Play Save The Whales Online

Dodge harpoons and radioactive junk as a submarine defending whales—then switch sides and play as the whaling ship in chaotic two-player mode. The janky controls somehow make nailing those angled shots even more satisfying.

Released: 2002

File size: 2.36 KB

Game Overview

Save The Whales is one of those weirdly charming Atari 2600 games where you're basically a submarine vigilante protecting whales from evil fishermen. The whales swim across the bottom of the screen while nets and harpoons rain down—your job is to blast them before they hit. It starts simple, but then radioactive debris starts floating in from the right (because of course it does), and suddenly you're dodging that too.

What I love is how chaotic it gets when you play two-player—one of you controls the sub, the other gets to be the jerk whaling ship. The controls are janky in that classic Atari way, but after a few tries, you get weirdly good at angling shots just right. Five hits and you're done, so it's all about quick reflexes and not getting distracted by the blocky whale sprites.

Honestly, it's more fun than it has any right to be for a game about saving pixelated marine life.