COMPANY: Deadly Games
Requirements: 68040 or higher, Sys.7.1 or higher.
PLATFORM: Macintosh only CD-ROM;
Special review by Benjamin A. Curle
The World War II era submarine simulation games U-boat and Drumbeat are two very well done games by Mac sim developer Deadly Games. They both are historically accurate. U-boat takes place in the North Atlantic during the very early stages of the war, when Germany is building its empire. Drumbeat is based on the period when America has just entered the war and U-boats are patrolling just off the U.S. Coast.
The set up for these games has a picture of the interior of a U-boat bridge, and you can virtually tour the rest of the sub. At all times, there is a small screen accessing the controls to the ship. These controls include the commands for dive, surface, radio (sends in your coordinates), periscope, attack computer (has settings for launching torpedoes), guns, map, and turn controls. Don’t worry about a ship catching you off guard, a lookout will keep you informed. More detailed information on the game is included in the very comprehensive manual.
U-boat was the first game to come out. It starts off in a port in Germany. Just after you have cleared the coastal islands you are sent to sink your first ship. You work your way along, finding ships, and being sent to sink some. You don’t just roam around in this game looking for ships wherever. You are assigned to a sector, where something is usually there to sink, and after everything that can be sunk is on the ocean bed, you are assigned another sector and move on. This game can take you to the extreme North Atlantic, to the Mediterranean, to many other places.
Drumbeat is newer and is a little more complicated, but just as fun! It is much the same as U-boat with more refinements. In this game you have to worry about air cover which can destroy you. The mission is different on this game–this time you have to go to the U.S. Coast. In this game you do a couple of missions and then plot a course for the U.S. Coast. Along the way you stop to refuel, and then continue to the East Coast. This is very fun, because the U.S. is running unguarded, an unready U.S. cargo ships abound, which are easy to sink. It is what the Germans would come to call the “Happy Times.”
These are both very good and accurate games to play, and I would recommend them to any history buff, or someone looking for a thrill. Deadly Games also offers other Mac sims; the Battle of Britain, Bomber, and the M4 tank game, with some Windows versions available. There is even a game in the works with an American Sub in the Pacific sinking Japanese ships as well. To learn more go to www.deadlygames.com.
