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Gunship (IBM-PC)

designed by Sid Meier, Andy Hollis... (credits)

released 1987

genre helicopter simulation
game size 632 kb
archive size 241 kb

related games Gunship 2000 Gunship 2000 Islands & Ice

supports

EGA, CGA, Tandy 1000, Hercules, PC Speaker, Joystick.

In the late '80s and early '90s, flight simulators were where most of the ground-breaking work was being done in computer games - a fact reflected in the sales figures. MicroProse thus built its early empire by becoming the undisputed champion of flight sims, and it was games like Gunship that got them there. The dream design team combined the talents of Sid Meier and veteran strategy/simulation designer Arnold Hendrick with newcomer Andy Hollis (now the head of Jane's Combat Simulations for Electronic Arts) to produce the first chopper product on the computer to be both a reasonable simulation and an enjoyable game - a feat that seems beyond most of today's sim designers. The polygon-filled graphics moved quickly - especially when you consider that Gunship debuted on the 8-bit Commodore 64. It's rare that you see a sim today largely controlled via keyboard, but Gunship's keyboard overlay worked brilliantly, offering an easy enough learning curve that the design team didn't have to skimp on the helicopter feel (can you imagine trying to fit one of these overlays over today's ergonomic keyboards?). Flight sim veterans and casual gamers alike found the relatively sluggish controls of the AH-64A Apache a refreshing change compared to the reflex-demanding jet simulations of the day. Obviously, newer simulations have passed Gunship by graphically, but few of them modeled more hi-tech toys - inertial navigation systems, anti-torque tail rotors, 30mm chain guns, flare decoys, radar jammers, and a treasure trove of rockets and missiles, among others - or presented them in such a nonthreatening manner to the would-be chopper pilot. Gunship was the first sim to offer character continuity through a linked series of missions, with such nice touches as R&R for fatigued pilots and the option to pass on hazardous missions by taking sick leave. Although Gunship spawned a host of imitators, it's significant that it took Andy Hollis years to finally surpass the original with Jane's Longbow and Longbow 2, games that match the excitement of Gunship with the increased realism and performance available with today's PC technology. -- © 1999 GameSpot

download (241 kb -- rename gs-rar.pdf to gs.rar) Screenshots

. additional files

Gunship Control Keys
Gunship Manual

. related links
Sick Call

Sid Meier's thoughts on his game

. other versions

Commodore 64

. other games designed by Sid Meier

Civilization
Covert Action
F-15 Strike Eagle
F-15 Strike Eagle II
F-19 Stealth Fighter
Pirates!
Railroad Tycoon
Red Storm Rising
Silent Service