Requires:4 MB RAM 68020 or better, Color QuickDraw, System 6.07 or better 6 MB free HD space
Protection: None
 
Back in 1985 there weren’t very many good games out there for the Mac. It was in fact, a real wasteland, and I remember thinking to myself “why didn’t I get an Amiga?” Then along came a Mac version of the PC game GATO, and everything seemed better. GATO was one of the first great games for the Mac and it succeeded in doing a pretty good job of simulating GATO class subs in the Pacific theater of operations. Just to give you an idea of how long ago this was, the system requirements listed on the side of the GATO box are “Apple Macintosh 128k.” Ultimately, GATO set the standard for submarine games on the Mac and although there has subsequently been a continual (albeit slow) improvement in every new sub sim for the Mac, submarine games have been largely ignored on our beloved platform. There is a shade of irony that on the cusp of a new era for Mac users (with the inevitable conversion to Power Macs) one of the better games available for the Mac is WolfPack from Nova Logic, a WWII submarine and naval simulator poised to overshadow all that have come before.
From a different “Port” of Call. Nova Logic is of course primarily a DOS game company and past experience with PC games appearing on the Mac scene has showed us that more often than not we can expect a very average “port” from the DOS version. Clearly however, Nova Logic has learned from the mistakes of it’s predecessors. Specifically they realized that venturing into the Mac gaming arena thinking that VGA graphics would woo Mac users would be a big mistake. WolfPack is truly a Mac version of a PC game and not a cheap copy. It will be interesting to see if Nova Logic ventures yet further into that shadowy realm of the 680X0 in the future.
Operation Petticoat This is Not. When booting WolfPack from the CD-ROM you are treated to a spectacular five minute rendered movie of a submarine a few feet under the sun laden surface of the ocean with destroyers chasing it and a fair compliment of crashing waves and fluid motion. Essentially, the only difference between the CD-ROM version and the disk version is the rendered animation sequences at the beginning of the game and the end of missions. Otherwise, the game runs from your hard drive and there is no performance hit at all between the versions. If you boot WolfPack from your desktop and the CD is not in the drive then the animation sequences are omitted.
After the opening sequence you are given the choice of watching a demo, entering the construction set, or playing one of the 70 preset missions at your disposal. These missions are grouped into three sets of “Easy” “Medium” and “Hard” and range from submarine command to destroyer and freighter command. By including the option to command anti-sub destroyers or control freight convoys, this is the first submarine type game that really deals with all aspects of naval command in WWII.
After choosing a scenario you are transported to the bridge of your command vessel and are given a radio message explaining your mission goals. Once you are familiar with your mission you can chose to either sit back and watch the action unfold, or take control of the proceedings personally. This is achieved through the use of the “Auto” command button located on every ship’s bridge. Use of this button lets you control as many or as few of the ships in your fleet that you desire. For example, if you notice that a sub that you are not controlling is in a better kill position you can jump to it by clicking on the ship insignia (on your control panel) and take control of that sub by clicking on the “User Control” button. This makes it possible to have control over a number of ships and to supersede the present captains orders. All ships are controlled by a computer captain that is labeled either Relentless, Resourceful, Cautious, or By the Book, and they are named and laid out in the manual so that you can plan your assaults by gauging the aggressiveness of you ship commanders.
 
