Sea Wolf is a shooter video game manufactured by Midway, originally released for arcades in 1976.[3] It is a video game update of an earlier coin-operated electro-mechanical Midway game, Sea Devil,[4] itself based on Sega's 1966 coin-op electro-mechanical arcade submarine simulator Periscope.[5] The game was released in Japan by Taito.[1] Sea Wolf was designed by Dave Nutting. The game sold 10,000 arcade 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.

Sea Wolf
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Dave Nutting Associates
Publisher(s)	NA/EU: Midway[1][2] JP: Taito[1]
Designer(s)	Dave Nutting
Platform(s)	Arcade, Commodore 64, VIC-20
Release	NA: April 1976[1] JP: July 1976[1] EU: 1976[2]
Genre(s)	Shooter
Arcade system	Midway 8080/BW

Midway released a color arcade sequel, Sea Wolf II, in 1978.[6] In 1982, Commodore International produced cartridge ports of Sea Wolf for the VIC-20 and then-new Commodore 64 computers.[7]

Gameplay

This section does not cite any sources. (January 2020)

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 fire 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 lights up 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 the high 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.

Reception

In the United States, Sea Wolf was the highest-grossing arcade video game for two years in a row, in 1976[9] and in 1977.[10][11] It was later the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1978 according to Play Meter,[12] or the year's fourth highest according to RePlay.[13]

In Japan, Sea Wolf was a commercial success for Taito. On the first annual Game Machine arcade chart, Sea Wolf was the fifth highest-grossing arcade video game of 1976 in Japan, below Taito's Ball Park (Tornado Baseball) and Speed Race DX (Wheels), Sega's Heavyweight Champ, and Breakout (licensed by Namco from Atari).[14]

Sea Wolf eventually sold a total of 10,000 arcade cabinets. Sea Wolf II sold another 4,000 units.[6]

Legacy

Sea Wolf was followed by Sea Wolf II in 1978. In 1983 Epyx ported Sea Wolf II and another Midway game, Gun Fight, to the Atari 8-bit family and released them in an "Arcade Classics" compilation.[15]

In 2008, Coastal Amusements released a retro video redemption game based on the original Sea Wolf.[16]

High score

The current world record holder for Sea 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 by Twin Galaxies International on October 9, 2011.

References

External links

• Sea Wolf at the Killer List of Videogames