Submarine Commander (Atari 2600)
| Submarine Commander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Atari, Inc. |
| Publisher | Sears |
| Programmer | Matthew Hubbard[2] |
| Platform | Atari 2600 |
| Release | September 1982[1] |
| Genre | Shoot 'em up |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Submarine Commander is a shoot 'em up video game for the Atari 2600, developed by Matthew Hubbard at Atari, Inc.[2] It was released exclusively under the Sears Tele-Games label in 1982.[3][4]
Gameplay
[edit]The player controls a submarine going through enemy territory, and must shoot targets in order to win the game.[4] The player views the action via a periscope that can be rotated 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.[5]
Development
[edit]The game was one of three 2600 titles developed by Atari exclusively for Sears, the others being Stellar Track and a port of the arcade game Steeplechase.[6] Submarine Commander was based on the 1978 Midway arcade game Sea Wolf II, which was played with a periscope.[7]
Reception
[edit]A December 1982 review in Joystik magazine described Submarine Commander as a "very basic shooting-gallery type game."[4]
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.[5] A December 2012 review on the Video Games Critic website called it "an eye-opening experience", praising its faux-3D graphics and action; the review gave the game an overall grade of "B+".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Atari VCS game release dates". Atari Archive.
- ^ a b "Atari 2600 VCS Submarine Commander". Atari Mania.
- ^ Weiss, Bret (20 December 2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984 A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 9780786487554. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "Submarine Commander". Joystik Magazine. No. 3. December 1982. p. 60. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Sears Submarine Commander". 8 Bit Central. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ Lendino, Jamie (2018). Adventure The Atari 2600 at the Dawn of Console Gaming. Steel Gear Press. p. 32. ISBN 9781732355200. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ Lapetino, Tim (26 October 2016). Art of Atari (Deluxe). Dynamite Entertainment. p. 196. ISBN 9781524101060. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "Submarine Commander". Video Games Critic. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2021.