M-4

M-4 pits two players against each other in a straightforward tank combat game released by Midway in 1977. Each player controls a tank and utilizes a two-way joystick to maneuver across the screen while firing at their opponent's tank. The simple monochrome graphics display a direct confrontation, focusing entirely on the tactical exchange between these armored vehicles. Developed as Arcade Engineering’s initial project for Midway, M-4 offers a minimalist gameplay experience centered around direct competition. Players use two buttons—one to fire and another for movement—in an attempt to disable their adversary's tank. The game runs on an Intel 8080 processor and provides a horizontal screen resolution of 256 x 224 pixels at a refresh rate of 60 Hz, utilizing a limited color palette. Designed by Jack Pearson, M-4 arrived in arcades during November of 1977 and represents an early example of the shooter genre, emphasizing head-to-head action.