| Air-Sea Battle | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Atari |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Year released | 1977 |
| System(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
|---|---|
| Players | 1-2 |
| Modes | Single player, Multiplayer |
Air-Sea Battle was one of the nine Atari 2600 titles that launched with the system in 1977. In most versions of the games in Air-Sea Battle, the player is in control of a gun that is mounted on the bottom of the screen, and must take shots at targets that pass above. In other versions, the player may be a bomber firing down on ships, or a submarine launching missiles at planes. For two minutes and sixteen seconds, the player must try to score as many hits as possible before time runs out.
Air-Sea Battle is an expanded presentation of an Atari arcade game, Anti-Aircraft, that was available before the time of the 2600s release. In addition to the use of color to simulate the appearance of the sky or water, the concept was expanded to included water vessels, and even a carnival shooting gallery.
If a second player was not available, the player could compete against the computer which fired at a constant rate. The difficulty switches could be set to make the game harder by shrinking the size of either player"s projectile. As a first generation game on a first generation console, Air-Sea Battle looks noticeably primitive, but it is still fun to play in short durations. It was released as Target Fun under the Sears Telegames label.
Controls[edit | edit source]
Console[edit | edit source]
- Color/BW: Switch between color display and black & white display. (This feature made the game look better on black & white TVs that were still prominent at the time of the game"s release.)
- Left/Right Difficulty Switch: If set to A, the left/right player will have a smaller projectile, making it more difficult to hit the targets, than when set to B.
- Game Select: Select a game variation. The variations cycle from 1 to 27 and start back over at 1. See the Game Variation chart below.
- Game Reset: Starts a new game in whatever game variation is currently selected. Both players" scores are reset to 0, and the timer starts over.
Note:Unlike many Atari 2600 games, the first player is intended to use the right side controller, as the computer uses the left side during a computer-competition game.
Anti-Aircraft[edit | edit source]
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| 747 | Helicopter | |
|---|---|---|
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| Large Jet | Small Jet |
Torpedo[edit | edit source]
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| Freighter | Pirate Ship | |
|---|---|---|
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| Aircraft Carrier | PT Boat |
Shooting Gallery[edit | edit source]
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| Clown | |
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| Duck | |
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| Rabbit |
Polaris/Bomber[edit | edit source]
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Game Variations[edit | edit source]
| Type | Anti-Aircraft | Torpedo | Shooting Gallery |
Polaris | Bomber | Polaris vs. Bomber | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Number | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Number of players | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Guided Missiles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Computer Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| With Obstacles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anti-Aircraft[edit | edit source]
The Anti-Aircraft games (game variations 1 through 6) feature stationary anti-air missile launchers that can be fired at three different angles at aircraft that fly through the sky. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
- Obstacles present or absent.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, you and your opponent have guided missiles. After firing, you control the angle of flight of your missile by moving your joystick from up to down. As a result, you can make last minute corrections to the flight path of your missile to increase the accuracy of your shots.
Computer Games: During a computer game, the left gun is fired continuously by the computer. You must attempt to outscore the computer within the time limit.
Obstacles: When obstacles are present, two blimps fly low through the air, potentially blocking your shots. Blimps, when hit, are worth 0 points. However, there are a lot more differences between the normal and Obstacle versions of Anti-Aircraft. In a normal game, all of the planes that appear per set are identical, moving in the same direction, and worth 1 point each. In an Obstacle game, each set can be composed of multiple types of planes, traveling in any direction, and are worth different points depending on the type. 747s are worth 1 point, Helicopters are worth 2, Large Jets are worth 3, and Small Jets are worth 4.
Torpedo[edit | edit source]
The Torpedo games (game variations 7 through 12) feature mobile turrets on a submarine that may only be fired straight up to the surface of the water. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
- Obstacles present or absent.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, you and your opponent have guided missiles. By pushing your joystick to the left, you can guide your torpedo to the left. Push the joystick right to guide it to the right. As a result, you can make last minute corrections to the path of your torpedo to increase the accuracy of your shots.
