The Game Player, #8  -- Vol. 5, pg. 127, June 17, 1983
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Michael Prosise shoots 'em down in . . .

1)  NAUTILUS
    L&M Software

     NAUTILUS
     Advertised as the sequel to EXITOR'S REVENGE, this sea-faring adventure is another good game from L&M.  The similarity to the EXITOR game is that here again you control at cannon that shoots up at Exitor, who is moving back and forth across the screen.
     The machine language graphics depict an ocean with several stationary ships afloat and a land mass to the right.  In the sky is Exitor, who releases small drone ships one at a time, for you to try and blast out of the sky.  You are a small submarine, which can move left and right.
     NAUTILUS is a one player game and a surprisingly easy one at that.  On my third try, I shot down all 45 drones, and lost only one of four subs, for a total score of 31,500. (The game is over when you destroy 45 drones or lose all of your subs.)  It is unusual to receive such an unchallenging game from L&M.  On the other hand, it's nice to beat the computer, and all of us liked the game.
     ON SIDE TWO is the game 3-D TIC TAC TOE, the very best tic-tac-toe game you'll find for the Astrocade.  We are very impressed with it, both as a tic-tac-toe game because it's 3-D (3 boards/levels at once) and the cartridge quality.  It is a two player game only.  And that get's the "boo-of-the-month." Why should such a fine tic-tac-toe game be inaccessible to the single player?  Surely a programming adjustment can be made to allow the single player to play against the computer.  How about it L&M?
     Both GAMMA WARS and NAUTILUS are the shoot-em-up type of game, based on the classic mother of them all, SPACE INVADERS.  There certainly is nothing, negative about this, but it seems the market is quite saturated with these type of games.  My sense is that there is a growing hunger for non shoot-em-up type of games.  I write this in hopes that our software manufacturers will look at what's popular in the Arcades and start churning out some of these.  The June issue of ELECTRONIC GAMES reveals in their reader's poll that of the top ten coin-ops, only two of the ten favorites are shoot em-up games. (Zaxxon & Centipede)  Favorites include such games as Q-Bert, Ms. Pac Man, Tron, Dig-Dug, Donkey Kong, Lady Bug, and Frogger.  Astrocade owners probably have the same tastes.  Let's hope we see games like these soon, and other games such as Rally X, Qix, Pepper II and Battlezone.  (A good tank maze game would be really nice!)  The Game Player and his panel of players urge you to write to our software "game-makers" and let them know what you want.  They would appreciate it greatly, I am certain.