Up Periscope!

A naval war craft game set in the South Pacific Ocean during the World War 2. Up Periscope, was released for DOS, Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 platforms in the year 1986. The game was developed and published by Action soft. “The Advanced Submarine Simulator” is added to its name at the cover and credits.
The game offers the player to choose from five different scenarios, one can opt from “Refresher Training at New London, Historical Simulation, Pacific Patrol, Peacetime Patrol and Transit. Then the player has to choose one, from the following famous patrols: The 2nd and 6th Patrol of USS Wahoo, the 1st 3rd and 6th patrol of USS Tang, the 1st patrol of USS Guardfish and the 2nd patrol of USS Harder. The variables on the “Item screen” spans the Officer- the rank and experience, the Submarine- the torpedo type, reliability, type of torpedo computation and hull design along with the tactical considerations- Arming rate, Enemy expertise, Convoy Zig Zag, Visibility level, Repairs at sea and DV rate.  These variables make the game interesting. The difficulty levels of the game are high and the requirements to launch a torpedo or to fire the second one are based on real data. These requirements are complimented by the simple controls. The game requires patience as a combat involving an enemy submarine is elusive.
The graphics are simple but effective and the animations are smooth. The view of the control panel complete with all the gadgets adds to the feel of the game. The siren and other sounds are realistic.
The submarine simulation game Up Periscope brought many technical variables to this genre and is a treat for all the watercraft war strategy gamers.

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