Are you ready to make the Evil Empire shudder in its un-American boots like the terrorist
bastards they are?
Well, my hawkish friends, have I found a game for you.
The 1996 continuation of the Strike series published by EA was not only the first Strike
game available for post-cartridge systems, it was a smooth transition for the isometric
helicopter shoot-em-up.
It was also full of mid-90s style attempts at making FMVs look good, and rode out the
coattails of the stereotypical video game portrayal of the Soviets seven years after
the wall was torn down.
This is Soviet Strike from Electronic Arts for the Playstation, a game that shines in
its sophisticated design and challenging sequence of missions.
International terrorists have found the opportunity to seize six areas of the former Soviet Union,
and they aren't going anywhere soon.
But to their chagrin, the Apache attack helicopter is back, and it's armored to the teeth with
the classic machine gun and missile combination that make it the choice for a full-scale assault
on the many terrorist bases that are scattered around each level.
As it was in the 16-bit days, Soviet Strike's levels are full of missions for you to accomplish,
some within a certain amount of time, all needed to be completed with a finite amount
of armor, fuel, and ammunition.
But don't worry, as per usual, the game's difficulty is totally manageable...if your
work history includes CIA operative.
Soviet Strike is not just any shooter you'll see at a video arcade, and it takes skill
and good timing to carry out its missions quickly and effectively.
Your enemies are now smarter, and aren't just standing around all the time.
They have duties to carry out in order to bring themselves a little closer to world
domination, and will be patrolling certain areas, as well as waiting to ambush you if
you should stray too far into a terrorist compound.
In order to really give the insurgent scum a run for their money, you must learn how
to maneuver your Apache attack helicopter to the best of your ability.
Its speed and quick response to the use of your D-pad is not a mistake in design, its
meant for you to use against surface-to-air batteries, tanks, and footsoldiers with RPGs.
I'll often hit a target with a Hellfire missile, then fade away like Wilt Chamberlain as I
pound it with machine gun fire.
Soviet Strike will scream into your ear now more than ever, too, and its presentation
smacks of nostalgia like The X Files and Ecto Cooler.
Receive status updates from HQ when the warning appears on your screen by pressing Start,
and you'll get the latest on your POW mission straight from the prison camp.
Fly over an enemy encampment and they'll scream really stereotypical phrases at you.
As for the visual quality, Soviet Strike has aged like two percent milk, but you can tell
that people were impressed in 1996.
It's almost like flying over a pixelated, 3D map of any Command and Conquer game, preferably
Red Alert.
Soviet Strike is a 32-bit look back at challenging video games before the turn of the millennium,
and this romp through Eastern Europe can still provide for a challenge today.
So get out there and blast away, soldier.