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Silent Service for Nintendo NES
Silent Service for Nintendo NES is a submarine simulation in which you command an American submarine in the Pacific during the Second World War. You search for Japanese convoys, choose an attack position and then try to return home safely. Torpedoes and fuel are limited. Attacking a freighter therefore involves more than picking a target: you also have to consider the escorts that may come after you and drop depth charges.
From the conning tower you switch between charts, instruments, the periscope and damage reports. You track ships' courses and distances, control your speed and diving depth, and decide when to fire. On the surface you can use the deck gun and recharge the batteries. Underwater, depth and quieter movement offer other ways to escape. There are firing exercises, individual convoy attacks and longer patrols, with adjustable difficulty and options such as dud torpedoes.
You play as one commander, but you need two standard controllers to access the full set of controls. The second controller turns the periscope, adjusts the deck gun's aim and operates emergency functions, among other things; this is not a separate two-player campaign. A patrol requires both planning and reading your instruments. The cartridge has no passwords or battery-backed saving to resume a voyage after switching off.
Region and language
Our Nintendo NES games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose cartridge for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With Silent Service for Nintendo NES, you receive a loose cartridge. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of Silent Service
Silent Service began in 1985 as a computer simulation from MicroProse, designed by Sid Meier. Its subject was American submarine warfare in the Pacific. Instead of a fixed shooting course, the game allowed you to search for a convoy and choose your own moment to attack. The computer version's manual described how realistic submarine tactics had guided the design and testing. Situations had to be assessed in terms of course, visibility and the escorts' positions.
Rare subsequently handled the conversion to Nintendo NES. The American cartridge was released by Ultra Games, while Konami handled the European edition. That European version arrived in 1990. The move from computer to console retained the commander's different stations. An on-screen pointer replaced many individual commands: you select an instrument or aiming function, for example, and confirm your choice with a controller button.
Some controls moved to the second controller, including turning the periscope. This clearly distinguishes the edition from a computer game with a keyboard. The scenarios refer to submarines such as USS Plunger and USS Wahoo, presenting daylight attacks alongside night encounters. Longer patrols connect these battles with navigation and the return to base. Silent Service on NES is thus a console adaptation of the original simulation, not an action game about a fictional super-submarine.
Similar games for Nintendo NES
The Hunt for Red October for Nintendo NES also puts you in control of a submarine and asks you to balance weapons, fuel and stealth. You see the boat from the side and dodge obstacles directly while firing torpedoes horizontally and missiles upwards. Silent Service splits your attention between charts and instruments. You prepare an attack on shipping rather than travelling through a sequence of action areas.
Top Gun: The Second Mission on Nintendo NES shares the military vehicles, moving targets and need to return safely. You fly an F-14 and choose your missiles before departure. Combat focuses on speed, evasion and quick shooting. Silent Service lets you establish an attack course much more slowly, but a mistake can send an escort to your position later. The submarine also requires you to monitor depth and batteries.
Raid on Bungeling Bay for Nintendo NES combines attacks with protecting a home base. You fly a helicopter over freely explorable islands, bomb factories and return to your aircraft carrier for repairs and more bombs. Silent Service offers similar choices about pressing on or withdrawing, but shows the surroundings through navigation charts and the periscope. The helicopter game constantly demands direct steering; the submarine simulation mainly concerns observation, choosing a course and carefully preparing an attack.
Captain Skyhawk on Nintendo NES likewise has you carry out missions with limited heavy weapons and then return to a supply point. The aircraft flies over terrain shown at an angle, interspersed with aerial attacks, supply missions and rescues. Silent Service stays with historical naval warfare and lets you approach a convoy yourself. Whereas Captain Skyhawk mainly tests your flying movements and firing speed, in Silent Service you must combine information from different screens before launching a torpedo.
F-15 City War for Nintendo NES also involves combat with military vehicles and attacks on ships and other targets. Its jet has unlimited ammunition and faces a series of shooting areas with enemies and a final target. Silent Service instead makes each torpedo part of a limited stock. You can wait longer, seek another position or avoid an encounter. The difference therefore lies not just in flying or sailing, but also in weighing up an attack against conserving your resources.