The scoring system is based on a zero-sum approach which means that no mater how many ships are on the surface, they add up to 50 percent of the ship points. Likewise, no matter how many submarines are under the water they also equal 50 percent of the total ship points. Confusing? Well, suffice to say that if there are ten ships on the surface and five submarines then each submarine sunk will be worth twice what a surface ship is. That system accounts for 90 percent of the scoring, with total fleet damage accounting for the remaining 10 percent. In the event of a tie, the submarines always loose. The length of game is determined by a time limit, although completion of mission goals and annihilation of the opponent will also end the scenario.
All Commands are a “Click” Away. WolfPack’s command interface can be accessed by either clicking the appropriate area on the screen, or entering the keyboard equivalents. Many of the keyboard commands are of the “press V and 0 together” variety and many people will probably find that pointing and clicking is more efficient as it only requires one hand. All of the expected gauges are on screen, including depth, speed, battery charge, fuel, torpedoes, and heading, as well as access to depth charges, hedgehogs, snorkel mode and the deck gun, depending on what ship you are in. In fact, all of the commands, as well as damage, tactical and strategic maps, and status reports are available from the main screen, thus eliminating time-consuming switches between important areas. This makes controlling your compliment of ships far more efficient and pleasurable than many other submarine games available on any platform.
Many controls are displayed in both analog and digital form and many of the controls have several ways to input commands. For example, clicking anywhere on the heading wheel automatically starts to turn the ship to that heading (providing you are moving). This same function can also be controlled by clicking on the arrows contained inside the wheel, or even by keyboard equivalents. Nova Logic should be commended for ensuring a variety of inputs are available for the same commands and that every tidbit of necessary information is accessible without taking your eyes off the bridge. Although not particularly scientific or specific, range calculators for the deck gun and lead calculators for the torpedoes are also just a click away, although it seems like you have to be uncomfortably close to the enemy to get the torpedo calculator to engage. All of the controls are quick and responsive and there is never delay in execution of your orders.
Best Graphics Yet. WolfPack shines graphically and surpasses every previous Mac submarine game in graphic quality and color. Plumes of water tower in front of your periscope during enemy shelling and white-hot fire showers from torpedo stricken freighters. Enemy ships sparkle with detail and color, and sonar sweep effortlessly in a manner previously seen only in the imagination of avid gamers. Although the sound is adequate and includes some nice digitized touches, one would expect that the inclusion of some speech and a better musical score would be a must on a game offered on CD-ROM. That aside, WolfPack is spectacular in sight, average in sound, and the animation sequences are jaw-droppingly captivating.
The manual is acceptable and covers all of the controls effectively. It also contains a section on tactics and some specifics on the scenario construction set as well as tables of captain tendencies and keyboard equivalents. The WolfPack manual lacks a tutorial, something that is important for those that don’t want to read the whole manual but want to play right away. The manual also is a little vague in some areas although nothing a little playing with the game itself doesn’t solve.
 
Get a “Charge” out of the “Depth” in WolfPack. By far the coolest thing about the gameplay in WolfPack is the ability to really control a “pack” of subs, flipping from sub to sub blasting away at convoys and chalking up the tonnage. And hey, if you make a bad move and get scrunched by a depth charge, then you can just switch to another ship. This aspect of the game is something that has not been explored previously in this genre. You actually have to think in terms of the well being of the entire pack of subs, or convoy, to win the game. You are not only in it for yourself, many lives and the fate of the war are in your hands. I must say it certainly is an interesting change sitting on the bridge of a vulnerable freighter while the two destroyers in the convoy go sub hunting with their hedge-hogs (sea bombs that sink and explode on contact with a sub). This flexibility makes for some great head-to-head showdowns with other humans. Head-to-head play is achieved on one machine by utilizing a turn-based system.
The Inevitable Comparison. Although Sub Battle Simulator has recently been re-released, it’s really not in the same league as WolfPack, so for these reasons we will not include it in a comparison. This leaves only U-Boat from Deadly Games to compete in this niche. When looking at speed, presentation, playability, graphics and replayability, WolfPack is the hands-down winner. Inclusion of the scenario editor ensures infinite possibilities and the two-player option will keep games fresh. Where WolfPack falls short of U-Boat is in overall ambiance and realism. U-Boat has that certain dramatic tension that makes you really feel like it’s only you against the convoy you are stalking, and one mistake will snuff your life. It will be difficult however, for U-Boat to compete against what is clearly a superior product that utilizes newer gaming technology. If you like these kind of games, you should have both. If you like lots of action, great graphics and fast game play, WolfPack is your choice.
Torpedoed the Competition. WolfPack is the clear leader in this genre, and the incorporation of great graphics, fun game play, seventy scenarios, and a scenario construction set make this game an important addition to the Mac games market. The unique strategic perspective of convoy and destroyer command take the submarine simulation to the next level and prove that DOS games can be ported successfully to the Mac without sacrificing quality.
