Submarine Commander (Atari 2600)

Submarine Commander is a 1982 sports video game developed by Atari for the Atari 2600 and released under the Sears Tele-Games label.[1][2]

Not to be confused with simulator game of the same name from Thorn EMI.
Submarine Commander
Cover art for Atari 2600 cartridge
Developer(s)Atari
Publisher(s)Sears
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Development

The game was one of three developed by Atari exclusively for Sears, the others being Stellar Track and Steeplechase.[3] It was based on the Midway arcade game Sea Wolf II that was played with a periscope.[4]

Gameplay

The player controls a submarine going through enemy territory. The player must shoot targets in order to win the game.[2] 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. [5]

Reception

A December 1982 review in Joystik magazine described Submarine Commander as being a "very basic shooting-gallery type game."[2]

A review on the 8-Bit Central website criticised the graphics saying that the game was "not a visually pleasing experience" but also said that the game was "worth trying" due to the complexity of the gameplay. The 8-Bit Central gave the game 2.5/5 overall.[5] A December 2012 review on the Video Games Critic website was praising of the game, describing it as "an eye-opening experience" and praising the faux-3D graphics and exciting actionof the game, and gave it a grade of "B+" overall.[6]

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Submarine Commander". Joystik Magazine. No. 3. December 1982. p. 60. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  3. Lendino, Jamie (2018). Adventure The Atari 2600 at the Dawn of Console Gaming. Steel Gear Press. p. 32. ISBN 9781732355200. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. Lapetino, Tim (26 October 2016). Art of Atari (Deluxe). Dynamite Entertainment. p. 196. ISBN 9781524101060. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  5. "Sears Submarine Commander". 8 Bit Central. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  6. "Submarine Commander". Video Games Critic. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
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