The Hunt for Red October (series)



The Hunt for Red October is the title for two different video games published by Grandslam Entertainment. One based on the book The Hunt for Red October and one based on the movie The Hunt for Red October. The video game based on the book was released in 1987 and was available for the Atari ST, Amiga, Amstrad 1512 PC, Amstrad CPC, Apple Macintosh, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The video game based on the movie was released in 1990 and was available for ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Amstrad CPC, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES and Game Boy.

Based on the book
The video game based on the book was released in 1987 and was available for the Atari ST, Atari 8-bit, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple Macintosh, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and IBM PC. A port for the Apple IIGS was released in 1989. The player must navigate the Red October towards U.S. waters while avoiding the Soviet Navy.

The game is a combination of submarine simulator and strategy game. Computer Gaming World described it as an excellent submarine simulator, controlled entirely by mouse. The replay value of the game was also praised, as the Soviets change tactics with each game.

Based on the movie
The video game based on the movie was released in 1990 and was available for the ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, Atari 8-bit, IBM PC, Amstrad, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES and Game Boy.

The game featured deep sea combat, side-scrolling action, and cinematic sequences. The object is to evade destruction and eliminate saboteurs. The caterpillar drive is particularly useful for quietly escaping the enemy.

The Super NES version is one of only a few games that uses the Super Scope accessory, though it is only used to play bonus stages that put the submarine in first person view, where the player has to destroy a number of enemies and projectiles. The use of the Super Scope is optional.

The NES version has an exclusive level: the final stage changes to platform-style gameplay. The player, as Ramius, must find and disable bombs soviet-loyal crewmembers have set in the weapons bay of the Red October.