''Strike Fleet'' is a 1988

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

developed by

Lucasfilm Games Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as part of a large ...

and published by

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

. It was released for the

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

, and

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

. ''Strike Fleet'' is the unofficial sequel to the war game '' PHM: Pegasus''. The player controls either the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

or British Fleets over the course of ten scenarios, of which the last four can be played as a single campaign. The player must fight against the navy and

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

of various other nations including

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Scenarios

1. Stark Realities

The player's American frigate is on a routine patrol in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

, defending itself and all neutral shipping in the Gulf.

2. The Enemy Below

On May 1, 1982, two British frigates were providing ASW coverage for their forces near Port Stanley on the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

, when they detected, and were fired upon, by the Argentine sub . Neither side acknowledged a hit that day. This mission is to search for, and destroy,

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

submarines that may be in the area.

3. The Road to Kuwait

The captain must escort three tankers through the Persian Gulf.

4. Falklands Defense

During the Falklands War, the captain must engage and destroy three Argentine frigates.

5. Dire Straits

The ship must defend a small convoy of empty oil tankers in the Persian Gulf against speedboats armed with guns and grenades.

6. Atlantic Cork

In a World War III scenario, the captain must prevent the Soviet fleet in the

Norwegian Sea The Norwegian Sea ( no, Norskehavet; is, Noregshaf; fo, Norskahavið) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to ...

from travelling through the GIUK gap, sinking enough ships and subs to seriously cripple their forces.

7. Surprise Invasion

The captain commands as small task force that is trying to prevent a Soviet invasion fleet from reaching

Trondheim, Norway Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

8. Escape to New York

The captain must make a fast transit to the U.S. east coast, avoiding or defeating Soviet subs, cruisers, and bombers.

9. Wolfpack

The captain must escort a convoy of reinforcements to a U.S. base in Iceland.

10. Mopping Up

The captain must prevent Soviet ships and submarines from returning to their bases to refuel.

Bonus scenarios

The PC version of the game included two bonus missions

11. Bunker Hill Blues

The captain must defend the ship from attacking forces.

12. One for the Gipper

The captain must destroy two oil platforms and one frigate while remaining undamaged.

Reception

In the April 1988 edition of ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

'', Evan Brooks thought ''Strike Fleet'' had improved upon its predecessor ''PHM: Pegasus'' due to the added excitement and variety, while still maintaining quality graphics and historical accuracy. Brooks questioned some decisions regarding the user interface for the bridge and weapons systems. He concluded by giving the game an average rating of three and a half stars out of five. In the June 1988 edition of ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' (Issue #134), Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser were enthusiastic about ''Strike Fleet'', saying it was "a software program you must consider for purchase. The scope of this naval warfare simulation is staggering, and the graphics are absolutely top notch." The Lessers lauded the user's guide for its abundant information, and felt the ten included scenarios offered "hours of intense excitement." They gave the game a perfect rating of five out of five stars, and concluded with a strong recommendation: "We cannot speak highly enough of this offering. LucasFilm is to be heartily congratulated for developing a tactical game that is completely engrossing, thoroughly exciting, graphically pleasing, and capable of portraying what it must be like to command a Strike Fleet." In the July 1988 edition of '' Compute!'', Ervin Bobo thought the documentation was "very good, not only teaching you how to use the program, but also in giving you an almost military grounding in the capabilities of your ships and the weapons they carry." Bobo also liked the graphics, calling them, "always good without being cluttered." He concluded with a good recommendation, saying, "Although the notion of commanding a fleet of ships may seem daunting, it can be done. Really." In a retrospective article in the January 1994 edition of ''Computer Gaming World'' (Issue 114), Evan Brooks maintained his previous rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 from his 1988 review, saying, "Good graphics and game play do much to overcome certain historical innaccuracies... but switching from bridge-to-bridge to effect changes can be an awkward experience."

Reviews

* ''

Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...

'' #46 (Aug 1988)

References

External links

* *{{Lemon64 game, id=2511
''Strike Fleet''
at the Hall of Light 1988 video games Amiga games Apple II games Atari ST games Cold War video games Commodore 64 games DOS games LucasArts games Naval video games Video games developed in the United States