Is Operation Wolf worth playing on the C64 today?

[@TheOriginalNCDV]

It's the SID music that really made this game. I loved the Ocean loader and title music. Still do actually.

[@2000DC]

Sid tunes improve a lot of C64 games.

[@oscarjimenezgarrido7591]

The C64 title music theme by Jonathan Dunn has been reused/remixed for the main menu too in the VR prequel by Microids that was just released on the Quest, PSVR2 and PCVR. Not sure if Dunn is properly credited here although I would hope so, seeing the obvious love for the original game being so noticeable on the developer teams' part but yeah, go check videos - it's there. And again, the story is repeating, with reviewers accusing the new game of being simplistic and too easy this time, but see that all of them without exception chose to play with the optional gun sight turned on, which is akin to running the Tour de France riding an electric bike and then complaining it was too boring and easy.

[@LoveDoctorNL]

Yeah I mostly agree, but at the time we loved it. So I still load it up for nostalgia

[@painkillergko]

With mouse is a pure plasure:)

[@Banditsalive]

One of the main differences between games of this era and now is perseverance. Games in the modern era really guide you into the game play. Storyline, opening or cut scenes etc. In the 80's the games were quite brutal when you try them now. We were just used to it. We had to try time & time again until we built up a level of skill to even begin to enjoy the game play. We had patience so trying these again now highlights how much the games & we have changed. Games were alot harder because the margin for error was small. Still great fun to reminisse, but you need a very good joystick & an afternoon of patience.

[@thierrykurt3867]

I think the use of the mouse is essential

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

I'm just wondering how the programmers got just one part of the screen to scroll within its own "window". I have an idea how it could be done, but I'd like to know. Anyone?

[@spacefractal]

The game used char tile animation for the status window, while the energy bar was covered by a multiplexed sprites all the way down. Smart trick and well used.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@spacefractalSmart indeed.

[@spacefractal]

Yep a surprice way to used software animation tiles, normally used on parallax scrolling. Here it's preshifted the opposite way, so it's look like the windows stood still. But it's diddent. Im actually like that.

[@spacefractal]

Bubble bobble used smart tricks as well as it's used software sprites for the bubbles. Hence they only ran in 19 fps. But you won't notice that.

[@StewiesRetroGaming]

Is an all time classic light gun game but yeah have to agree other ports are more forgiving controls wise, I find actually the light gun and SMS version to be a lotta fun. Enjoyed this one 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🕹☕

[@2000DC]

Yeah wish I could get the mouse support working. Going to give it a go on the NES with the zapper.

[@acied6200]

Wih light gun or mouse it is awesome

[@alerey4363]

Maybe some slowed down version to compensate for the sluggish joystick aiming? Otherwise pretty faithful conversion with lots of sprites and vivid backgrounds!

[@2000DC]

I still want to try this out with a mouse, I think that would really improve it.

[@oscarjimenezgarrido7591]

I respectfully but strongly disagree. The joystick control method in this game is not only good, but more than that, it's masterfully designed. Not only does it try - and succeed - to mimic the feeling of waving a heavy weapon around with the way it simulates inertia, it also allows the player to be able to sway the gun sight from one corner of the screen to the extreme opposite in less than a second, which turned what ought to be a relatively simple gameplay mechanic into something way more complex and extremely satisfying to master, given enough time and practice. No offense meant, but as soon as the actual gameplay started I had to repress the urge to scream to the screen "no, no, no! That's not how it works!" because, well, that's not the way this game is meant to be played with a joystick. This is meant to be a "one bullet, one death" affair, and (short) bursts of automatic fire should be reserved exclusively for armored vehicles and the odd occassion when you stumble upon the 10 second full auto power boost, that's it and that's all - if you plan to make it farther than the jungle stage, at least, without running out of ammo. The C64 version was the best of the 8-bit bunch by an ample margin. It was the only one that relied on and required a modicum of skill and some sort of capacity of strategic, on-the-fly thinking and ammo management on the player's part. The Spectrum and Amstrad versions didn't feel like you were aiming and firing a gun at all, but more like sweeping heaps of cardboard cutouts dragged by strong winds with no order or reason, forcing the player to rely exclusively on sheer luck in order to progress. Heck, I still prefer it over the Amiga and ST versions. The only other one that didn't felt off to me was the PC Engine one. I've heard great things about the FM Towns version too, but I never had the chance to try it personally. Edit: back in the day, I was able to loop through the game almost endlessly without any sort of trainer or pokes, relying only on my aim and ability, up to the point where I had to allow myself to get killed or simply switch the 64 off. I disagree with the review, again, on this particular: not only is possible to chain perfect shots, going from soldier to soldier to vehicle to soldier to power up to soldier, etcetera, but blaming the game's controls for the reviewer's own inability to hit the targets properly is not only unfair towards the programmers tasked with the conversion - who did a stellar job of it - but also deceiving to any prospective user who may rely on the review to decide whether the game might be ultimately worth playing or not.

[@AudieHolland]

Before even watching, it wasn't even worth playing back at the time, at least on a Commodore 64. I did play it but we got a cracked copy from Germany. If I had to pay for it, I would never have played it. One Commodore 64 game that still is worth playing today: Sid Meier's Pirates!