Old Ironsides

Old Ironsides is a video game in the strategy genre developed by Optimum Resource, Inc. and published by Optimum Resource, Inc. originally released in 1982. It is currently playable on Apple II.

Old Ironsides is a two-player game that simulates 19th century naval combat. The action takes place on a single screen with each player controlling a three-masted sailing ship. The speed and movement of the ships are determined by the wind. The wind always blows from south to north, making movement southward difficult unless the player tacks and sails his ship in a zigzag pattern.

Each ship is equipped with twelve cannons, six on each side of the ship, and a supply of gunpowder. The object of the game is to defeat the opposing player in battle. A player loses if his ship is sunk or if it is lost in the fog.

Sinking a ship can be accomplished by firing cannons or ramming. Cannons fire perpendicular to the direction of travel. As a ship takes damage, a status indicator will slowly fill red and the ship will lose cannons, thus decreasing its firepower. Occasionally, a particularly accurate attack will hit an opponent's magazine, instantly destroying the opponent's ship. As players fire cannons, their supply of gunpowder will deplete. Gunpowder regenerates at a much slower rate than gunfire, so players must always keep an eye on their reserves.

If a ship moves away from the edge of the screen, it is said to be 'in the fog'. A ship that remains in the fog too long loses the battle. A series of increasingly high-pitched beeps warn the player that his time is running out. Navigation in the fog is aided by a compass indicator at the top of the screen. This indicator shows the ship's heading at all times and can be turned off if the player wishes to hide his movements in the fog.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.