Omega

This is neither the first nor the last robot tank design and programming game for a consumer platform.

Muse software made one for the Apple ][ back in the very early days, at least 3 years before Origin did Omega. I think the title was Robot Wars but I could be mistaken.

There was a team-oriented game with little hardware design for the Macintosh in the early 90s, but I don't even remember the title.

More recently, one of the first titles to demonstrate Sony's commitment to unusual games on the then-new Playstation was a game called Carnage Heart, which was precisely this sort of game.

Finally, there is a current PC product called Mindrover which takes this concept to great heights. It sells equally well as an educational toy and a pure game. If you remember any of these titles fondly, be sure to check out Mindrover.