Reviewer: StanJr

11/07/2009 10:16pm

Absolutely amazing. Seawolf is a must-have for every Atari enthusiast. The game is as close to perfect as I think you are going to find for this system.

A shooter that rewards strategy over button-mashing is always a welcome addition to my gaming rotation. You'll have to be a crack-shot and be quick about it, if you are to last very long.

Seawolf is smart shooter that gradually introduces new and more challenging elements to its gameplay (or you can start with everything at once if you like) and provides enough challenge to keep you coming back, but not enough to run you off. The game is rewarding and high scores are earned, but the replayability is high and you'll while away many hours trying to beat your best.

This game belongs in every collection.

Reviewer: Collin Pierce

10/28/2009 05:17pm

This is the first homebrew I got after buying my first Atari some months back. It is based off of the 1976 Arcade game by Midway of the same name. However, the Atari port by Manuel Rotschkar is greatly enhanced over the original in every possible way.

The first thing I noticed when I booted the game up for the first time was the amazing graphics. Everything was easily identified and vividly detailed. It reminded me of Activision's best work! There is also a cool tune that plays when the game is first booted up that really put me in the right mood. The sound effects work great and sound as close as the real thing as the 2600 can allow.

The gameplay is perfectly executed, and much more fun that the original. Your job is to take out as many ships as you can, without running out of fuel or torpedoes. It sounds simple, but Manuel has added lots of wonderful new features, like several different kinds of ships, each with their own characteristics. There are battleships that take multiple hits to destroy, ones that drop depth charges, Red Cross boats that bounce your torpedoes back, etc. Every 1,000 points you get, you get a chance to refill on fuel and torpedoes. If you run out of either, you lose a life.

There's a lot of strategy, too. You can bounce your torpedoes off of Red Cross Ships and into another ship, for instance. If you fire too much, you'll run out of torpedoes; but if you fire too little, you'll run out of fuel before you can get more!

The game also makes great use of the Difficulty Switches. One switch controls game features. The B setting introduces new game features slowly, and the A setting throws everything at you from the start. The other switch controls who is stronger, you or the ships.

All in all, this game is a real treat. I couldn't imagine it playing any better. It's loads of fun, the graphics and sounds are great, it has lots of replay value, and the gameplay is stimulating.

Gameplay: 10/10

Graphics: 10/10

Sound: 10/10

Replay Value: 10/10

Fun Factor: 10/10

Overall: 50/50

Collin's Thoughts: Get it. Get it NOW!

This was my first homebrew, and I must say, I chose wisely. This game is spot on in every way. It has all the wonder of the great Atari classics, and is a game I could see myself playing for many years to come.

Reviewer: ace list

04/21/2007 05:05am

It is actually pretty hard for me to write this review. I have immensely enjoyed 2 of Manuel's games already, Crazy Balloon and Starfire. I loved both of those titles and have since become aware that both of them are ports. I can only assume that what I found lacking in THIS game was also lacking in the original.

Let me begin with the positives. The graphice are superb, the extra large sprites are real, real dope. The control is excellent, "responsive" doesn't cover it. Strategy is required to prevail. Furthermore, the cartridge and manual are done really well.

Now for the negative. Notice the singular "negative". The game play just didn't move me! Yeah, it's fast-paced, yeah, it's a challenge. But it really doesn't go anywhere. In that respect it reminded me of "Astroblast".. a real challenge with no pay-off to speak of. I just sat there and kept blasting away for hours!

I'll break it down like this: if you like River Raid (and you will be in very respectable company if you do), you will definitely like this. I don't care for River Raid but I respect the opinions of a lot of people that do!

Bottom line: the game is worth having just for the technical beauty of it, but if you're like me, you won't play this one for days and days.. maybe just hours and hours!

Reviewer: Scott Inman

04/15/2007 08:28pm

Manuel Rotschkar's Seawolf is an exceptional title with stellar graphics and gameplay. Seawolf starts off at a casual pace and steadily becomes an enormous challenge. This is not one of those games that you can just run up points endlessly on. Seawolf is my 2nd Xype purchase and I'll be adding more to my 2600 collection in the near future. Do yourself a favor and snag a copy today!

Reviewer: Nathan Strum

03/28/2006 05:16am

Seawolf is one of the all-time great arcade videogames, and Manuel has done an amazing job bringing this classic to the 2600. The graphics and sound are excellent, with large, colorful sprites, a variety of enemies, and no flicker. But what really makes Seawolf great is the gameplay. The original feel of the arcade game comes through intact, but there are also new additions to the game which add more challenges, increasing replay value and longevity. Having to manage both your fuel and torpedoes, while still sinking enough enemy ships to keep playing becomes quite a trick at higher levels. The difficulty ramps up gradually, but you can also choose to start the game with everything being thrown at you at full-speed. So no matter what your skill level, you'll find something to challenge you with Seawolf.

Reviewer: Raul Torres

01/03/2006 11:19am

Seawolf attempts to add some realism to its game play. You can't just shoot everything on the screen... some strategy is required. This makes this game very diff than any others like it. The graphics & sounds are the best I have seen in any game in this genre for the 2600.

Reviewer: Ethan Nobles

06/22/2005 10:33am

That's it. I'm buying every Atari homebrew in which Manuel Rotschkar is involved in the future. This game is yet another outstanding piece of work from Rotschkar and would have been a hit had it been released for the 2600 back when the system was in it's prime. The idea of being in charge of a submarine and blasting surface ships might not be completely novel, but it's implemented here extremely well. Great game!

Reviewer: Michaell Ashton

12/28/2004 11:10am

Xype makes some good games! This game is similar to Air Sea Battle, but it adds complexity and depth (no pun intended).

Having an opening song is great! Also the manual is very well done.

Seawolf is a high quality title, and is also very fun to play.

Two thumbs up here!