GATO

The Good
It's fun. The missions are diverse (intercept a convoy, rescue a parachuter, destroy a target, etc). The gameplay is easy enough to be fun without having to consult a 500 page manual every few seconds but has all the necessary elements to make it realistic. And your log - you save your log with a list of all of the Japanese ships you've sunk including their tonnage etc. I still enjoy this game today! The atmosphere was sooo cool for the time being.

The Bad
Well, graphics and sound don't match up today. And the game will get repetitive - there's only one island chain and the same (although diverse) missions all over again. I would have really liked a storyline-based campaign mode or a mission- and scenario add on.

The Bottom Line
Good luck finding it anywhere, but if you do odds are you'll enjoy it. I did, and I usually hate simulators with a passion.

The Good
It gave me something to do besides homework. Of course, I did enjoy sinking ships, which was fun to do when you are 14.

The Bad
The lack of AI. I quickly figured out an easy strategy for sinking ships. I'd run around, making as much noise as possible to attract the destroyers. Once I knew they were in-bound, I'd release a ton of mines as I submerged, then I waited. Given a few minutes and I had sank the entire escort force. Finding and sinking merchant ships after that was easy. Also, rescuing pilots was a very boring effort. It was a lot like trolling for fish, wandering around until the computer decided you found him.

The Bottom Line
It's a very simplistic submarine game played in a WWII environment. It is essentially you against the Japanese Navy and Merchant Fleet. The only ally you have is the sub tender who'll come out and give you more fuel and ammunition. There is no resemblance between the map you work with and the real world, just a bunch of islands for you to navigate around.