| Harpoon | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Three-Sixty Pacific Applied Computing Services |
| Publisher(s) | Three-Sixty Pacific, PSS |
| Series | Harpoon series |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, DOS, Macintosh |
| Release date(s) | 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time tactics, Wargame |
Harpoon is a computer game developed by Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc. in 1989 for the PC/MS-DOS. This was the first game in the Harpoon series.
Contents |
The player is the commander of either NATO or Soviet forces, commanding ships and aircraft, selecting from over 100 different weapon systems, and taking responsibility for judgment calls.[1] The game mainly focuses on combat in the GIUK Gap.
Harpoon is a naval simulator that uses data reflecting real-world equipment and weaponry, based on a miniatures wargame designed by former Naval officer and future author Larry Bond in 1980. There are no preset battle algorithms that dictate combat outcomes, and no play balance between sides. The game includes a user's guide with an appendix on superpower politics and maritime strategies in modern warfare, a Harpoon Tactical Guide by Larry Bond, and a booklet by author Tom Clancy that deals with Russian destroyers.[1] Clancy used the simulation to test the naval battles for Red Storm Rising, which he co-authored with Bond.[2]
The PC/MS-DOS version of the game was reviewed in 1990 in Dragon #156 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.[1] The Lessers reviewed the Macintosh version of the game in 1991 in Dragon #168, giving that version 5 stars as well.[3] The Lessers reviewed the Amiga version of the game in Dragon #174, also giving that version of the game 5 out of 5 stars.[4]