Having picked this up as I was a fan of the Intellivision version, I must say that it is rewarding to see what was possible on the 2600 version. Although the sound effects are not as defined as the Intellivision, it's a great two player game. It's too bad you can't "abort" battles like the Intv version, but it's loads of fun. Graphics hold to the original very well. I love the fact where every ship holds is unique attributes, both offensively and defensively.

Sea Battle is a lost gem amongst the seemingly endless stream of unreleased prototypes that keep resurfacing. Two players each command an island at opposite ends of the screen. The goal of the game is to launch ships from your harbor, and get one of them into your opponent's harbor. If you succeed - you win the game. (Apparently, your enemies are easily intimidated.)

You begin by launching up to four ships at a time (choosing from three each of battleships, destroyers, PT-boats and submarines). You can choose any of the ships at any time, and move them amongst the islands on screen, setting traps for your opponent and trying to outmaneuver his fleet. At this point, only you know which ships you've launched, since they're only shown as blips on a radar screen.

When two enemy ships get near each other, the screen "zooms in" to Battle Mode, where you finally get a look at what kind of ship you're up against, and the two of you can battle to the death (there's no running away, here). Each ship has its own strengths and weakness in terms of weapons, vulnerability and speed. You also carry existing damage to subsequent battles, so if you can't sink one of your opponents ships in one encounter, go after it a second time and it will be easier to take down. But beware of navigation hazards - if you hit an island, you can become shipwrecked!

Sea Battle is a pretty remarkable game, which involves both strategy and action. It takes a few minutes to get up and running, but once you do, it's quite a lot of fun. The graphics are well-done, and the controls are smartly implemented. One minor complaint is that there should be two small instruction cards included (one for each player) showing the ship types and how to select them, so you don't have to keep passing the manual back and forth while learning the game. Even then, it only takes a few minutes to get the hang of the game, and the potential variety and depth in the gameplay will keep you coming back for more. The only major downside to Sea Battle is that it requires two players to play it (which is the reason M-Network never released it in the first place, and why I'm giving it only a 4 out of 5). But if you can find a second player willing to sit down and play it, then Sea Battle is one battle that's well-worth fighting.