Software:Submarine Commander (Atari 2600)
| Submarine Commander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Sears |
| Programmer(s) | Matthew Hubbard[1] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Submarine Commander is a shoot 'em up for the Atari 2600 developed by Matthew Hubbard at Atari, Inc..[1] It released exclusively under the Sears Tele-Games label in 1982.[2][3]
Gameplay
The player controls a submarine going through enemy territory. The player must shoot targets in order to win the game.[3] The player views the action via a periscope that can be rotated through 360 degrees - a rarity for the time. Information provided to the player includes a radar scope, a depth-charge-detector, a fuel gauge, and an engine temperature gauge for detecting engine-overheating. There are eight modes of play, made up of single and two-player mode and four different levels of difficulty for each. [4]
Development
The game was one of three developed by Atari exclusively for Sears, the others being Stellar Track and Steeplechase.[5] It was based on the Midway arcade game Sea Wolf II that was played with a periscope.[6]
Reception
A December 1982 review in Joystik magazine described Submarine Commander as being a "very basic shooting-gallery type game."[3]
A retrospective review at 8-Bit Central said the game was "not a visually pleasing experience", but that it the complexity of the gameplay made it "worth playing". 8-Bit Central gave the game 2.5/5 overall.[4] A December 2012 review on the Video Games Critic website called it "an eye-opening experience" and liked the faux-3D graphics and action and gave it a grade of "B+" overall.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Atari 2600 VCS Submarine Commander". http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-submarine-commander_12251.html.
- ↑ Weiss, Bret (20 December 2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984 A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 9780786487554. https://books.google.com/books?id=BzxTtml8Jq4C&dq=%22Sprintmaster%22&pg=PA111. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Submarine Commander". Joystik Magazine (3): p. 60. December 1982. https://archive.org/details/joystik_magazine-1982-12/page/n61/mode/2up?q=submarine.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sears Submarine Commander". http://www.8-bitcentral.com/reviews/2600subCommander.html.
- ↑ Lendino, Jamie (2018). Adventure The Atari 2600 at the Dawn of Console Gaming. Steel Gear Press. p. 32. ISBN 9781732355200. https://books.google.com/books?id=JkaoDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Submarine+Commander%22+%222600%22&pg=PA32. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ↑ Lapetino, Tim (26 October 2016). Art of Atari (Deluxe). Dynamite Entertainment. pp. 196. ISBN 9781524101060. https://archive.org/details/book_art_of_atari/page/104/mode/2up?q=slot+machine. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ↑ "Submarine Commander". 8 December 2012. https://videogamecritic.com/2600ssz.htm?e=22278#rev3992.
 |  |
