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Some time in the near future the ultimate war is raging. The Ultra War. For over ten years, the armed forces from the North (the good guys) and the South (the bad guys) have been battling away for control of the New World. And now, after years of fighting, the situation has reached stalemate.

Both armies dug deep into their respective camps far from each other's territory. Their forces are so well-defended that any large-scale air or surface attack by the enemy would be futile. Now it's a war of attrition - awaiting game, and there's no way for either side to win.

The North's military brains have come up with something new to take on the South - a revolutionary new battle tank known as The Mauler. The idea is that while a large-scale assault on the South's forces would be suicidal, it might just be possible to launch a series of small-scale sabotage missions.

The unaccompanied Mauler would sneak behind enemy lines, wreak havoc and escape before the South could find out what the hell was going on. Military analysts have also recognised The Mauler as an invaluable defensive and reconnaissance tool. If enough missions could be completed successfully, the South could be brought to its knees and right would prevail.

A brilliant plan, if only the North could get somebody foolish enough to drive the tank and take on the entire Southern army... single-handed.

Realtime's 16-bit debut Carrier Command combined three-dimensional action with a cleverly-convoluted strategy game. Battle Command also blends these two elements together, however here the emphasis is more firmly centred on action. Battle Command is combat with a strategic edge, and even though tactically its not as intricate as a serious tank simulator, it's no Battlezone either. In fact, it's a bit of both.

This mix of simplicity and strategy makes controlling The Mauler a joy, as even the most complex weaponry systems are quick and easy to use. There's no fiddling about with complex key commands and with a little practice, tank control becomes second nature, allowing you to concentrate on the battle itself.

Strategic elements are provided by your choice and use of weapons (strict ammunition limits mean you can't afford to care-free) and the deviously-constructed missions, some of which require considerable thought and tactical application if you are to even survive, let alone accomplish your objective.

The sixteen missions are more than enough to keep even the most ardent tank commander happy. Even if you should win the war, Realtime has plans to provide a series of Battle Command Data Disks, comprising new missions and enemies, early next year.

Commodore Battle Command promises to be almost identical to its Atari stablemate, with some meatier sound and slightly speedier action to differentiate the two.

VGA, EGA, CGA and Tandy graphics modes are all supported, along with Roland, AdLib and SoundBlaster sound cards. Gameplay-wise, it's exactly the same story.