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Destroyer is a simulation which caters for the more nautically minded, as it puts you in command of a fully-armed Fletcher Class American Destroyer and its crew. However, as Captain of this vessel you have to single-handedly win the wars in the Pacific and Atlantic.

There are seven different missions, all of which have three levels of difficulty - easy, intermediate and advanced - and range from hunting down U-Boat Wolfpacks to defending merchant ships from Kamikaze bombers and Japanese warships. These duties call for an intimate knowledge of the destroyer, so detailed instructions on the destroyer's workings are included, covering the ship's different 'stations'. Each station is accessed by entering two letters - BR for bridge, RA for radar, DC for depth charges, and so on.

The first station is REPORT which produces a short, scrolling message from radar or damage control. The HELM station has pursuit and evade modes along with manual and automatic pilot, whilst the CREW STATUS station allows the Captain to command his sailors.

Anti-aircraft guns and torpedo launchers and situated either side of the ship, and 5-inch/38 calibre, semi-automatic guns are located forward and aft. The anti-aircraft guns are used primarily for defence, whereas the 5-inch guns and torpedoes are regarded as offensive armament.

From the bridge, offensive and defensive stations can be stood to attention, either individually or all at once by sounding 'General Quarters'. The bridge display consists of a large panel full of toggle switches and dials. Moving the joystick left highlights each toggle switch in turn and pressing fire button activates the function.

The ship is moved either automatically - after plotting a course from the navigation chart, or manually, by steering from either the bridge, sonar, radar or observation stations. Highlighting the dial that shows a 'steer to' heading allows the ship to be turned to a different heading. The speed meter and speed controls give the Captain the option of 'full ahead', half speed, slow, stop and slow reverse, all accompanied by a nice ring of the bells and a repeat of the order - just like the movies!

A constant check must be kept on the status of the ship, and damage repaired immediately. If ten or more stations are damaged beyond repair, the destroyer sinks and the game ends with a report on your achievements as a Captain... while you go down with the ship in the time-honoured tradition.

Destroyer is one of the most playable simulations I've ever seen on the C64. The instrumentation is beautifully drawn, and although the spot FX are quite simple, they work well enough.

The anti-aircraft section features some superb spot effects and beautiful animation which really adds to a sense of atmosphere. I especially like the way enemy planes, once hit, topple into the sea with a beautiful "Sploosh!"

The submarine-hunting section in which the sonar screen needds to be constantly watched mimics the monotony of the real thing a little too well!

Overall though, the small imperfections that could be put down to the realism of Destroyer do not detract from what is a highly absorbing game that should keep hardened simulation players coming back for more and more.

Getting used to controlling your very own fully armed destroyer and its array of weapons is a very tricky business indeed. But, once mastered, the game becomes totally engrossing. A constant eye must be kept on the scrolling messages as although you may be involved in, say, chasing a submarine, you are likely to be subjected to air attacks or shelling - and a slip of concentration can prove disastrous.

The graphics are excellent, especially effects such as planes crashing into the sea and the launching of torpedoes. With the many missions that can be undertaken and their varying difficulties, things rarely become dull. Destroyer has a totally compelling air about it that makes you want more.

To my knowledge it's the only simulation of its kind and a brilliant one at that. I'm sure it will have a long lasting appeal.

This strikes me as being an arcade game cum simulation, rather than a dedicated simulation of naval warfare. It has all the attention-to-detail of a good simulation, but not enough stimulating arcade action.

Shooting down planes is the most enjoyable section of all, but this soon proves tedious and I lost interest. To be honest, I'm not fond of simulations. However, Destroyer is more absorbing than most other simulations I've played.

Even so, it takes a lot of effort to get results - something I'm not prepared to do with a game. What irritates me the most though, is that the different screens have to be loaded from disk. I dread to think what the cassette version will be like - that is, if US Gold bother to release Destroyer on cassette.

Presentation 90%
Detailed instructions and a well thought out control system. Unfortunate loading system though.

Graphics 87%
Superb representation of the various components of the ship, combined with some impressive visual effects.

Sound 72%
Simple, but suitable spot FX.

Hookability 81%
Comprehensive instructions pave the way to an absorbing simulation.

Lastability 86%
Five missions and three levels of difficulty to keep any budding seaman coming back for more.

Value For Money 80%
A worthy investment for those interested in naval warfare.

Overall 85%
An accurate and absorbing disk-based simulation.