Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

n/a

Mega Drive Master System Game Gear
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU) Electronic Arts Victor (JP) Domark
Developer: Electronic Arts The Kremlin Tiertex
Distributor: Tengen (US)
Sound driver: custom (Brian Schmidt)
Genre: Shooting, Simulation, Action
Number of players: 1
Official in-game languages: English 日本語 English Deutsch Français Español
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-04-23 ¥8,9008,900 EM20010 US 1992-03 $49.9549.95 702201 EU 1992-03 E224SMXI EU (EA Classics) 1996-09 EAX02401038I DE 1992 DM 110110 E224SMXI DE (EA Classics) 1996 EAX02401038I PT 199x UK 1992-03 £39.9939.99 E224SMXI SE (Rental) 199x AU 199x BR 199x KR 199x GM8083JT EU 1993-11 MK 29010-50 PT 1993 MS29010 UK 1993-11 £29.9929.99 MK 29010-50 AU 199x FDES01SEC US 1994-01 $39.9539.95 EU 1994-01 T-88068-50 PT 1993 GG88068 UK 1994-01 £29.9929.99 T-88068-50
Non-Sega versions Amiga Game Boy Game Boy Advance IBM PC Lynx Super Game Boy Super NES

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf, called Desert Strike: Wangan Sakusen (デザートストライク 湾岸作戦) in Japan and better known simply as Desert Strike, is an isometric-projection shoot-em-up by Electronic Arts released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1992, and subsequently ported to other platforms. It is the first game in EA's so-called Strike series of isometric shoot-em-ups.

Story

A terrorist named General Kilbaba violently takes over a small Arab emirate and plans a major nuclear strike, to which the president of the United States orders a helicopter (A Super Apache as named in game) team in the Special Forces (US Marine Corps in the Master System version) to intervene. You are in control of one such helicopter.

Gameplay

Missions are mostly intertwined with each other. For example blowing up a radar station will in return make you harder for enemies to hit you. Failing one of missions usually results in game over.

You are also given co-pilot that will assist you with your mission. These pilots have varying degrees of skills with marksmanship and winch control. Reading their dossiers will usually give you a rough idea about their skill levels. 5th pilot Valdez is missing and can be found in first mission. He is near the north-western part of the map nearby a crashed F-14.

Your helicopter has limited ammo and fuel. It also has limited armor. Without ammo, you can attack enemies. If fuel depletes, your helicopter will eventually crash and you will lose life. If armor reaches zero you will also lose a life. Ammo and fuel can be recovered by acquiring ammo boxes or fuel drums respectively with your winch. Armor can be recovered two ways : either find an Armor Repair (very, very rare. In later levels map don't even show their locations) or by rescuing people and dropping them off near a friendly landing zone. Each rescued person will increase the armor by 100 points. Be careful though as power ups can be destroyed and prisoners can be killed. Each level also has extra lives but these are, again, very difficult to find.

You are required to return to your home base (usually the frigate you take off from at the beginning of each level) when you complete or fail the level. There are total of 3 lives. Losing all of them will end the game.

Game contains 5 levels with different missions, with some of them having time limits.

Desert Strike also has a password system.

Mega Drive

Each of the game's four levels is a separate mission with different objectives. To complete the objectives, you are given ammunition of varying power levels (shot by pressing (Hellfires and Jink), (Hydras), or (Guns), listed in order of decreasing power). Though the game uses an isometric projection, the control behaves more like a full 3D game, where using and rotates your chopper, moves you forward in t he direction you're facing, and moves you backward. Hitting  START  allows you to access a map, a summary of the mission, and mission status.

Master System

Due to limitation of buttons on Master System's control pad, control scheme is somewhat different than Mega Drive version. Pressing both and fire Hellfire, while holding down is need for strafing. Pause button is the status screen.

Levels

	Air Superiority
	SCUD Buster
	Embassy City
	Nuclear Storm

History

Development

According to Desert Strike's original design document (dated 1990-06-18), the game was originally titled Beirut Breakout, being based on the then-ongoing Lebanese Civil War . It was later advertised as Apache AHX: Desert Madman.

