How to play Submarine Commander online
- Move the submarine left and right: left and right arrow keys
- Look closer or further towards the horizon: up and down arrow keys
- Fire a torpedo: Space bar
- Player 2 (two-player games): T/F/G/H to move, A to fire
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch)
- Choose a game variation: F11 (the consoleās Select switch)
- Novice or Expert mode: F4 for Player 1, F9 for Player 2
Gameplay
The screen shows the view through your periscope. A sonar display in the bottom-left corner shows enemy ships in red before you can see them. Torpedoes launch from whichever sideās status light is green. If your sub is moving sideways when you fire, the torpedo curves slightly the other way.
Fuel is your clock. You start with 3,000 units, and every manoeuvre and torpedo uses some up. An engine temperature gauge rises the more you move, and a hot engine burns fuel faster. Depth charges from enemy ships cost a large chunk of fuel when they hit. An arrow in the bottom-right corner warns you: white means the charge is still at a safe distance, red means you need to move. When the fuel is gone, the game ends.
| Ship | Points | Points on the horizon | Hits needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyer | 15 | 25 | 1 |
| Tanker | 20 | 30 | 2 |
| PT boat | 35 | 45 | 1 |
Variations and switches
There are eight games. Odd-numbered games are for one player and even-numbered games for two players, who take turns. Games 1 and 2 have no depth charges at all. In games 3 and 4 only destroyers drop them, in games 5 and 6 PT boats join in, and in games 7 and 8 all three ship types attack. The difficulty switch sets Novice (B) or Expert (A). In Expert mode a depth charge hit can damage your sub: a damaged torpedo tube turns black and stays out of action for the rest of the game.
Tips
- Shoot at the horizon. Every ship is worth 10 extra points while it is still far away.
- Stop moving before you fire. A torpedo fired on the move curves away, so line up first and then shoot.
- Move as little as possible. Every manoeuvre heats the engine and burns fuel, and fuel is the only thing that ends the game.
- Take tankers seriously. They need two hits, so make sure a second torpedo is ready before you commit.
History
Sears sold the Atari 2600 and its games under its own Tele-Games brand. Most of those cartridges were also available from Atari, but Submarine Commander was one of only three Sears exclusives, together with Steeplechase and Stellar Track. It never appeared under the Atari label, which makes original cartridges rare today. It has no connection to the 1982 Thorn EMI computer game of the same name, a more complex U-boat simulation for the Atari 8-bit computers.
