More than three decades after Desert Strike first appeared on home consoles and computers, an ambitious pre-alpha version is now running on the Atari STE.
The project brings Electronic Arts’ helicopter combat game to Atari hardware, giving STE owners a glimpse at what a dedicated conversion could look like.
The original Desert Strike combined an isometric viewpoint with helicopter combat, mission objectives and a large battlefield to explore. Recreating that style on Atari hardware presents a very different challenge from simply porting a conventional 2D game.
This version is still firmly a work in progress, but even the early build is significant because the game was never part of the Atari ST’s original commercial library.
RVG take: Pre-alpha projects like this are exactly what makes the current retro scene worth watching. The finished game is still some way off, but the idea of Desert Strike running on an STE is already enough to get our attention.
Source: Atari ST project information.
Also checked: GenerationAmiga and wider Atari community coverage.