Play Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf Online

Summary

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf drops you into an overhead, isometric view where you pilot an Apache helicopter armed with a machine gun, Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles. Each weapon type has its own limited ammo, and you’ll need to scavenge fuel, ammo and armor pickups while dodging anti‑aircraft guns, missile launchers and tanks. Rescuing MIA soldiers and POWs isn’t just heroic—it refills your armor when you air‑lift them back to the landing zone, adding a strategic layer to the frantic shooting.

Lead designer Mike Posehn drew inspiration from Choplifter, aiming for a sandbox‑style experience that lets you choose side missions and optional objectives through a “SNAFU” system. The team built a momentum‑driven camera to mimic realistic helicopter handling, and the vehicle sprites were first modeled in 3‑D before being hand‑tuned pixel by pixel, giving the game its smooth, animated feel.

The title quickly became Electronic Arts’ best‑selling game at the time, topping sales charts and earning praise for its blend of action and strategy, as well as its graphics and sound. Its popularity spurred ports to numerous platforms, including a compact version for the Game Gear, extending the helicopter‑hunting fun to handheld fans.

Storyline

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (often just called Desert Strike) opens with the self‑proclaimed General Kilbaba invading a wealthy Persian Gulf emirate, installing himself as dictator and fortifying the area with military weapons and nuclear facilities. The United States responds by sending a single helicopter, piloted by the unnamed player character and a co‑pilot, to infiltrate and dismantle Kilbaba’s forces.

The first mission, Air Superiority, tasks the crew with destroying enemy airstrips and support facilities while rescuing an exposed pro‑American spy. In the Scud Buster mission they locate and destroy a chemical weapons plant and scud launchers, then evacuate both local civilians and American POWs.

Mission three, Embassy City, sees the team rescuing a UN inspection team, destroying a biological weapons plant and bio‑warhead missiles, freeing numerous hostages—including embassy staff—and finally attempting to eliminate Kilbaba aboard his heavily guarded private yacht.

The final mission, Nuclear Storm, requires preventing the destruction of a major oil facility, disabling a nuclear power plant and weapon parts, capturing a scientist who reveals bombs loaded onto Kilbaba’s bomber, racing to an airfield to stop the plane, and watching Kilbaba perish in the burning aircraft. The game ends with the pilot and co‑pilot standing in the White House Rose Garden, congratulated by President and Mrs. Bush.