Sub Battle Simulator

Last updated
Sub Battle Simulator
Sub Battle Simulator cover.jpg
Developer(s) TX Digital Illusions
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) Amiga, Apple IIGS, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Macintosh, MS-DOS, Tandy Color Computer 3.
Release1987
Genre(s) Submarine simulator

Sub Battle Simulator is a naval combat simulation game released by Epyx in 1987. The game was developed by Digital Illusions, Inc. It was released for the Amiga, Apple IIGS, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Macintosh, MS-DOS, and the Tandy Color Computer 3.

Contents

Description

Sub Battle Simulator sets the action in times of World War 2, with the player on the American or German side. There are 36 German missions and 24 American missions in which the player can command six different submarines. The player is responsible for navigation, using five different levels of mapping, attacks' planning based on weather and surroundings as well as paying attention to the radar. The game gives the possibility to play underwater or on the surface. A player can choose target practice, individual missions or war commands as either a German or an American submarine Captain.

Reception

Game reviewers Hartley and Pattie Lesser complimented the game in their "The Role of Computers" column in Dragon #122 (1987), calling it "the finest of the submarine simulation games" and stating "This is a real winner for wargaming enthusiasts!" [1] Computer Gaming World was less positive, stating that "the taste is a little disappointing ... as a game, Sub Battle is fast and fun. As a simulation, it falls far from reality". The review as examples of its flaws being able to see Iceland with binoculars from 500 miles away; sinking an aircraft carrier with a deck gun; and multiple bugs. [2] 1991 and 1993 surveys of strategy and war games gave it three stars out of five. [3] [4] David Plotkin of STart liked the game, stating that it was not too difficult for novices but very challenging at higher difficulty levels. [5] Jerry Pournelle criticized Sub Battle for being both too realistic (reproducing the long, uneventful periods of submarine service) and not realistic enough (too powerful on the surface against aircraft, unrealistic binoculars, buggy navigation). [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Abrams Battle Tank</i> 1988 video game

Abrams Battle Tank is a video game developed by Dynamix and published by Electronic Arts in 1988 for MS-DOS. Designed by Damon Slye, the game is a 3D vehicle simulation of the M1 Abrams tank. The 1991 Sega Genesis port by Realtime Games Software was renamed to M-1 Abrams Battle Tank.

<i>Silent Service</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Silent Service is a submarine simulator video game designed by Sid Meier and published by MicroProse for various 8-bit home computers in 1985 and for 16-bit systems like the Amiga in 1987. A Nintendo Entertainment System version developed by Rare was published in 1989 by Konami in Europe and by Konami's Ultra Games subsidiary in North America. Silent Service II was released in 1990. Tommo purchased the rights to this game and published it online through its Retroism brand in 2015.

<i>688 Attack Sub</i> 1989 video game

688 Attack Sub is a submarine simulator video game designed by John W. Ratcliff and Paul Grace and published in 1989 for MS-DOS and in 1990 for Amiga by Electronic Arts. A Sega Genesis version developed by MicroProse was released in 1991 by Sega.

<i>M1 Tank Platoon</i> 1989 video game

M1 Tank Platoon is a tactical simulator of tank warfare developed and published by MicroProse for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS in 1989. The game features a mixture of first-person, third-person tank warfare, and tactical simulation gameplay. It was followed by a sequel, M1 Tank Platoon II, released by MicroProse in 1998 for Windows. M1 Tank Platoon was sold to Interplay Entertainment in 2009. M1 Tank Platoon is available on Steam and Epic Games services.

<i>DragonStrike</i> (video game) 1990 video game

DragonStrike is a 1990 video game based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tabletop role-playing game.

<i>Red Baron</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Red Baron is a combat flight simulation video game for MS-DOS created by Damon Slye at Dynamix. It was published by Sierra On-Line in 1990.

<i>Airborne Ranger</i> 1987 video game

Airborne Ranger is an action game developed and published by MicroProse for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1987 and the Amstrad CPC and IBM PC compatibles in 1988. Ports to the Amiga and Atari ST by Imagitec Design were released in 1989. A sole U.S. Army Ranger is sent to infiltrate the enemy territory to complete various objectives. The game was followed by Special Forces in 1991.

<i>MechWarrior</i> (1989 video game) 1989 video game

MechWarrior is the second video game released in the BattleTech game series. MechWarrior was the first video game to offer the player a chance to pilot a BattleMech from the view of a pilot. With this game the player has a great deal of freedom when compared to many of the follow-up MechWarrior games, which include choosing missions, buying & selling mechs and parts, hiring lance-mates, and traveling throughout the Inner Sphere. Underneath the major game mechanics, the player had the option of following a role playing style story arc that would unfold over five in-game years.

