Play Desert Strike - Return to the Gulf Online

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf is a classic side-scrolling shooter game developed by Electronic Arts and released for the Sega Game Gear in 1993. The game is set during the first Gulf War, with players taking control of an Apache helicopter pilot tasked with a variety of missions. The player must fly their helicopter through various levels, destroying enemy installations and rescuing hostages while avoiding enemy fire. The game features multiple levels and settings, ranging from deserts to cities.

Players are equipped with two weapons – missiles and machine guns – which can be used to destroy enemy targets such as tanks, helicopters, planes, and buildings. As the player progresses through each level they will also come across other objectives such as rescuing prisoners or destroying certain objects. Depending on how quickly they complete each mission they will receive various rewards such as extra lives or bonus points.

The controls for Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf are relatively straightforward; players use the directional buttons on their Game Gear console to move their helicopter around the screen whilst using the A button to fire missiles and B button to fire machine guns at enemies. More experienced players may also find it useful to make use of special maneuvers such as barrel rolls and loops which can help them avoid incoming fire or gain a better angle on their targets.

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf was praised upon its release for its realistic visuals, intuitive gameplay mechanics and challenging objectives. Despite being released more than 25 years ago it remains a popular title among retro gamers due its engaging gameplay and immersive story line. It is also an excellent example of early scrolling shooter games that helped pave the way for many modern titles in this genre today.