Computer Games: During a computer game, the left gun is fired continuously by the computer. You must attempt to outscore the computer within the time limit.
Obstacles: When obstacles are present, two mines float low through the water, potentially blocking your shots. Mines, when hit, are worth 0 points. However, there are a lot more differences between the normal and Obstacle versions of Torpedo. In a normal game, all of the ships that appear per set are identical, moving in the same direction, and worth 1 point each. In an Obstacle game, each set can be composed of multiple types of ships, traveling in any direction, and are worth different points depending on the type. Freighters are worth 1 point, Pirate Ships are worth 2, Aircraft Carriers are worth 3, and PT Boats are worth 4.
Shooting Gallery[edit | edit source]
The Shooting Gallery games (game variations 13 through 15) pit two players against one another at a carnival stand. Unlike Anti-Aircraft and Torpedo games, you gun can both alter the angle of fire, and move left or right. Also unlike those games, the targets in the gallery can change direction at any time, making them a little harder to predict. Each Clown hit is worth 1 point, ducks are worth 2, and rabbits are worth 3. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, you and your opponent have guided missiles. After firing, you control the angle of flight of your bullet by moving your joystick from up to down. This comes in especially handy when a target turns around at the last second. You cannot adjust the path of the bullet by pushing the joystick left or right.
Computer Games: During a computer game, the left gun is fired continuously by the computer. You must attempt to outscore the computer within the time limit.
Polaris[edit | edit source]
The Polaris games (game variations 16 through 18) cast you and another player in the roles of the captains of two battleships. You give the command when to fire your anti-air missiles and attempt to destroy more aircraft than your opponent. Scoring is dependent on the type of plane you hit: 747s are worth 1 point, Helicopters are worth 2, Large Jets are worth 3, and Small Jets are worth 4. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, when you change the speed of your ship, you will affect the speed at which your missile flies forward through the air. Use this to catch up with a fast plane, or correct a missile that might overshoot your target. (Note that in a non-guided missile game, you can not change your speed while a missile is still in the air.)
Computer Games: During a computer game, the green battleship is fired continuously by the computer. You must attempt to outscore the computer within the time limit.
Bomber[edit | edit source]
The Bomber games (game variations 19 through 21) cast you and another player in the roles of the captains of two bomber airplanes. You give the command when to fire your bombs and attempt to destroy more sea-faring vessels than your opponent. Scoring is dependent on the type of ship you hit: Freighters are worth 1 point, Pirate Ships are worth 2, Aircraft Carriers are worth 3, and PT Boats are worth 4. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, when you change the speed of your plane, you will affect the speed at which your bombs fall forward through the air. Use this to catch up with a fast ship, or correct a bomb that might overshoot your target. (Note that in a non-guided missile game, you can not change your speed while a bomb is still in the air.)
Computer Games: During a computer game, the green bomber drops bombs continuously by the computer. You must attempt to outscore the computer within the time limit.
Polaris vs. Bomber[edit | edit source]
The Polaris vs. Bomber games (game variations 22 through 27) cast you and another player in the roles of the captains of opposing vehicles. One player mans a bomber, while another commands a battleship. Each player must try to hit the other more times for the win. The options for each game include:
- Guided or unguided missiles.
- Computer or human opponent.
- Obstacles.
Guided Missiles: In this mode, when you change the speed of your ship or plane, you will affect the speed at which your weapon moves forward through the air. Note that in order to hit your opponent, you must align yourself vertically with your opponent, making you vulnerable to your opponent"s attack.
Computer Games: During a computer game, the computer takes control of the green bomber, dropping bombs continuously. You must attempt to destroy the bomber more than the bomber hits you within the time limit.
Obstacles: During an Obstacle game, two mines float between the plane and the ship. They will explode when hit, granting no points to the player that hit them, and will be instantly replaced by another mine.