| Sea Wolf | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Dave Nutting Associates |
| Publishers | |
| Designer | Dave Nutting |
| Platforms | Arcade,Commodore 64,VIC-20 |
| Release | |
| Genre | Shooter |
| Arcade system | Midway 8080/BW |
Sea Wolf is anarcade video game designed byDave Nutting and released byMidway in 1976.[3] It is a video game update of anelectro-mechanical Midway game,Sea Devil,[4] itself based onSega's 1966 electro-mechanical arcadesubmarine simulatorPeriscope.[5] The game was released in Japan byTaito.[1] InSea Wolf, the player, piloting an unseen submarine, launches torpedoes vertically in an attempt to sink ships moving horizontally across the screen before time runs out. The screen is viewed through a faux periscope mounted on the cabinet.
The game sold 10,000arcade cabinets and was the highest-grossing arcade video game of 1976 and 1977 in the United States and Japan's fifth highest-grossing arcade video game of 1976.
Midway released a color arcade sequel,Sea Wolf II, in 1978.[6] In 1982,Commodore International produced cartridge ports ofSea Wolf for theVIC-20 and then-newCommodore 64 computers.[7]
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The player looks through a large periscope to aim at ships moving across the virtual sea line at the top of the screen, using a thumb button on the right handle of the scope to shoot torpedoes. The periscope swivels to the right and left, providing horizontal motion of a targeting cross-hair. The cabinet features a mixture of video game and older electro-mechanical technology for player feedback. Using back-lit transparencies reflected inside the scope, the number of torpedoes remaining are displayed, as well as a red "RELOAD" light which illuminates momentarily when the player has launched five torpedoes. Additionally, when a ship is hit, a corresponding "explosion" light is reflected onto the screen image at the ship's approximate position. A blue overlay is affixed to the screen to provide a "water color" to the sea. Sounds include a sonar ping, the "whoosh" of launched torpedoes, torpedo explosions, and the klaxon sound of the PT boat racing across the screen.
Sea Wolf is time-limited, with the player having an opportunity to win bonus time by reaching an operator-set score. The player's score is shown on the bottom half of the screen as well as thehigh score, one of the first known instances of a high score in a video game.[8] Targets include destroyers, a fast-moving PT boat, and mines floating across the screen that serve as obstructions.
Sea Wolf was developed by Dave Nutting Associates head David Nutting and programmer Tom McHugh. The two had previously worked together onGun Fight (1975), an adaptation of Taito’sWestern Gun (1975) re-engineered with amicroprocessor. The hardware forGun Fight was developed by Jeffery Frederiksen, anIntel 8080-based system utilizing aframebuffer. They decided to use this hardware system for several subsequent games, includingSea Wolf.
David Nutting got the idea forSea Wolf from distributor Joe Robbins, who suggested that they create a video game upgrade of the classic electro-mechanical gamePeriscope (1965).[9] As with a number of prior target shooting games that had a submarine theme, a periscope viewing device directed the player's view onto the screen. The periscope had markers for depth level to help players judge the distance, as well as an analog graphical effect for the explosions.
According to programmer Tom McHugh, he got sick towards the very end of developing the game. The final stages of the program were put together byJamie Fenton,[10] but Fenton does not recall working on the game.
Sea Wolf is one of the first video games to include a high score feature, saving the highest value achieved prior to powering off. A button on the control panel allows the player to reset this score to zero.
In the United States,Sea Wolf was the highest-grossing arcade video game for two years in a row: 1976[11] and 1977.[12][13] It was the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1978 according toPlay Meter,[14] or the year's fourth highest according toRePlay.[15]
In Japan,Sea Wolf was a commercial success for Taito. On the first annualGame Machine arcade chart,Sea Wolf was the fifth highest-grossing arcade video game of 1976 in Japan, below Taito'sBall Park (Tornado Baseball) andSpeed Race DX (Wheels),Sega'sHeavyweight Champ, andBreakout (licensed byNamco fromAtari).[16]
Sea Wolf eventually sold a total of 10,000arcade cabinets.Sea Wolf II sold another 4,000 units.[6]
Sea Wolf was followed bySea Wolf II in 1978. In 1983,EpyxportedSea Wolf II and another Midway game,Gun Fight, to theAtari 8-bit computers and released them in an "Arcade Classics" compilation.[citation needed]
In 2008, Coastal Amusements released a retro videoredemption game based on the originalSea Wolf.[17]
The current world record holder forSea Wolf is Alan Radue with a score of 11,300 points. The record was set on October 2, 2011, at the Tranquility Base Arcade and verified byTwin Galaxies International on October 9.
Sea Wolf, which was another creation of Dave Nutting, did solid business, selling more than 10,000 machines. A later color version sold an additional 4000 units.