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SeaQuest DSV (video game)
Encyclopedia
seaQuest DSV is a real-time simulator/strategy game depiction of the seaQuest DSV
television series for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
and Mega Drive/Genesis
. The player takes the role of the captain of the submarine seaQuest DSV 4600
, and is tasked with carrying out a series of missions in a series of levels, divided up as "ocean quadrants". There is a Game Boy
game as well, although completely different compared to the 16-bit
console versions.
overworld
and are able to buy equipment and weapons and travel the ocean quadrant, and the actual horizontal scrolling shooter style missions, in which you are to achieve various objectives using a complement of mini-subs, robots, and even a trained dolphin wearing an aqua-lung
. Some of the missions are simplistic and require you to make use of only one of the seaQuest's vessels, others have you make use of several of them in succession. For example, there's a mission in the first ocean quadrants where you have to rescue the crew of an exploration vessel trapped in a caved-in underwater cave, and have to use armed subs to clear several cave-ins before you can bring in the only mini-sub you have that's equipped to rescue personnel from other subs. The missions also typically involve combat between your mini-subs and the units of pirates, eco-terrorists
, and other foes, but also more often than not require you to perform some sort of non-combat task such as the aforementioned rescue operation.
The other part of the game is the overworld where the player controls the seaQuest herself. These areas give you access to several menus in which you can replace lost equipment, buy new weapons for the seaQuest, and read up on the various missions you will receive while in your quadrant. While traveling your quadrant, you will also come across minefields, automated torpedo launchers and hostile submarines, many of which you need to destroy in order to achieve missions you are assigned in their area. For example, there's a mission in which you are to seal the leaks in an oil tanker sunk by ecological terrorists. In addition to accomplish this objective with your mini-subs, you need to not only complete the mission itself, but also to use the seaQuest herself to sink every terrorist submarine near the oil tanker wreck.
The game features a currency system, and awards you money for destroying enemy targets and completing objectives. The player can also lose money for destroying underwater settlements and killing animals present in some missions. Money is spent on weapons, countermeasures and mines for your seaQuest submarine, as well as replacements for lost vessels in missions. You don't need to spend money on repairs, though, as the seaQuest and her complement subs repair themselves over time.
THQ
worked directly with the computer graphics team at Amblin Entertainment
to make the seaQuest DSV game accurate and realistic to the designs seen in the series. Several of the original unused concept designs for the seaQuest (seen right), as well as concepts for the renegade pirate submarine Delta IV that was featured in the series pilot movie, were used in the game as enemy capital ships.
Marketing for the games included a large print campaign in comics and gaming magazines like Electronic Gaming Monthly
, EGM2
, Nintendo Power
and Game Players
as well as several sci fi and fantasy magazines, such as Starlog
and Omni
.
on an episode of seaQuest DSV. It was later featured in the "Classified Information" section of issue 75 and 82 of Nintendo Power. Other reviews include Game Players giving the SNES version 88 out of 100 and GamePro 4/5 in their January 1995 issues, the Sega version got 82 out of 100 in February '95 issue of Game Players. The worst rating it got was from Video Games & Computer Entertainment
, which gave the SNES version 6 out of 10 in their January 1995 issue.
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
television series for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
. The player takes the role of the captain of the submarine seaQuest DSV 4600
SeaQuest DSV 4600
The UEO seaQuest DSV 4600 and the UEO seaQuest DSV 4600-II are the two titular submarines featured in the science fiction television series "seaQuest DSV", which ran for three seasons on NBC from 1993-1996...
, and is tasked with carrying out a series of missions in a series of levels, divided up as "ocean quadrants". There is a Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
game as well, although completely different compared to the 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
console versions.
Gameplay
The game is divided into two parts; one in which you control the seaQuest in an isometric perspectiveIsometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
and are able to buy equipment and weapons and travel the ocean quadrant, and the actual horizontal scrolling shooter style missions, in which you are to achieve various objectives using a complement of mini-subs, robots, and even a trained dolphin wearing an aqua-lung
Aqua-lung
Aqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
. Some of the missions are simplistic and require you to make use of only one of the seaQuest's vessels, others have you make use of several of them in succession. For example, there's a mission in the first ocean quadrants where you have to rescue the crew of an exploration vessel trapped in a caved-in underwater cave, and have to use armed subs to clear several cave-ins before you can bring in the only mini-sub you have that's equipped to rescue personnel from other subs. The missions also typically involve combat between your mini-subs and the units of pirates, eco-terrorists
Eco-terrorism
Eco-terrorism usually refers to acts of violence or sabotage committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes against persons or their property....
, and other foes, but also more often than not require you to perform some sort of non-combat task such as the aforementioned rescue operation.
The other part of the game is the overworld where the player controls the seaQuest herself. These areas give you access to several menus in which you can replace lost equipment, buy new weapons for the seaQuest, and read up on the various missions you will receive while in your quadrant. While traveling your quadrant, you will also come across minefields, automated torpedo launchers and hostile submarines, many of which you need to destroy in order to achieve missions you are assigned in their area. For example, there's a mission in which you are to seal the leaks in an oil tanker sunk by ecological terrorists. In addition to accomplish this objective with your mini-subs, you need to not only complete the mission itself, but also to use the seaQuest herself to sink every terrorist submarine near the oil tanker wreck.
The game features a currency system, and awards you money for destroying enemy targets and completing objectives. The player can also lose money for destroying underwater settlements and killing animals present in some missions. Money is spent on weapons, countermeasures and mines for your seaQuest submarine, as well as replacements for lost vessels in missions. You don't need to spend money on repairs, though, as the seaQuest and her complement subs repair themselves over time.
Production
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
worked directly with the computer graphics team at Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Amblin is only a production company, and has never distributed its own movies, nor has it fully financed its...
to make the seaQuest DSV game accurate and realistic to the designs seen in the series. Several of the original unused concept designs for the seaQuest (seen right), as well as concepts for the renegade pirate submarine Delta IV that was featured in the series pilot movie, were used in the game as enemy capital ships.
Marketing for the games included a large print campaign in comics and gaming magazines like Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, EGM2
EGM2
EGM² was a United States-based video game magazine that was first published by Sendai Publishing from July 1994 to July 1998. There are 49 issues of EGM² in total. The magazine was a spin-off of the popular magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly. Unlike EGM, however, EGM² lacked a reviews section and...
, Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
and Game Players
Game Players
Game Players was a monthly video game magazine founded by Robert C. Lock and published by Signal Research, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The original publication was titled Game Players Strategy to Nintendo Games...
as well as several sci fi and fantasy magazines, such as Starlog
Starlog
Starlog was a monthly science-fiction film magazine published by Starlog Group Inc. The magazine was created by publishers Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs. O'Quinn was the magazine's editor while Jacobs ran the business side of things, dealing with typesetters, engravers and printers. They got...
and Omni
Omni (magazine)
OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
.
Reception
The Genesis version was previewed in Electronic Gaming Monthly in November 1994 and the SNES version was reviewed by Nintendo Power in their February 1995 issue, and gave the game a 3.2/5 rating. This issue also held a contest, the winner got to be an extraExtra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
on an episode of seaQuest DSV. It was later featured in the "Classified Information" section of issue 75 and 82 of Nintendo Power. Other reviews include Game Players giving the SNES version 88 out of 100 and GamePro 4/5 in their January 1995 issues, the Sega version got 82 out of 100 in February '95 issue of Game Players. The worst rating it got was from Video Games & Computer Entertainment
Video Games & Computer Entertainment
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, home consoles and arcades...
, which gave the SNES version 6 out of 10 in their January 1995 issue.