Subroc

Description

Subroc is a port of Sega's Subroc-3D arcade game, which was one of the earliest attempts at a first-person style shooter. Don't let that description fool you though. In the Coleco version the aiming cursor is fixed to the center of the screen and you have the freedom to scroll in four directions while shooting or avoiding enemies.

As my title implies, the action takes place both above water and beneath it. Above the surface your sub will fire rockets and undersea you will fire torpedoes. These aren't separate levels, however, but are both on the same screen. This adds a bit of strategy to what could have been just another run of the mill shooter. In the air you will be going after flying saucers, futuristic looking jets, and the mini-bosses and bosses while beneath the waves you will have to deal with two different types of subs.

The key to dealing with enemy fire is a bit different than most shooters. Reminiscent of the game's 3D roots, enemy shots start out small and grow bigger as if coming toward the player. The airborne enemies shoot missiles and lay mines while the undersea ones retaliate with their own torpedoes. For example, once an enemy shoots a missile a bull's-eye animation appears near it and will continue to get larger. Once it gets to a certain size it will hit you if you are within range. Range is a bit tricky though. You see, many aerial shots can be avoided by just diving underwater and vice-versa for the submerged ones. Actually, the weird thing is that enemy torpedoes can almost always be avoided by scrolling upward, whereas sometimes enemy missiles hit you even though you've moved beneath the surface. Still, you don't have to just cut and run. You can target and destroy any enemy fire provided that you can do it before it hits you.

Like many games of its era, Subroc is played for points on levels that constantly repeat. Every level you'll fight the same enemies and after a while three mini-boss aircraft will appear, followed by more enemies and eventually the boss. Speaking of the boss, it looks like a flying, black Ark of the Covenant covered by a deflector shield it bought at a yard sale. If you can hit it just right you can even destroy it with a single shot. To break up the monotony there are some chase elements such as old clipper ships and hot-air balloons for you to shoot for bonus points. Also, on some levels the screen will turn from blue to orange to black to simulate time passing from day to night, which is a nice touch.

Sound wise, the game is about what you would expect for a piece of early 1980's software, although its nautical theme music may start to get on your nerves during extended plays. The controls are crisp and responsive and if playing with the default Coleco controllers expect an early onset of arthritis after about level 10.

As far as Colecovision games go, Subroc is pretty solid and a nice change of pace compared to other early shooters. Unlike some modern games, you won't want to play this for hours at a time, but there is plenty of time wasting enjoyment to be had.

Trailer