<s>
It	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
as	O
TNK	B-Application
III	I-Application
by	O
Kitcorp	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
for	O
home	O
computers	O
were	O
released	O
by	O
Ocean	O
Software	O
for	O
the	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
and	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
in	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
titled	O
Iron	B-Application
Tank	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
features	O
the	O
first	O
appearance	O
of	O
Ralf	O
Jones	O
(	O
AKA	O
:	O
Paul	O
)	O
,	O
predating	O
his	O
appearance	O
in	O
Ikari	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
also	O
introduced	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
controls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
lead	O
designer	O
was	O
Koji	O
Obada	O
,	O
who	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
design	O
and	O
direct	O
SNK	O
's	O
arcade	B-Application
hit	O
Ikari	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
,	O
which	O
popularized	O
the	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
controls	O
introduced	O
by	O
T.A.N.K.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
controlled	O
using	O
a	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
joystick-knob	O
hybrid	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
eight-directional	O
joystick	B-Device
controlling	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
tank	O
's	O
movement	O
,	O
while	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
turned	O
with	O
360-degree	O
rotation	O
to	O
point	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
gun	O
turret	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
SNK	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
designed	O
and	O
directed	O
by	O
Koji	O
Obada	O
,	O
who	O
previously	O
designed	O
Munch	B-Application
Mobile	I-Application
(	O
Joyful	O
Road	O
in	O
Japan	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
programmer	O
from	O
SNK	O
discovered	O
Taito	O
's	O
arcade	B-Application
shooter	O
Front	B-Application
Line	I-Application
(	O
1982	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
thought	O
that	O
SNK	O
could	O
go	O
further	O
with	O
the	O
gameplay	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
improved	O
on	O
Front	B-Application
Line	I-Application
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
,	O
or	O
what	O
they	O
called	O
a	O
"	O
loop	O
lever	O
"	O
joystick	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
came	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
when	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Obada	O
,	O
"	O
our	O
hands	O
hurt	O
,	O
so	O
someone	O
got	O
the	O
idea	O
to	O
put	O
a	O
film	O
capsule	O
container	O
over	O
the	O
joystick	B-Device
,	O
which	O
would	O
spin	O
around	O
in	O
place	O
there	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
on	O
their	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
1985	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
sixth	O
most-successful	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
unit	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
gave	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
of	O
T.A.N.K.	O
</s>
<s>
a	O
positive	O
review	O
in	O
January	O
1986	O
,	O
with	O
praise	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
instantly	O
playable	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
action-packed	O
"	O
gameplay	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
controls	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
felt	O
the	O
graphics	O
were	O
dated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mike	O
Roberts	O
and	O
Eric	O
Doyle	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gamer	O
magazine	O
also	O
gave	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
a	O
positive	O
review	O
in	O
early	O
1986	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
"	O
novel	O
joystick	B-Device
"	O
controls	O
and	O
comparing	O
the	O
gameplay	O
favorably	O
with	O
Capcom	O
's	O
run-and-gun	O
shooter	O
Commando	B-Application
(	O
1985	O
)	O
,	O
stating	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
approaching	O
that	O
sort	O
of	O
quality	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
Capcom	O
's	O
run-and-gun	O
shooter	O
Commando	B-Application
was	O
a	O
major	O
hit	O
in	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Koji	O
Obada	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
combine	O
the	O
run-and-gun	O
shooter	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Commando	B-Application
with	O
the	O
rotary	O
joystick	B-Device
controls	O
and	O
tank	O
vehicles	O
of	O
T.A.N.K.	O
</s>
<s>
to	O
develop	O
Ikari	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
became	O
a	O
major	O
hit	O
in	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