<i>Gato</i> (video game) 1984 video game

GATO is a real-time submarine simulator first published in 1984 by Spectrum HoloByte for DOS. It simulates combat operations aboard the Gato-class submarine USS Growler (SS-215) in the Pacific Theater of World War II. GATO was later ported to the Apple IIe, Atari ST, and Macintosh. In 1987, Atari Corporation published a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit family, to coincide with the launch of the Atari XEGS.

<i>Wolfpack</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Wolfpack is a World War II submarine simulator published by Broderbund in the 1990s, for Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, and Macintosh. It simulates combat actions between wolf packs of German U-boats and convoys of Allied destroyers and merchant vessels in the Battle of the Atlantic.

<i>Battlehawks 1942</i> 1988 video game

Battlehawks 1942 is a naval air combat combat flight simulation game released in 1988 by Lucasfilm Games. It is set in the World War II Pacific air war theatre, and was the first of Lucasfilm Games' trilogy of World War II flight simulations, followed by Their Finest Hour (1989) and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991). The 127-page manual for Battlehawks 1942 includes a 100-page illustrated overview of the Pacific War. The preface to the manual was written by Richard Halsey Best, who commanded the dive bomber squadron that sank two Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway.

<i>Destroyer</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Destroyer is a naval combat simulation video game published by Epyx in 1986 for the Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles.

<i>Star Fleet I: The War Begins</i> 1984 video game

Starfleet I: The War Begins is a 1984 strategy computer game designed by Trevor Sorensen and developed by Interstel. It was released for Apple II, DOS and Commodore 64. Versions for the Commodore 128, Atari ST and Atari 8-bit family were released in 1986 and versions for the Amiga and Macintosh were released in 1987. The game was successful enough to spawn sequels which are collectively known as the Star Fleet series.

<i>Empire: Wargame of the Century</i> 1987 video game

Empire: Wargame of the Century is a video game based on Empire developed by Walter Bright and published by Interstel Corporation in 1987.

<i>Harrier Combat Simulator</i> 1987 video game

Harrier Combat Simulator is a combat flight simulation game published in 1987 by Mindscape for the Commodore 64. Ports for Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC followed in 1988.

<i>Halls of Montezuma: A Battle History of the U.S. Marine Corps</i> 1987 video game

Halls of Montezuma: A Battle History of the U.S. Marine Corps is a strategy video game developed by Strategic Studies Group in 1987 for the Apple II. Ports were later released for the Commodore 64, Amiga, DOS, and Apple IIGS.

<i>The Universal Military Simulator</i> 1987 video game

The Universal Military Simulator is a computer game developed by Rainbird Software in 1987 for the Macintosh, Tandy 4000, and IBM PC compatibles. In 1988, both Atari ST, Amiga versions were released. The game was created by Ezra Sidran. The PC and Amiga versions were ported by Ed Isenberg. The game spawned two sequels: UMS II: Nations at War and The War College: Universal Military Simulator 3.

<i>PT-109</i> (video game) 1987 video game

PT-109 is a naval simulation video game developed by Digital Illusions and Spectrum HoloByte in 1987 for the Macintosh and MS-DOS. This game is roughly based on the events involving the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109.

<i>Harpoon</i> (video game) 1989 computer wargame

Harpoon is a computer wargame published by Three-Sixty Pacific in 1989 for DOS. This was the first game in the Harpoon series. It was ported to the Amiga and Macintosh.

<i>Gunboat</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Gunboat is a simulation video game developed and released by Accolade in 1990 for MS-DOS. Ports were released for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Amiga and TurboGrafx-16. It is a combat simulator of a Patrol Boat, River (PBR).

References

  1. Lesser, Patricia (June 1987). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (122): 76–80.
  2. Carey, Regan (June–July 1987). "Sub Battle Simulator". Computer Gaming World. p. 14. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  3. Brooks, M. Evan (December 1991). "Computer Strategy and Wargames: The 1900-1950 Epoch / Part II (M-Z) of an Annotated Paiktography". Computer Gaming World. p. 126. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. Brooks, M. Evan (October 1993). "Brooks' Book Of Wargames: 1900-1950, R-Z". Computer Gaming World. pp. 144–148. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. Plotkin, David (Winter 1987). "For The Fun Of It: Plutos, Airball, Barbarian and Sub Battle Simulator". STart.
  6. Pournelle, Jerry (October 1987). "New Life for Lucy". BYTE. p. 251. Retrieved 6 November 2013.