Submarine Commander (Atari 2600)

Submarine Commander is a 1982 shoot 'em up for the Atari 2600 developed by Matthew Hubbard at Atari, Inc..[1] It was released under the Sears Tele-Games label.[2][3]

This article is about the Atari 2600 game. For Atari 8-bit family game, see Submarine Commander.
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

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