Game-Art-HQ

Panzer Bandit is a beat’em up game from 1997 by Fill-in-Cafe made for Banpresto on the original Playstation.

It was sadly only released in Japan, but through importing and later through the availability of Emulators..and Isos of Japanese games this game became a bit popular in western regions as well. It is also available on the Japanese Playstation Network since August 2011.

A relative big difference to other beat’em ups is, that in Panzer Bandit the player has only two planes to walk and fight, it is a bit similar to the old Fatal Fury games with one fore and one background to use and switch whenever the player wants to.

Another feature is the unusual control layout for the game which has one weak and one strong attack button and multiple special moves done like the popular “Ha-Do-Ken” in Street Fighter through quarter and half circle movements mostly. Jumping is done with the directional buttons instead of getting an own one. There even is a super-meter which allows a super-move. Via triangle you have another attack for the case you are getting pincered between two enemies.

The game has a total of eight stages and also a VS mode, it can be played with up to two players in ever game mode.

In general, Panzer bandit seems to be a funny mix of a traditional beat’em up and fighting games. There are 4 main characters to choose from, and also the eight unlockable bosses. (Something we also know more from fighting games)

Graphically it is also a mix which makes a perfect use of the Playstations 3D abilities while adding 2D as well with the characters being all sprite based but the most stage related elements being made in 3d.

The camera is often zooming in and out of the action and the characters are animated very well for a Playstation game and look detailed too.

All in all a great beat’em up with some interesting gameplay twists, great graphics for its platform and one of the best Playstation beat’em ups ever.

Thanks @ Purpleground02 for choosing this quite unknown game for our beat’em up tribute which made me playing this obscure gem for the first time!

– You can enlarge most of the images here by clicking on them –

About our illustration of Panzer Bandit and the artist behind it:

“Panzer Bandit… Ahhh… I remember when I was young, I went to my friend house to play his Play Station 1. Saw the game. Got bloody addicted. After that, I went out searching to buy that game. Looked around for a loooong bloody time and yet I found none of its copy. So, I desperately wanted to borrow from him, in which…. he rejected.

URGGGHHH!! That CRAVE!!.. THAT wanna punch some robot and kick them in the air and use my super duper explosive moves on the boss and throw them around smash them into the ground.. ARHGHGHGHGGHHGHGHG…

It took a week to suppress that feeling.

Anyway, I later came to know that the title for the game is panzer bandit. Really nice game”

Purpleground02 from Malaysia draws all kinds of fanart but also own concepts and characters and comics as well, his Panzer bandit illustration for the Game-Art-HQ Beat’em Up tribute is his first contribution to one of our art collaboration and tribute projects, and i bet this won’t have been the last contribution by him!