Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1992). Play online

Summary

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf – known simply as Desert Strike – hits the SNES as an isometric shoot‑em up where you command an Apache helicopter over a blazing desert. The open, multi‑directional scrolling and momentum‑driven camera convey a realistic flight feel. The conflict pits you against the mad dictator General Kilbaba in a Gulf‑War‑flavored setting.

Fuel, ammo and armor are limited, so you must plot efficient routes, drop rescued hostages into landing zones, and grab power‑ups to stay airborne. I’m always amazed when a well‑timed rescue refills both my fuel and my morale. Your Apache wields a machine gun, Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles, each with on‑screen counts that make every shot count. The mix of arcade firepower and resource juggling keeps the pressure high.

Mike Posehn, the newcomer lead designer, drew inspiration from Choplifter and built the game’s sprites from 3‑D models fine‑tuned pixel by pixel. Critics responded well: the SNES version averaged 77 % on GameRankings, earned solid EGM scores and earned spots on several Top 100 SNES lists, and it launched the broader Strike series.

Storyline

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf opens with the self‑proclaimed General Kilbaba invading a small but wealthy Gulf emirate, toppling its monarchy and installing himself as dictator. The United States responds by sending a lone helicopter, piloted by an unnamed ace and a co‑pilot, to dismantle Kilbaba’s forces.

The first mission, Air Superiority, tasks the player with destroying enemy airstrips, crippling support facilities, and rescuing a pro‑American spy who holds vital intelligence. In Scud Buster the objective shifts to locating a chemical weapons plant, blowing up scud launchers, and evacuating civilians and POWs.

Embassy City sees the rescue of a U.N. inspection team, the destruction of a biological weapons plant, and the liberation of numerous hostages, including embassy personnel, before a firefight erupts on Kilbaba’s heavily guarded yacht, allowing him to flee.

The final stage, Nuclear Storm, requires protecting an oil production complex, shutting down a nuclear power plant, and intercepting nuclear material hidden in garbage trucks. After capturing a scientist, the player stops a bomber carrying the bombs, watches Kilbaba die in the burning aircraft, and returns to the White House Rose Garden where President Bush congratulates the pilot.