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Gunship

aka: Gunship: The Attack Helicopter Simulation, Gunship: The Helicopter Simulation
box cover
Released
1986 on Atari ST
Releases by Date (by platform)
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Moby Score
8.1
#1,265 of 155K
Critics
82% (53)
Players
(130)
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Collected By
46 players
Genre
Simulation
Perspective
1st-person
Vehicular
Helicopter
Vehicular combat
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Description official descriptions

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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Credits (Atari ST version)

20 People

Game Design
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Manual Graphics
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Typography & Layout
  • The Composing Room Inc.

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Subject User Date
The Entertainer j.raido 【雷堂嬒ε€ͺζœ—γ€‘ (62860) 2014-01-14 05:08:34

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 β€œ150 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.

Related Games

Gunship 2000
Released 1991 on DOS, 1993 on Amiga, 1994 on Amiga CD32
Gunship!
Released 2000 on Windows
VIP Helikopter
Released 2012 on Windows
Zombie Gunship
Released 2011 on iPhone, iPad, Android
Gunship Battle2 VR
Released 2016 on Android, Windows, Oculus Go
Thunderchopper
Released 1986 on Apple II, 1987 on Commodore 64, 1989 on DOS
Gunship 2000: Philippine Islands & Antarctica Scenario Disk With Mission Builder
Released 1992 on DOS
Combat Lynx
Released 1984 on Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, 1985 on Amstrad CPC...
Ka-50 Hokum
Released 1995 on DOS

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  • MobyGames ID: 335

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Trixter.

Commodore 128 added by Trypticon. PC-88 added by Infernos. Commodore 64 added by Rebound Boy. Amiga added by Zadok. FM Towns, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Sharp X68000, PC-98 added by Kabushi. Amstrad CPC, Atari ST added by Martin Smith.

Additional contributors: PCGamer77, Indra was here, Sciere, jean-louis, Patrick Bregger, mailmanppa, Jo ST, FatherJack, ZeTomes.

Last modified March 9th, 2023.