, at first blush, ThinkTanks might seem incredibly shallow to those gamers spoiled by titles such as Splinter Cell, where you spend half of the game learning to play it, and the other half  buried in the intricacies of each level. ThinkTanks starts out simple, that's for certain, with only three tanks (the ThinkTanks of the title) and two gameplay modes available (Battle Mode and Scrum).  Battle Mode, as the name implies, is an all out frag-fest, with you blitzing through the opposition as you fight your way to the bosses of each level. Scrum mode plays like tank-soccer, you have to control the ball, then make a dash for the goal to score a point. Score enough points in Scrum, and you win the game.

At the outset of the game, the AI isn't the greatest you'll ever see, but it's smart enough to understand how to use the terrain and powerups to its advantage while frequently putting you at a major disadvantage on the battlefield. The better you play, the better the AI gets, until it inspires near-rage as you're tag-teamed by all the 'bots on the battlefield. No matter how hard the game gets, you'll always find yourself playing with a smile on your face. The game's humorous personality and cartoony graphics ensure that you just can't remain angry when playing ThinkTanks.

The tanks in the game are pretty basic and are categorized by weight and size. You have the light tank, which is fast and agile, but lightly armored and not a real heavy-hitter when it comes to dealing damage. Then there's the heavy tank, which is an armored behemoth that moves like a sloth but punches through tank squads effortlessly with its mega cannon. The aptly-named medium tank is a mix of both, which plays a perfectly balanced role that any player can enjoy.

Weaponry is even more simplistic, each tank is armed with a turret mounted cannon that's controlled with the mouse. Even when on the move, you can keep rotating your turret to draw a bead on your rapidly moving targets. And those targets are certainly quick, so you won't be keeping your target reticule locked on them for long, which loans a frantic feel to the gameplay. Thankfully, you have powerups, such as the bounceback ammo, which serve to boost the power of your cannon. The bounceback, for example, fires rubbery cannonballs which literally bounce around the map hitting multiple targets before finally fading away.

While the single player mode can get dull after a few days of play, the multiplayer online mode will keep you coming back to ThinkTanks for hours of fun. Thanks to an uncomplicated online setup, you can easily jump into games and start blasting away immediately. Since you don't have to spend any time customizing tanks, choosing maps and downloading updates, you'll be blasting away online with almost no problem. There's already a small online community forming around ThinkTanks, so you're sure to find someone to play against. A nice feature of the online mode is the "autoboot." This allows you to populate an active game with 'bot tanks to fill the unused player slots, but the minute a human player joins the game, the 'bot gets the boot to make room for the human. If the player drops out, the 'bot returns. Each 'bot has a unique personality, from savage berserker to village idiot, which makes them feel more like real players.

Graphics

ThinkTanks looks good, with bright colors, cartoony graphics, and rich battle environments. Don't be put off by the cartoony graphics at first, give them time to sink in, then watch the details of the turrets rotating, tracks spinning and foliage moving as you play, and you'll be convinced some solid work went into ThinkTanks' graphical elements. It's no Unreal, but it still looks good, especially considering it's a $20 title, which at times outdoes many more expensive titles. The framerate is solid, even with a half dozen tanks blasting away on screen there's almost never a stutter or skip.

Sound

The sound, much like the graphics, has a Saturday morning cartoon flair to it. Bounceback ammo, for example, sounds like a superball bouncing around a room when it's fired out into the open. The minimal voice work is well done, reminiscent of a carnival announcer, and the tank sounds are equally good. The sound isn't wholly original, but it's still an enjoyable accessory in the game.

Replayability

Honestly, as fun as it may be at first, you'll only be able to take the single player modes for so long before you simply must jump online for a frag-fest. ThinkTanks already has a good fan base, and so you can almost always find plenty of people ready to play of differing skill levels. While you might mash the armor of one player, others will turn you to scrap in a heartbeat if you spend all your time picking on the new players. Scrum mode, especially when played in online team mode is a real fun game of tank-soccer that keeps things lively for everyone involved.

Overall

To sum it all up, I think all I should say is ThinkTanks is the best $20 you're going to spend these days. Skip those double lattes for a few days to save up enough for this game, and you'll be glad you did. There's a lot of fun to be had in the online mode, and the single player mode is great practice for online play. You really can't go wrong with ThinkTanks.