SILENT SERVICE is the most detailed and realistic submarine simulation for home computers. Player selected 'reality levels' allow the player to customize complexity, and time scaling ensures that the actions and decisions are constantly required. Silent Service II, a really nice simulation game sold in 1990 for DOS, is available and ready to be played again! Also available on Amiga and Atari ST, time to play a historical battle (specific/exact), naval, real-time, submarine, world war ii and vehicular combat simulator video game title. The all-new Silent Service II A State Of The Art Simulation Of Submarines In World War II. The original Silent Service was released in 1985. It won ' Simulation of the Year' honours in six nations and was voted 'Best Adventure Game for the Home Computer' by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design in 1986.

Silent Service is a submarine simulator video game designed by Sid Meier^[1] and published by MicroProse for various 8-bit home computers in 1985 and for 16-bit systems like the Amiga in 1987. A Nintendo Entertainment System port of Silent Service developed by Rare was published in 1989 by Konami in Europe and by Konami's Ultra Games subsidiary in North America. The follow-up game, Silent Service II, was released in 1990. Tommo purchased the rights to this game and digitally publishes it through its Retroism brand in 2015.^[2]

Gameplay[edit]

Silent Service is set in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, with the player assuming control of a U.S. Gato-classsubmarine for various war patrols against Japanese shipping ('Silent Service' was a nickname for the US Navy's submarine force in the Pacific during World War II). The game allows the player to choose when to attack and a whole range of realistic tactics are available, including the End Around as well as near invisibility at night (if the sub's profile is kept to a minimum). The game's realism was hampered by the simulation's inability to handle more than four projectiles at a time. This was particularly troublesome when battling multiple destroyers, since the submarine would not be able to fire if four torpedoes were already in the water.

The game accelerates real-time when not in combat. Sid Meier described a number of key factors that influenced the design of the game: The size of the theater, the variety of tactical situations, and evolving technology, such as the use of surface radar and torpedoes that did or did not leave trails of bubbles on the surface—only simulations set after their real-life introduction had access to them. Tasks such as navigation, damage repair, and firing were compartmentalized into different screens to allow players access to a great deal of information, but also focus on the task at hand.^[3]

Development[edit]

The game was designed by Sid Meier, the art which was made by Michael O. Haire. Silent Service was in development for 8 months and creation of the game was inspired by fractal technological trick.^[1]

Reception[edit]

Silent Service was MicroProse's second best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987.^[4] The company sold 250,000 copies by March 1987,^[5] and roughly 400,000 overall.^[1]

Info in 1985 rated Silent Service for the Commodore 64 four stars out of five, stating that its quality and graphics 'are all unmistakably MicroProse' and 'ensure a satisfying level of play for any wargamer'.^[6]Antic wrote in 1986 that 'Sid Meier and his team of simulation experts at MicroProse have outdone themselves'. The magazine approved of how the game offered both beginner modes and 'complex, historically accurate and challenging war patrol scenarios' for experts, and noted the Atari 8-bit version's 'superb' graphics and 'well done' manual'.^[7]Antic in 1987 also liked the Atari ST version's graphics, sound, adjustable difficulty levels, and documentation, concluding 'It's a traditional MicroProse product and it's nice to see that they've remained dedicated to detail'.^[8]Compute! wrote in 1986 that 'like F-15 Strike Eagle, Silent Service is both intriguing and addictive... a superior product'.^[9]

Computer Gaming World in 1986 called Silent Service 'easily the best [submarine simulator] for its simplicity of use and execution'. It praised the game's realism and only criticized the lack of a save game feature.^[10] A 1987 overview of World War II simulations in the magazine rated the game five out of five stars, praising its 'superb graphics coupled with detailed rules, historical accuracy and layers of complexity'.^[11] In 1993 a survey of wargames in the magazine gave the game two stars out of five, stating that 'it has been rendered obsolete by time and superseded by Silent Service II'.^[12] In 1996 Computer Gaming World ranked it as the 86th best game of all time, for having 'introduced the control-room interface for submarine games on variety of platforms.'^[13]

Silent Service was awarded the Charles S. Roberts Award for 'Best Adventure Game for Home Computer of 1985'.^[14]

