11/13/2010

Amiga: Desert Strike (1992)

This classic was previously going to be named Apache AHX: Desert Madman, but Electronic Arts decided to connect this game more to Operation Desert Storm from the Gulf War and titled it

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf


It hit the shelves in 1992 for the SEGA Megadrive but a much upgraded version was released in 1993 for the Amiga. The plot is simple: A middle-eastern dictator goes mad and threatens the western world, the US forces intervene. What a unique idea for a game. Well, back then I guess it was! So here we go: you are flying a lone helicopter over enemy territory, while you are all on your own.


The pilot commands a AH-64 Apache helicopter and although Desert Strike is a shoot-em up, it is less frantic than typical games of this genre, which is due to the emphasis of strategic elements. Something enjoyable in this game is the freedom of movement. Viewed from an isometric perspective, the player is free to fly his chopper multi-directional across a large map.

But before you can enter the battlefield, there is a quick briefing prior to any mission.


Once you have reached enemy territory, you will be able to fire your machine guns, Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles. Destroy enemy installations, vehicles, weapons, rescue hostages or capture enemy personnel. Your craft has limited fuel, ammo and armour. However, power-ups are available on the whole map, as well as supply zones.


Desert strike, remained a top-10 best seller for a long time and earned around 90-95% scores throughout the reviews! It is definitely worth a try, if you enjoy retro gaming.

24 comments:

  1. Ooo I remember this! Thanks for bringing back memories

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  2. good old times..:)

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  3. i follow you every day..nice blog

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  4. I remember this :) but I was never good at that game :(...

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  5. This game looks sweet, gonna pick up an emulator ASAP

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  6. Holy crap! I remember playing jungle strike on the umm sega genesis? That game was awesome!! I bet this one is just as good! /nostalgia

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  7. so wicked! i have it on an emulator it is worth it

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  8. I wonder if this is related to the Desert Strike maps on StarCraft 2.

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  9. I LOVE THIS GAME! I have it for Genesis and I play it at least a few times a year. So many summers as a kid just playing it over and over again. I liked the sequels too!

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  10. And a few years later, this game gets ported to the SNES. For some reason, it looks worse than it did on the Amiga.

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  11. i remember this game! it was awesome!

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  12. the one screen cap looks like commando

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  13. i miss these old good games...

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  14. Old games make me happy, they're so simple, so cubic, I love em.
    Great game.

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  15. I so much liked this game when I was a little boy

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