Review Date: January 21, 2021
Release Date: Autumn 1982
Platform: Atari 800
Genre: ?????
Anecdotes: Synapse made such a great game in Shamus, so we thought, why not try out another Synapse game? It sounded like a good idea, so my dad somehow acquired Nautilus. It was on cassette, labeled Nautilus (0-109), give or take a few numbers. That meant we would have to sit and wait for it to load; that took forever. Then after microwaving a pizza, it finally loaded. Yay! I got to play this and do whatever it is that I’m supposed to do. Why am I player two? What am I shooting at? What is that thing floating in the water? What is the point of this?
Description: You are operating a submarine with the intention of destroying the buildings under water and grabbing the “Proto-Energy Pods.” Meanwhile, a boat sends an object similar to a bank capsule periodically across the floor that repairs the buildings. I guess. If you have a second player, one of you can play as the boat to experience a different type of suffering.
Positives: Well, the game looks pretty good. Perhaps some fun can be drawn out of it if you have two players. The graphics are nice and the use of split screen allows for two players in different areas to see what they’re doing at all times.
Negatives: Again, what is the point of this? You can destroy buildings for points, but the boat will just repair them. You can grab all the pods, but they just reappear. You can try to clear the area, but nothing happens. There is a time limit for reasons I don’t know. For added torture, there’s also a scoring system that exists just to irritate you. The whole thing feels like more of a “tech demo” than an actual game.
Grade: D