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688 Attack Sub

Sega Genesis

Sega Genesis

An early submarine game with ten missions which can be played with both American and Soviet attack submarines. The game focuses on realism with several stations the player can use (sonar, weapons, navigation, helm, radio and periscope) but most duties can be delegated to crew members. The graphic...

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Developer
MicroProse Software

Released on
1991

Size
1 Player

Version
Sega Genesis

Requirements
Sega Genesis

Downloads
Shooter

Publisher
Sega of America

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

An early submarine game with ten missions which can be played with both American and Soviet attack submarines. The game focuses on realism with several stations the player can use (sonar, weapons, navigation, helm, radio and periscope) but most duties can be delegated to crew members. The graphics are mostly close-up views of the control panels but in some occasions they feature digitized images of surface ships and crew.

688 Attack Sub

Overview & History

Released by Electronic Arts in 1990 for the Sega Genesis, 688 Attack Sub was a groundbreaking port of the PC submarine simulator, bringing unprecedented tactical warfare to a 16-bit console. Developed by High Tech Expressions, the game places players in command of a technologically advanced United States Los Angeles-class nuclear attack sub (the SSN-688) or a Soviet Alfa-class nuclear submarine during the tense twilight of the Cold War. Instead of offering a mindless arcade shooter, the developers engineered a deliberate, slow-paced naval simulation. Players navigate through a series of increasingly perilous geopolitical flashpoints, ranging from covert surveillance and tracking hostile convoys to engaging in high-stakes undersea duels against enemy torpedoes, surface warships, and rival attack submarines in the frigid waters of the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core of 688 Attack Sub relies on strict realism, forcing players to toggle between multiple interior ship stations via a split-screen or full-screen menu interface. You must personally manage the Helm station to manually alter depth, heading, and speed, being mindful that excessive velocity creates loud acoustic signatures that ping enemy sonar. At the Navigation station, players plot waypoints on a tactical grid map, avoiding shallow bathymetry and underwater thermal layers that can mask submarine positions. Combat revolves around the Weapons console, where you load and fire Mark-48 wire-guided torpedoes or Harpoon missiles, and actively monitor acoustic sonar scopes to distinguish whale noises from merchant vessels and deadly enemy attack subs. The game features ten distinct single-player missions, alongside a split-screen head-to-head multiplayer mode via a link cable or simultaneous controller input, making it a cerebral, tension-filled masterpiece of maritime strategy.