Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Turbo Sub

Turbo Sub is a first-person shoot 'em up released in arcades by Entertainment Sciences in 1985. Aliens have attacked the planet and the player fights them beneath the ocean using a submersible ship. Six years after the arcade original, Atari Corporation published a Lynx version, which adds a two-player mode.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
291 w
Citations
17
Source
Turbo Sub
Arcade flyer by Jeff Conly
DeveloperEntertainment Sciencesa
PublishersEntertainment Sciences
Atari Corporation (Lynx)
DesignerDick Keenan1
ProgrammersDick Keenan
Steve Tatsumi
David Fox
ArtistLars-Arne Hult1
ComposersGary Hubatka
Suren Yegiyants
PlatformsArcade, Atari Lynx
ReleaseArcade
Lynx
GenreShooter
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer
(Only on Atari Lynx)
Arcade systemRIP Systemb

Turbo Sub is a first-person shoot 'em up released in arcades by Entertainment Sciences in 1985.3 Aliens have attacked the planet and the player fights them beneath the ocean using a submersible ship.4 Six years after the arcade original, Atari Corporation published a Lynx version, which adds a two-player mode.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot source ↗

Development

Entertainment Sciences created Bouncer and then Turbo Sub before folding.4 According to a promotional flyer, Turbo Sub contains over 400 images.5

Release

A version for the Lynx was developed by NuFX and published by Atari Corporation in 1991.6 The manual clarifies the alien conflict as taking place on Earth in the 28th century.7

Reception

In 1986, Computer & Video Games magazine called Turbo Sub, "One of the most bizarre trips you're likely to make".8 The reviewer praised how the experience is automatically adjusted based on the player's skill, so the game plays differently over time.8

In a contemporaneous review for the Lynx version,9 Robert A. Jung concluded, "What Turbo Sub lacks in originality and variety, it makes up with blistering excitement. If you've got an appetite for simple, uncomplicated massive destruction at Mach 3, Turbo Sub is the way to go." He gave a score of 7.5 out of 10.10 In the "Atari Attack" column in the final issue of Raze magazine, Turbo Sub received a score of 73%.11

Notes

Notes

  1. Ported to Atari Lynx by NuFX
  2. Short for Real-Time Image Processor System.12
References

References

External links