Virtual WarZone: Ground Zero
Virtual WarZone: Ground Zero — Playable Demo Out Now!
The first playable stage of Virtual WarZone: Ground Zero is here. It's built for the Virtual Boy and plays in stereo 3D: your tank and every enemy on the front line stand out in real depth, the way the Virtual Boy was meant to be played.
The story
It is the year 2219. Forty years ago, commanders like you fought in the WarZone from fortified bunkers, piloting their tanks remotely through a battle network. Then the network fell. An AI hacked in and turned the tanks against their own commanders. Others soon followed, and the country is now carved into zones, each ruled by an enemy AI. Their machines fight one another without end. Only one territory is still held by humans: the Resistance.
Resistance hackers have seized one of the old remote tanks, and you are at the controls. You drive it manually, because the battle network can no longer be trusted. Your first target is Death Valley, the zone ruled by an AI called VUE. Its tanks, turrets, helicopters and mechs are waiting for you.
Welcome to Death Valley. The cinder cone is smoking, and the battle lines are drawn.
Good luck, commander.
What's in the demo
One full stage fought across two battle lines, near and far
Tanks, turrets, missile soldiers, seekers, helicopters and walking mini mechs
A giant mech boss! Stay clear when he lands his jump!
Missile lock-on: target an enemy on the other battle line and send a missile arcing across into the distance
The original WarZone x1/x2 score multiplier, plus a 5,000 point bonus for clearing the whole stage before you beat the boss
Stereo music through ESSound and Rumble Pack support
Controls
Left D-pad: drive, turn around, and switch battle lines (up/down)
L trigger: machine gun
R trigger: missile launcher (fires along your line, or at your locked target)
Right D-pad left/right: lock onto an enemy on the other line
Right D-pad up/down: raise or lower the barrel
A: jump · B: shield · Start: pause
Select + right D-pad up/down: music volume
Setup
MrCART128: download GroundZero_RC2_MrCART128.zip and copy GroundZero.vb and the three music files (1.mp3, 2.mp3, 3.mp3) into the same folder on your SD card.
Other 32 Mbit flash carts: download GroundZero_RC2_32Mbit.zip. You get all the sound effects, but no music, since the music needs ESSound.
Both downloads include a README.txt with the full controls and setup.
Credits
Built on Virtual WarZone by Jorge Eremiev.Music by TeknoAXE (teknoaxe.com), licensed CC BY 4.0: "No Fear for the Future", "Arena" and "Running Rage".
This is a demo, so I'd love to hear what you think. Tell me how it plays, which AI zone you'd like to fight through next, and post your scores!
Full disclosure
I used Claude AI to help me make this game, with the original WarZone as the source for its art, examples and sounds. AI is a hot topic in the VB and retro scene right now. My view is that it's a tool, and I use it where it makes sense.
