Gunship
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Critic Score User Score
DOS
76
3.8
Atari ST
82
3.8
PC-98
...
...
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Description

Gunship depicts one of the Western world's finest attack helicopters: The AH-64A Apache. This simulation recreates the weapons, flight systems, and performance of the real machine. The player controls an arsenal that includes laser-guided Hellfire missiles, a 30mm cannon controlled by helmet gunsights, clusters of bombardment rockets--even air-to-air missiles for duels with enemy helicopters.

The game starts with flight training at a base in the United States. Tutorials teach the player to handle the copter; once the controls and flying skills are mastered, there are escalating challenges and hundreds of missions in any one of four regions of the world, including Southeast Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies in Western Europe.
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Screenshots

Gunship Amiga The mission briefing
Gunship DOS Fatal Crash!
Gunship Commodore 64 Ready for take-off.
Gunship Commodore 64 What style of missions will you fly?
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Promo Images

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Alternate Titles

  • "Gunship: The Attack Helicopter Simulation" -- Tag-lined title
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Part of the Following Groups

User Reviews

I hate simulation games...but there's always an exception! DOS Indra is stressed (19921)
Once upon a time DOS Ashley Pomeroy (233)
A breakthough game for the PC DOS Tony Van (2665)
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Critic Reviews

Crash! ZX Spectrum Dec, 1987 92 out of 100 92
Commodore User Commodore 64 Mar, 1987 9 out of 10 90
All Game Guide Commodore 64 1998 4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars 90
Happy Computer Commodore 64 1986 88 out of 100 88
Joker Verlag präsentiert: Sonderheft Atari ST 1990 86 out of 100 86
Tilt Commodore 64 May, 1987 17 out of 20 85
ST Format Atari ST Dec, 1993 81 out of 100 81
Zzap! Amiga Aug, 1989 67 out of 100 67
ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Commodore 64 Feb, 1988 6 out of 10 60
ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Atari ST Feb, 1988 6 out of 10 60
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Forums

Topic # Posts Last Post
The Entertainer 1 雷堂嬢太朗 -raido.jotaro- (58339)
Jan 14, 2014
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Trivia

Apple II and Atari XL/XE versions

Despite loading instructions for both platforms in the manual, the game was never released for those systems.

Development

Originally scheduled for release in mid-1988, the Amiga version of Gunship didn't materialise until mid-1989. Reportedly, the delay was predominantly the result of the programmer's source disk becoming infected with a virus. Source: Amiga User Internation (Sept 88, page 44) and HOL.

MicroProse had to release a later DOS version of Gunship to deal with faster computers. The game was also not easily playable in CGA, due to the similar color of HUD controls vs. targeting radar.

Maxis' Gunship

Maxis released an arcade side-scroller called Gunship made with the Klik and Play system. It was apparently inspired by this game.

Sidewinder missile

The AH-64 Apache actually cannot mount the sidewinder missile at the wingtips as depicted on the arming screen. The manual explained that it should be quite possible to do so, and there was no other air-to-air missile that Apache can mount at the time. In the sequel, Gunship 2000, one gets to choose between sidewinder and the smaller stinger missiles (in a 2-pack).

Strategy Guide

Gunship was so popular, it spawned a strategy guide from Compute! Books titled Gunship Academy.

Awards

  • ACE
    • October 1988 (issue #13) - Included in the Top-100 list of 1987/1988 (editorial staff selection)
  • Commodore Format
    • March 1991 (Issue 6) - listed in the A to Z of Classic Games article (Great)
    • July 1993 (Issue 34) - Modern Classics: Sims (Disk Version)
    • July 1993 (Issue 34) - Modern Classics: Sims (It's a Croaker! Cassette Version)
    • March 1994 (Issue 42) Heaven – The Path to Righteousness: 20 Essential Games
  • Computer Gaming World Magazine
    • August 1988 (Issue #50) – Introduced into the Hall of Fame
    • November 1996 - #102 overall among the “150 Best Games of All Time”
  • CRASH
    • Newsfield Reader's Awards - Best Simulation 1987 (readers choice)
  • Happy Computer
    • Issue 01/1988 - Best Simulation in 1987
  • ST Format
    • May 1990 (Issue #10) - Included in the list "ST Format's 30 Kick-Ass Classics"
  • ZZAP! 64
    • Newsfield Reader's Awards - Best Simulation 1987 (readers choice)
Information also contributed by Kasey Chang, mailmanppa, Trixter and Zack Green.
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Related Web Sites

Contributed to by Trixter (8777), Infernos (14864), NGC 5194 (17295), Zadok (6), Kabushi (178449) and Martin Smith (62808)

Amiga Credits

Game Design:
Software Development:
Software Graphics:
Technical Advisors:
Playtesting:
Documentation:
Manual Graphics:
Cover Painting:
Typography & Layout:
The Composing Room Inc.
Printing:
Advance Printing Inc.
[complete credits]