Operation Wolf Commodore 64 game

Operation Wolf is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Taito and released in 1987. The game was later ported to various home systems.

This critically and commercially successful game became one of the highest-grossing arcade games of 1988 and earned the Golden Joystick Award for Game of the Year. Operation Wolf introduced military-themed first-person light gun rail shooters, inspiring numerous clones and imitators in the genre over the next decade. It also led to four sequels: Operation Thunderbolt (1988), Operation Wolf 3 (1994), Operation Tiger (1998), and Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission (2023).

Gameplay: In Operation Wolf, players assume the role of Special Forces Operative Roy Adams, aiming to rescue five hostages held captive in enemy territory. The game employs a first-person perspective and rail-shooter mechanics, with the screen scrolling horizontally through the landscape. The game unfolds across six stages, each advancing the story and objectives. For instance, completing the jungle stage leads to an enemy soldier's interrogation and the revelation of the hostages' location.

Players use an optical controller resembling an Uzi submachine gun, mounted on a swiveling base for aiming and elevation. The gun assembly simulates recoil, and players can fire fully automatically by pulling the trigger, while a button near the muzzle launches grenades with a wide blast radius.

To progress, players must eliminate a required number of soldiers and vehicles, indicated by an on-screen counter. Ammunition and grenades can be replenished by shooting crates, barrels, coconuts, and animals. Players also face attacks from enemies using gunfire, knives, grenades, and various projectiles, which can be shot down. Health power-ups and stage completion help recover damage.

The six stages and their effects on gameplay are as follows:

1. Communication Setup - Reduces enemy count in subsequent stages.
2. Jungle - Grants access to the concentration camp.
3. Village - Heals significant damage.
4. Powder Magazine - Restores ammunition and grants grenades.
5. Concentration Camp - Protects hostages.
6. Airport - Safeguard hostages and eliminate a final helicopter.

The game concludes under conditions like the player's character dying, running out of supplies, failing to rescue hostages, or not boarding them on the plane.

Home Conversions: Operation Wolf was converted for various platforms, including Amstrad CPC, DOS, NES, Amiga 500, Atari ST, Master System, FM Towns, Commodore 64, PC Engine, and ZX Spectrum. While most lacked light gun support, the NES and Master System versions featured it.

Legacy: Operation Wolf revolutionized the light gun shooter genre, transitioning from cartoonish themes to a more realistic and violent military approach. Its influence extended to subsequent arcade shooters with mounted machine gun controls, inspiring various games and sequels. It was a pivotal game in the genre's evolution, popularizing first-person light gun rail shooters.

Sources: Wikipedia - "Operation Wolf"