A VIC-20 port by Gary York was released in 1983[2] and an Apple II version by Patrick Buckland the same year.

The action takes place in the Mediterranean Sea, where the player has to track down a number of allied convoys and then approach them underwater to attack with their torpedoes.

Submarine Commander plays in real time: the actions of the player and those of the enemy convoys occur simultaneously.

When one is sighted, announced by a bonging sound, the player lowers the submarine to attack depth and continues the approach using the sonar display.

If the submarine is underwater, the destroyers and patrol boats will attack, while the tankers and cargo ships attempt to flee.

The game ends when the air runs out, the hull reaches damage level 9, there are no torpedoes or fuel left, or all the convoys have been destroyed.

[19] A 1993 Computer Gaming World survey of wargames gave Submarine Commander one star out of five, describing it as "innovative in its time, but now offers next to nothing for the simulation gamer".

Yet Submarine Commander added an extra flavour of being immersed in 3D which is a dramatic step in contrast to those many, many side-scrolling shoot-em up games.