Get the Snorks! And the Mammuts!
A bit of confusion seems to be going on here, with screenshots for the classic 3D adventure Driller (aka Space Station Oblivion) sitting aside ones from a slightly more obscure game from Bomberman creators, Hudson Soft. Download links take you to the former but we're going to stick with the latter as that is the title on display here and because it's less likely to be known by retro fans. Driller Tanks is basically a side on action-style game which finds you in control of a neat little tank which happens to be stuck in a series of mazes. These mazes are full of nasty beasties called Mammuts and Snorks and in order to progress through the game, first you have to shoot them with your tank's gun then run them over. You have a limited time between the two actions and if you're too late, then the creature will wake up and come alive again. The monsters are trying to reach the palace which is positioned at some point on the screen and your basic goal is to stop them from achieving this. It's all quite reminiscent of classic arcade hit DigDug, with shades of Boulderdash too and makes for a supremely entertaining slice of retro fun. The gameplay is simple enough stuff but rarely less than entertaining, thanks to its mix of fast-paced action and mild puzzling, with quick reactions and thinking required in order to succeed. The visuals are quite cool in an old-school way, with some nicely colored environments and a few decent sprites but they're not the best the period has to offer. The gameplay though is where Driller Tanks really shines and it turns out to a fun and fast-paced experience.
