Play Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf Online

Summary

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf drops you into an overhead, isometric view of an AH‑64 Apache equipped with a machine gun, Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles. While you hunt anti‑air guns, missile launchers, and tanks, you also have to juggle limited fuel, ammo and armor; picking up crates or air‑lifting rescued soldiers replenishes those resources. Lead designer Mike Posehn, inspired by Choplifter, built a non‑linear “SNAFU” sandbox with a momentum‑filled camera that makes the little 320×240 screen feel larger than it is.

When the game landed on the Atari Lynx, reviewers praised its responsive controls but noted the tiny LCD made spotting enemies and even the Apache’s own gunfire a challenge, diluting the console’s impact. Despite that, the port contributed to the title’s commercial frenzy – it topped sales charts and became EA’s biggest seller at the time, spawning a string of sequels.

The Gulf‑war setting sparked controversy; some critics called it in poor taste, and one veteran group reportedly burned copies. A 2006 budget compilation revived the Lynx version for retro collectors.

Storyline

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf opens with the self‑proclaimed General Kilbaba invading a small, wealthy emirate in the Persian Gulf and turning it into a fortified dictatorship complete with nuclear‑weapon facilities. The United States dispatches a lone helicopter, piloted by the unnamed hero and his co‑pilot, to strike back. The first mission, Air Superiority, tasks the player with destroying enemy airstrips and rescuing a pro‑American spy. In Scud Buster the objective shifts to a chemical weapons plant, scud launchers, and the evacuation of civilians and POWs. Embassy City sees the rescue of a U.N. inspection team, the demolition of a biological weapons plant, and the liberation of embassy hostages before confronting Kilbaba on his yacht.
The final stage, Nuclear Storm, is a multi‑part assault: protecting an oil facility, disabling a nuclear power plant, and stopping garbage‑truck‑disguised nuclear shipments. After capturing a scientist, the player learns that Kilbaba plans to launch a bomber loaded with the unfinished bombs. The chase ends at an airfield where the bomber is destroyed and Kilbaba perishes in the fire.
The game closes with the pilot and co‑pilot standing in the White House Rose Garden, receiving congratulations from President and Mrs. Bush. Commentators noted the plot as a thinly veiled reference to the Gulf War, likening Kilbaba to Saddam Hussein and the desert setting to Iraq.