Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
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Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf | |||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear | |||||
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU), Electronic Arts Victor (JP) | |||||
Developer: Electronic Arts The Kremlin Tiertex | |||||
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up, Simulation (both are listed on the box; Sega of Japan master list only lists Shoot-'em-Up) | |||||
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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.
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 to intervene. You are in control of one such helicopter.
Contents
Mega Drive Gameplay
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 Gameplay
Due to limitation of buttons on Master System's control pad, control scheme is somewhat different than Mega Drive version. Pressing both 1 and 2 buttons fire Hellfire, while holding down button 2 is need for strafing. Pause button is the status screen.
Missions are mostly interwined 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.
Production Credits
Mega Drive Version
Rather than having a static title screen, the MD version shows a repeating animation of the helicopter flying with the game title on top while the credits appear on the bottom of the screen.
- 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
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
Physical Scans
Mega Drive Version
84 | |
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Based on 50 reviews |
Mega Drive, US (cardboard) |
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Master System Version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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88 | |
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Based on 11 reviews |
Game Gear Version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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81 | |
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Based on 11 reviews |
Strike games for Sega systems |
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Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1992) | Jungle Strike (1993) | Urban Strike (1994) | Soviet Strike (1997) |
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 57
- ↑ ACE, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-08), page 42
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Juni 1992" (DE; 1992-05-08), page 118
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "May 1993" (JP; 1993-04-08), page 24
- ↑ Consoles +, "Mars 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 100
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 128
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 62
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-15), page 74
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 26
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 305
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 56
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 37
- ↑ Famitsu, "1993-04-30" (JP; 1993-04-16), page 1
- ↑ Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 80
- ↑ Game Power, "Giugno 1992" (IT; 1992-0x-xx), page 30
- ↑ GamePro, "March 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 46
- ↑ Games-X, "27th February-4th March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-27), page 23
- ↑ Génération 4, "Juin 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 152
- ↑ Game Informer, "Summer 1992" (US; 1992-0x-xx), page 6
- ↑ Game Zone, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-21), page 26
- ↑ Hippon Super, "April 1993" (JP; 1993-03-04), page 44
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Julio 1992" (ES; 1992-0x-xx), page 46
- ↑ Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2001-08-27), page 83
- ↑ Joypad, "Mars 1992" (FR; 1992-02-1x), page 94
- ↑ Joystick, "Février 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 120
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 91
- ↑ Mega, "January 1993" (UK; 1992-12-17), page 81
- ↑ Mega, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-21), page 79
- ↑ Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 65
- ↑ Mega Fun, "06/92" (DE; 1992-0x-xx), page 30
- ↑ Mega Play, "June 1992" (US; 1992-0x-xx), page 62
- ↑ MegaTech, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-20), page 18
- ↑ MegaTech, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 56
- ↑ Mean Machines, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-27), page 18
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 138
- ↑ Player One, "Mai 1992" (FR; 1992-05-10), page 62
- ↑ Play Time, "7/92" (DE; 1992-06-03), page 93
- ↑ Power Play, "6/92" (DE; 1992-05-13), page 144
- ↑ Sega Power, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-05), page 16
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-19), page 60
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 65
- ↑ Sega Force, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-19), page 62
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Review, "1" (RU; 1995-04-03), page 40
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Supergame, "Junho 1992" (BR; 1992-06-xx), page 34
- ↑ Supersonic, "Mai/Juin 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 4
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 12
- ↑ User, "Októvrios 1992" (GR; 1992-xx-xx), page 90
- ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "May 1992" (US; 1992-0x-xx), page 50
- ↑ Video Games, "6/92" (DE; 1992-05-29), page 45
- ↑ Consoles +, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 1994-xx-xx), page 144
- ↑ Joypad, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 106
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-10-xx), page 104
- ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 114
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-10), page 110
- ↑ Sega Power, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-xx), page 106
- ↑ Sega Pro, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-11), page 62
- ↑ Sega Zone, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-25), page 29
- ↑ Sega Master Force, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-11), page 70
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Diciembre 1993" (ES; 1993-1x-xx), page 80
- ↑ VideoGames Shopper, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 31
- ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 74
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 55
- ↑ GamePro, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 206
- ↑ Gamer, "Noémvrios 1994" (GR; 1994-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ Joypad, "Février 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 115
- ↑ Mega Force, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 1994-01-08), page 116
- ↑ Player One, "Février 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 116
- ↑ Sega Pro, "Xmas Special 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 60
- ↑ Sonic Mag: B.D. & Jeux-Video!, "Mai 1994" (FR; 1994-04-15), page 38
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Febrero 1994" (ES; 1994-0x-xx), page 42
- ↑ Video Games, "4/94" (DE; 1994-03-23), page 112
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