Jungle Strike

Jungle Strike (subtitled The Sequel to Desert Strike, or Desert Strike part II in Japan) is a video game developed and published by Electronic Arts in 1993 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The game was later released on several other consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and an upgraded version was made for DOS computers.

The Amiga conversion was the responsibility of Ocean Software while the SNES and PC DOS versions were that of Gremlin Interactive, and the portable console versions were of Black Pearl Software. It is the direct sequel to Desert Strike (a best-seller released the previous year) and is the second installment in the Strike series. The game is a helicopter-based shoot ’em up, mixing action and strategy.

The plot concerns two villains intent on destroying Washington, D.C. The player must use the helicopter and occasionally other vehicles to thwart their plans.

Its game engine was carried over from a failed attempt at a flight simulator and was inspired by Matchbox toys and Choplifter. Jungle Strike retained its predecessor’s core mechanics and expanded on the model with additional vehicles and settings. The game was well received by most critics upon release. Publications praised its gameplay, strategy, design, controls and graphics.

Plot – Jungle Strike

Jungle Strike features two antagonists: Ibn Kilbaba, the son of Desert Strike’s antagonist,^[1] and Carlos Ortega, a notorious South American drug lord.^[2] The opening sequence depicts the two men observing a nuclear explosion on a deserted island, while discussing the delivery of “nuclear resources” and an attack on Washington D.C.; Kilbaba seeks revenge for his father’s death at the hands of the US, while Ortega wishes to “teach the Yankees to stay out of my drug trade”.^[3]

The player takes control of a “lone special forces” pilot. The game’s first level depicts the protagonist repelling terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C., including the President’s limousine. Subsequent levels depict counter-attacks on the drug lord’s forces, progressing towards his “jungle fortress”. In the game’s penultimate level, the player pursues Kilbaba and Ortega to their respective hideouts before capturing them.

The final level takes place in Washington, D.C. again, where the two antagonists attempt to flee after escaping from prison. The player must destroy both Kilbaba and Ortega and stop four trucks carrying nuclear bombs from blowing up the White House.

The PC version also extends the storyline with an extra level set in Alaska, in which the player must wipe out the remainder of Ortega’s forces under the command of a Russian defector named Ptofski, who has taken control of oil tankers and is threatening to destroy the ecosystem with crude oil if his demands are not met. Once all levels are complete, the ending sequence begins and depicts the protagonist and his co-pilot in an open-topped car in front of cheering crowds.

Gameplay – Jungle Strike

Jungle Strike is a helicopter-based shoot ’em up,^[4] mixing action and strategy.^[5] The player’s main weapon is a fictionalised Comanche attack helicopter. Additional vehicles can be commandeered: a motorbike, hovercraft and F-117.^[6] The latter in particular features variable height and unlimited ammunition,^[5] but is more vulnerable to crashes.^[7] The game features an “overhead” perspective “with a slight 3D twist”.^[8] The graphics uses a 2.5D perspective which simulates the appearance of being 3D.

Levels consist of several missions, which are based around the destruction of enemy weapons and installations, as well as rescuing hostages or prisoners of war, or capturing enemy personnel. The helicopter is armed with machine guns, more powerful Hydra rockets and yet more deadly Hellfire missiles. The more powerful the weapon, the fewer can be carried: the player must choose an appropriate weapon for each situation.^[5] Enemy weapons range from armoured cars to artillery and tanks.^[9]