Hunter

Hunter was a 3D action game released for the Apple II in 1989 by Activision. This first-person combat game put players in control of a special forces soldier on dangerous missions behind enemy lines. The game stood out on the Apple II for its attempt at creating a 3D world when most games were still using 2D graphics.

In Hunter, you played as a soldier dropped into enemy territory with specific mission objectives. These missions included destroying radar stations, rescuing prisoners, or eliminating enemy commanders. The game world was huge for its time, featuring islands with buildings, vehicles, and enemy soldiers. You could walk, drive jeeps and tanks, fly helicopters, and even sail boats to complete your objectives.

The gameplay was complex for an Apple II game. You had to manage your soldier's health, ammunition, and fuel for vehicles. A compass and map helped you navigate the large game world. Combat happened in real-time, meaning enemies would shoot at you while you moved and aimed. You could use different weapons like pistols, machine guns, and grenades. The game also included stealth elements where you could sneak past enemies instead of fighting them.

What made Hunter special was its open-world design. Unlike most Apple II games that had linear levels, Hunter let you approach missions in different ways. You could assault an enemy base directly or find a boat to approach from the water. This freedom was rare in 1989, especially on the Apple II's limited hardware.

The graphics used simple wireframe 3D to show the game world. Buildings and vehicles were basic shapes made of lines, but this allowed the Apple II to render a large 3D environment. Sound was minimal, with simple beeps for gunfire and explosions. The game pushed the Apple II's 128KB of memory to its limits.

Hunter received mixed reviews. Some players loved the freedom and realistic military action. Others found the controls difficult and the graphics too simple. The slow frame rate on the Apple II made aiming and driving challenging. Despite these issues, Hunter influenced later military games with its open-world design and vehicle variety.

While Hunter appeared on other computers like the Amiga and Atari ST with better graphics, the Apple II version deserves recognition for attempting something ambitious. It showed that even older computers could create complex 3D worlds with creative programming. Hunter remains an interesting example of developers pushing the Apple II beyond what seemed possible.