Desert Strike Advance is an isometric shoot ’em up for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Budcat Creations and published by Electronic Arts. A port of the 1992 Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf, it puts you in an Apache helicopter against General Kilbaba’s forces. Missions cover destroying airfields, radar and power stations, freeing prisoners, and airlifting commandos while managing fuel, armour, and ammunition.
How To Play Desert Strike Advance
Control
Action
D-Pad
Fly the Apache in eight directions; move through menus and the campaign and copilot selection screens
A
Fire the chain gun; confirm a menu selection
B
Fire the selected missile, either hydras or hellfires; cancel in menus
L
Switch between chain gun, hydras, and hellfire missiles
R
Lower the winch to pick up armour, fuel, ammunition, prisoners, and commandos
Select
Show the battle map with your position, targets, and objectives
Start
Pause the mission and open the menu
About Desert Strike Advance
Release date
NA: May 8, 2002
Developer
Budcat Creations
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Platform
Game Boy Advance
Genre
Shoot ’em up, multi-directional, isometric
Series
Strike; port of Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
Modes
Single-player; three control schemes selectable at the start: With Momentum, From the Cockpit, and From Above
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