Release

Desert Strike's similarities with the Gulf War caused controversy at the time of release, thought to be glorifying Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Reportedly some Gulf War veterans in the US openly burned copies of the Mega Drive game in public in protest.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
English (US)	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
Japanese	デザートストライク 湾岸作戦	Desert Strike: Wangan Sakusen

Production credits

Mega Drive version

By Mike Posehn (implying he is the creator)

• Programming: Mike Posehn
• Game Design: Mike Posehn, John Manley
• Art: Paul Vernon, Gary Martin, Amy Hennig
• Sound and Music: Rob Hubbard, Brian Schmidt
• Technical Director: Carl Mey
• Producer: Richard Robbins

Source:

In-game credits (title screen roll)

Master System version

• Published Under License by: Domark Software Limited

Desert Strike is a Trademark of Electronic Arts

• Desert Strike Presented by: The Kremlin
• Programmed by: Michael A Carr (The Magi)
• Graphic Artists: Matthew Hicks, Mike Adams
• Music Composed by: Andy Taylor
• Sound Effects by: Michael A Carr
• Original Game by: Mike Posehn, Paul Vernon and John Manley

Copyright 1992 Electronic Arts

All Rights Reserved

Magazine articles

Main article: Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 75 ACE (UK) 89 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 83 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 68 Consoles + (FR) 85 Console XS (UK) PAL 92 Cool Gamer (RU) 70 Computer & Video Games (UK) 92 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 68 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 70 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 2 (RU) 80 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 92 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 65 Game Mania (UK) 94 Game Power (IT) 93 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 84 Games-X (UK) 100 Génération 4 (FR) 90 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 85 Game Zone (UK) PAL 91 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 40 Hobby Consolas (ES) 86 Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2 (RU) 60 Joypad (FR) 93 Joystick (FR) 90 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 90 Mega (UK) PAL 84 Mega (UK) 86 Mega Action (UK) 94 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 87 MegaTech (UK) PAL 93 MegaTech (UK) PAL 94 Mean Machines (UK) 94 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 94 Player One (FR) 89 Play Time (DE) 63 Power Play (DE) 82 Sega Power (UK) PAL 91 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 92 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 93 Sega Force (UK) 92 Sega Mega Drive Review (RU) 82 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 80 Supergame (BR) NTSC-U 91 Supersonic (FR) 90 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 87 User (GR) PAL 92 VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U 80 Video Games (DE) 82

	84
Based on 49 reviews

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

Mega Drive, US (cardboard)
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, EU (4 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual Manual Back

Mega Drive, EU (5 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual Manual Back

Mega Drive, EU (Classic) (4 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual Manual Back PCB

Mega Drive, EU (Classic) (5 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual Manual Back PCB

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, PT
Cover

Mega Drive, SE (Rental)
Cover

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, KR
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, CZ (Classic)
Cover
Cart Manual Sega Saturn Hit Roku 1996

Master System version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Consoles + (FR) 89 Joypad (FR) PAL 89 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 92 Player One (FR) 79 Sega Magazine (UK) PAL 92 Sega Power (UK) PAL 92 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 93 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 75 Sega Master Force (UK) PAL 90 Todo Sega (ES) PAL 92 VideoGames Shopper (UK) PAL 89

	88
Based on 11 reviews

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

Master System, EU
Cover
Cart

Master System, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Master System, PT
Cover

Master System, PT (Super Preço)
Cover

Master System, AU
Cart

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 68 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 70 Joypad (FR) PAL 82 Mega Force (FR) 89 Player One (FR) 91 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 88 Sonic Mag: B.D. & Jeux-Video! (FR) 90 Todo Sega (ES) 86 Video Games (DE) PAL 62

	81
Based on 9 reviews

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, PT

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 67a9860b MD5 6f37f036c8de2bf78d11079cd2424370 SHA-1 d7e7d8c358eb845b84fb08f904cc0b95d0a4053d	1MB	1992-03	Cartridge (US/EU)
✔	CRC32 1e740145 MD5 414a548a2ab68a8e4840359c08b24ab9 SHA-1 9e01c6c45670e2950242facfba6c5b79052550ed	1MB	1993-04	Cartridge (JP/KR)
?	CRC32 6c1433f9 MD5 df89aa1ebc5f42db21fb8d12d9e78511 SHA-1 e6181baef80ecc88b3eb82a46cf93793f06e01f1	512kB		Cartridge (EU)
?	CRC32 3e44eca3 MD5 a5d8f63bda80b2d0cf587655a389ae4c SHA-1 3bb092b14c650c5ffd0370e6870878282b3d04f4	512kB		Cartridge (EU)
?	CRC32 f6c400da MD5 ecfcb1f193ab20547e3dc1f4304ef21e SHA-1 80b91bdf20605d940401738202c473df632d0765	512kB		Cartridge (US)