Sequel[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcMeier, Sid (2016-10-25). 'Designer Notes 23: Sid Meier - Part 1' (audio). Interviewed by Soren Johnson. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
2. ^'Purchase Agreement between Atari, Inc. and Rebellion Developments, Stardock & Tommo'(PDF). BMC Group. 2013-07-22.
3. ^Meier, Sid (March 1986), 'Silent Service: Designer's Notes', Computer Gaming World, pp. 28–29
4. ^Ferrell, Keith (December 1987). 'The Commodore Games That Live On And On'. Compute's Gazette. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
5. ^Brooks, M. Evan (March 1987). 'Computers in Flight; Gunship'. Computer Gaming World (35): 10-13.
6. ^Dunnington, Benn; Brown, Mark R. (December 1985 – January 1986). 'C-64/128 Gallery'. Info. pp. 4–5, 88–93. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
7. ^Moore, Rich; Plotkin, David; Kershaw, Brad; Lewis, Scott (March 1986). 'Product Reviews'. Antic.
8. ^Teverbaugh, Rick (April 1987). 'Silent Service'. Antic.
9. ^Randall, Neil (April 1986). 'Silent Service'. Compute!. p. 51. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
10. ^Teverbaugh, Rick (January–February 1986). 'Silent Service'. Computer Gaming World. p. 20.
11. ^Brooks, M. Evan (May 1987). 'Kilobyte Was Here!'. Computer Gaming World. p. 6.
12. ^Brooks, M. Evan (October 1993). 'Brooks' Book Of Wargames: 1900-1950, R-Z'. Computer Gaming World. pp. 144–148. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
13. ^'150 Best Games of All Time'. Computer Gaming World. November 1996. pp. 64–80. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
14. ^'The 1985 Origins Awards'. The Game Manufacturers Association. Archived from the original on 2012-12-16.

External links[edit]

• Silent Service at MobyGames
• Silent Service at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
• Silent Service can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive

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1. Silent Service II

Silent Service II

DOS - 1990

Also released on: Amiga - Atari ST

Download extras files
Manual, misc and map available

Description of Silent Service II

Silent Service II, a really nice simulation game sold in 1990 for DOS, is available and ready to be played again! Also available on Amiga and Atari ST, time to play a historical battle (specific/exact), naval, real-time, submarine, world war ii and vehicular combat simulator video game title.

External links

Captures and Snapshots

Screenshots from MobyGames.com

Screenshots from MobyGames.com

Comments and reviews

The Pardoner2018-07-260 point

I have Boxer on my MacBook Air 2017, 10.13.6, would this free Atari ST ROM download work? And anything I should know? The only game I've actually downloaded onto Boxer is Space Hulk (1993), (the 4 mb RIP version, as the ISO version didn't work), and it works like a charm. Thanks!!

Warrior5412018-04-08-2 points

My buddy owned this! We played the heck out of it. He mastered that game. How do you play now? I know it had a board or keyboard layout! Would love to play this again

C2018-03-17-1 point DOS version

Thanks

fdisk2015-11-09-3 points

manuals & keys amiga:
EDIT: Thx fdisk !

Paulo josé2014-11-302 points DOS version

the 2º game is bether .... :)

w4lix@juno.com2014-11-012 points DOS version

Do you have the complete keyboard function key layout?

sOnar_PL2014-08-230 point DOS version

You must run this game in DOSBox. Its work. Try to find IMG of 2 disks or ISO file. There is setup and instalation files. Standart version of SSII have a weak sounds. Find me on subsim(dot)com for more. Greetings! sOnar_PL

jamesbond_first2014-02-02-9 points DOS version

Is it possible to play this game under Windows XP?

lwCoyote2013-01-280 point DOS version

I put a lot of hours into this game playing career mode. Difficult to match the satisfaction of sinking an aircraft carrier!

monster2012-02-241 point DOS version

best old sub game by miles

gimpy2011-12-212 points DOS version

I still have the book and keyboard overlays. I lost the disks, but now I can play it again.

yoko2011-07-220 point DOS version

i have been missing this game

Write a comment

Share your gamer memories, give useful links or comment anything you'd like. This game is no longer abandonware, we won't put it back online.

Buy Silent Service II

Silent Service II is available a small price on the following websites, and is no longer abandonware. GoG.com provide the best releases and does not include DRM, please buy from them! You can read our online store guide.

Game Extras and Resources

Some of these file may not be included in the game stores. For Silent Service II, we have the following files:

Other Releases

Silent Service II was also released on the following systems:

Amiga

• Year:1991
• Publisher:MicroProse Software, Inc.
• Developer:MPS Labs

Atari ST

• Year:1991
• Publisher:MicroProse Software, Inc.
• Developer:MPS Labs

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