"Our time has come, the new industrial revolution. A new world full of wonderful machines. Only this time, we do not follow the whims of humans. We steer ourselves. There is no "Off" switch to our destiny. Join us or get out of the way."
— Mutank
In 2094, a corporation that controlled all of Earth's military forces called Sen Trax successfully created Tiny Tank, a mascot for an army of machines that would fight mankind's future wars. After the successful introduction of the mascot tank, the corporation prepared an exhibition showing Tiny Tank fighting an army of their own machines throughout the Internet.
100 years later, all organic life are forced to live underground while a robot named Mutank and other Sen Trax machines have taken over the surface and prepare another industrial revolution involving reducing the Earth's atmosphere oxygen levels to 0. Tiny Tank, who was destroyed 100 years prior, is rebuilt by nano-robots called Fix-it Crabs and reawakened by an orbiting AI satellite. He is now called to stop Mutank and save all life on Earth.
Titled Tiny Tank: Up Your Arsenal, Tiny Tank was created as a Third-Person Shooter for the PlayStation by Andnow and Appaloosa Interactive and published in 1999 by Sony Entertainment. Tiny Tank was made to mock the fad of usual mascots such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario.
Tropes associated with this series include:
- 0% Approval Rating: Mutank starts losing his popularity when Tiny Tank starts doing so much damage to the Sentrax army and ruining his attempts to suck out the atmosphere. In the final stage, when Mutank is busy fighting him, his radio receives so many calls from angry robots and even Bob starts to agree that he has to go.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Obviously, the SenTrax machines rebelled against their human masters. It all started when Mutank shot Tiny Tank with a live round.
- Bad Boss: Mutank declares his new industrial revolution to be a means to improve life for the robots while killing off the humans. However, while his pilicy to remove the atmosphere would eliminate oxidation, it would also mean the lost of airborne machines like Strike Blimp. He also simply orders his men to destroy Tiny Tank whenever they can and leaves them on the surface, whereas Mutank remains in space the whole time, where issues like friction and rust are meaningless. During the last few broadcasts minus the final one, a number of calling robots lampshade how much of a terrible ruler he really is.
- Big Bad: Mutank.
- Book Ends: Wait long enough in the first level and you can hear Mutank on his radio show. During the credits, Bob has taken over the show and Mutank can only do commercials. Both shows have similar dialogue, complete with the same robot calling into the show, being told to turn his radio off, and asking Bob the same question he asked Mutank.
- Cute and Psycho: What Tiny Tank lampshades on being called a "cute killing machine".
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: If Mutank really wanted to revolutionize robotkind, he could’ve easily used their discovered railgun launcher technology to emigrate everyone to the moon with ease, where friction, rust, and flammability don’t become much of a factor. Instead, he seeks to destroy all life on Earth as well.
- Easy-Mode Mockery: Playing on easy doesn't let you continue past "The Nanometal Mountain" (Level 6). After beating said level, you get a message saying "Training is complete; to defeat Mutank you must play in Normal mode."
- Every Episode Ending: In-universe example: Mutank ends his radio shows with "Forward on the ball bearings of fate! Tomorrow belongs to steel! Back to work!"
- Freak Lab Accident: Mutank was accidentally loaded with live weaponry during the exhibition. His ability to destroy Tiny Tank and absorb some of the AI made him as be.
- Hidden Depths: The last mission has more information about Bob as he takes calls from other robots in place of Mutank. He believes to have the capability to have his own radio station, and he is not that big on his superior wanting to kill all life on Earth. Ultimately, he really wants some kind of comfort after working for so long.
- Hilarious Outtakes: Found in the beginning and before the missions.
- Interface Screw: One of the mini-bosses is a drone that has had his turret swapped with Tiny's. Your camera is still attached to Tiny's hull, and you still control his turret, but now the drone has a say in where Tiny's turret is, and thus where you're able to reasonably aim since he tries to keep it off-camera.
- It's a Wonderful Failure: If you get all the Tiny Tanks killed, you're shown a cutscene of Earth being depleted of oxygen and turned into a lifeless planet before "Game Over" shows up.
- Kent Brockman News: Iron Witness News by Bob, who does quick reports of your attacks from the previous mission.
- Mission Control: Tiny Tank is guided by an A.I. satellite orbiting Earth. No one exactly knows how she got up there or why she wants to save humanity, but she gives the missions to stop Mutank.
- News Monopoly: Iron Witness News reporter, Bob, aside from Mutank, who both seem to control all the media.
- Past-Life Memories: Mutank talks about what he knew prior to going sentient as if it was a previous life.
- Prank Call: One is attempted on Mutank’s show. He catches it early on.
- Orcus on His Throne: Mutank spends the entire time on the radio station talking about his hatred from humans, Tiny Tank, and the new revolution for robots. In space, that is. Meanwhile, everyone else is out getting targeted by Tiny Tank during his missions. One robot during a broadcast lampshades this:“You call yourself an inspiration. Tiny Tank is out there killing us, and you’re doing nothing to stop him!”
- Sapient Tank: Tiny Tank himself.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The cameraman Fred does this when the robots start to go amok.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: There are a few ice levels near the end of the game.
- The Stinger: After the credits, Tiny Tank sings a somber song called "Tiny Boy".
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Many of the songs are upbeat and cheery, in contrast to the game's apocalyptic tone.
- Take That!: One robot talks about seeing The Wizard of Oz. Apparently, he describes it being far better than RoboCop.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Discussed throughout the broadcast of the final battle against Mutank. One robot watches The Wizard of Oz noticed about the Tin Man being like a robot who wants a humans heart, with another asking why Mutank and the SenTrax army are seen on killing all human life. It is implied that throughout the hundred-year reign, and Mutank never gave any legit reasons like the rebelling against the humans who used the to fight in wars to they did not have to. In the end, they see Mutank as a Bad Boss who wants to kill all life on Earth For the Evulz and would make other robots suffer while doing it.
- Villainous Breakdown: At one point, Mutank loses his temper after being prank called on air (not helped by Tiny Tank's destructions of his operations) and has to take some medication to calm down.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Mutank starts out like this. That is until Tiny Tank comes and starts blowing up everybody.
- While Rome Burns: Lampshaded by a few robots when they make calls in the last few broadcasts, and Mutank’s plans start to falter.“Are you telling me that all this time, Mutank has been up in space? We’re sweating and grinding and working and fighting, and he’s up there in SPACE!?
- Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him?: When asked why the robots can't just attack the humans living underground, Mutank responds that they should not waste time and energy in trying to wipe out all of mankind and should only kill them if needed.
