Last updated on November 29th, 2023 at 09:10 am
Night of the 16th of May 1943, you’re a Royal Air Force pilot in the 617 Squadron.
Your mission is to destroy one of three dams Germany’s Ruhr valley – Mohne, Sorpe or Eder, creating so a huge damage to the enemy.
The Dam Busters is a combat flight simulator set in World War II produced by U.S. Gold. It was released on several platforms, and is loosely based on the real life Operation Chastise and the 1955 film. Three Missions: Dam Approach, English Channel, Scampton Field. This is in order from easiest to hardest.
The Dam Busters, a combat flight simulator set in World War II, was published by U.S. Gold in 1984 for various platforms, including the Commodore 64. Loosely based on the real-life Operation Chastise and the 1955 film, the game puts players in the roles of pilot, navigator, gunner, and bombardier of a British Lancaster bomber on a mission to destroy a German dam[. The game offers three different night missions, each increasing in difficulty, with the goal of successfully bombing a dam.
Despite its simple graphics and limited code, The Dam Busters received positive reviews for its engaging gameplay and immersive World War II atmosphere. Lemon64, a popular Commodore 64 gaming website, gave the game an overall score of 8/10, stating that it proves “you don’t need megabytes of code and piles of flashy graphics to make a game that is both enjoyable and challenging”. MobyGames also praised the game, ranking it 242 out of 5,575 games and giving it a 77% rating based on 5 reviews.
However, some critics noted that The Dam Busters lacked the depth and variability of other games, such as Silent Service, which may have limited its long-term appeal.
Nonetheless, the game remains a notable entry in the Commodore 64’s library, offering players a chance to experience the challenges and excitement of a World War II bombing mission.
Piloting a Lancaster, and you get back here by pressing [1].
From left to right §:altitude, compass, artificial horizon and airspeed. When you will be in position to bomb the dam the airspeed indicator will have a red marker showing the speed to match.
Pressing [2] will get you in the gunnery turret: shooting out searchlights, barrage balloons and enemy fighters. On the bombing scene screen [2] is also your bomb fire position: two spotlights appear (low altitude needed: exactly 60 feet).
By pressing [5] a map will appear showing enemy emplacements. The map will change giving you detailed information in real time.
The engine controls will get on screen by pressing [6]. On top are the boost gauges, and underneath them the engine gauges. The controls for the four engines are on the bottom left, with the boost controls being the bottom right. The yellow levers at top right are the engine fire extinguishers. You can tell an engine is on fire when its gauge is flashing.
Number 7 shows the fuel along the top, the flaps indicator in the middle, trim control at bottom left, flaps control in the middle (they can either be up or down), and landing gear at bottom right. Pressing 8 will show your damage report.
Taking off: set the flaps on screen 7 so that they’re down. On screen 6, put the boosters and engines at full power. Go on cockpit view, 1. When the airspeed reaches 12 o’clock or just after, haul back on the joystick and don’t stop until you leave the runway
On screen 7, put the flaps up, and put the landing gear up.
This game is based on the 1955 movie
