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Are you ready to make the Evil Empire shudder in its un-American boots like the terrorist
*** 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 *** 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.