What is... Battlezone?

Battlezone is a first person 3D arcade game that was released in 1980. It is displayed with a wire-frame view that used vector graphics. The player controls a tank patrolling a war zone set in a valley surrounded by mountains. The aim of the game is to destroy as many enemy tanks as possible and get a high score whilst at the same time avoiding incoming homing missiles and enemy tanks. There were some similar attempts at tank simulation prior to Battezone but due to its more modern graphics and fun gameplay it was an incredibly popular arcade game at the time and was even featured in a number of films.

It was so advanced at the time in fact that the U.S. Army ordered for a modified version of the game to be produced for training purposes. It was possibly the first example of military personnel using a video game for training purposes. This is quite funny considering the game was inspired by real life and then went full circle to be a contribution to its inspiration.