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Gunship

aka: Gunship: The Attack Helicopter Simulation, Gunship: The Helicopter Simulation
Moby ID: 335
box cover
Released
1986 on Atari ST
Credits
20 people
Releases by Date (by platform)
Publishers
Developers
Moby Score
8.2
#1,274 of 24.5K
Critics
88% (31)
Players
(68)
Review Ranking
Collected By
49 players
Genre
Simulation
Perspective
1st-person
Vehicular
Helicopter
Vehicular combat
Atari ST Specs
Business Model
Commercial
Input Devices Supported/Optional
Keyboard, Mouse
Number of Players Supported
1 Player
[ view all 49 specs ]
Conversion (official) Included in See Also
  • box cover Gunship (1993 on Genesis)
  • box cover Gunship (1996 on PlayStation, 2012 on PS Vita, 2014 on PSP)

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.

Spellings

  • ガンシップ - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Atari ST version)

20 People

Game Design
Software Development
Software Graphics
Technical Advisors
Playtesting
Documentation
Manual Graphics
Cover Painting
Typography & Layout
  • The Composing Room Inc.

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 88% (based on 31 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 68 ratings with 4 reviews)

A breakthough game for the PC

The Good
This was one of the fastest 3D games at the time for the PC. Also, while it dealt with the incredibly complex subject of flying an Apache helecopter, it was easy to play, easy to control, and fun! (No other Apache game, including Gunship 2000, measuered up IMHO.)

The Bad
Not much, it was awesome.

The Bottom Line
New flight sim designers should take a look at how this own worked, and take notes. (Perhaps some of the current designers should also do the same...)

DOS · by Tony Van (2797) · 1999

First "solid" simulator

The Good
Gunship was IMO first really good flight simulator for PC. Yes, there were Microsoft Flight Simulators 1 and 2 before, but they're so much dated, that it's veery hard to play them in modern day (I tried that). F-15 Strike Eagle or Ace series were all just "fake 3D" and again, it was hard to play them even if taking into account their age.

And here comes Gunship. Manual reading is a must before playing, but it's not overwhelming (I managed to learned basics in 1-2 hours). Manual is very well written, you can find PDF on abandonware sites. Graphics is significant step-up from anything which was released previously, perfect joystick support (any controller will work through DOSBox) and most importantly, really nice career system and missions assignations. Simulation is great, I strongly recommend going with realistic flight mode from beginning (it's not that hard).

All in all, I not found any major flaw in this game. Gunship (and Falcon from the same year) were the first which shaped modern flight combat simulations for decades to come.

The Bad
Environment variety is a bit limited but it's normal given it's 1987 game.

The Bottom Line
IMO, first real deal simulation, which unlike from it predecessors, can be played even in modern day perfectly (you sacrifice something on gfx but not on simulation / career system itself).

DOS · by Vladimir Dienes · 2023

Once upon a time

The Good
This was a PC conversion of the original, classic C64 / Apple 2 simulation of flying an AH-64 Gunship. (Actually, the C64, Apple II, and PC versions were all developed at the same time --Editor) It's functionally identical - the solid wireframes are coloured-in, and runs slightly faster. As a simulation of flying a helicopter, it's surprisingly good for the time - with the realism options turned on, juggling the collective and cyclic controls was quite tricky. As with other Microprose simulations, this took an arcade-style view of realism (although not to such ludicrous extends as 'F-15 Strike Eagle 2')- you could eliminate dozens of tanks and infantry units with each mission, something which was enormously gratifying. The manual was typically fantastic - it didn't just tell you how to play the game, it taught you about Russian BMPs, too.

The Bad
At the time, it seemed very odd that you could destory bunkers, infantry, airfields, in fact everything with your 30mm cannon, and it might be hard to get this running on modern PCs. The Apple2 version is probably the most 'authentic' recreation of the Gunship experience, and the original was thoroughly overshadowed by the sequel, 'Gunship 2000'.

The Bottom Line
A fun, old-fashioned helicopter sim, overshadowed nowadays by 'Gunship 2000', and indeed 'Comache'.

DOS · by Ashley Pomeroy (225) · 2000

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
The Entertainer j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (100156) Jan 14, 2014

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 Sites +

Identifiers +

  • 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, PC-98, Sharp X68000, MSX, ZX Spectrum added by Kabushi. Atari ST, Amstrad CPC added by Martin Smith.

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

Game added October 29, 1999. Last modified February 15, 2024.