Three Strikes And You're Out

Sunni in places, Shi'ite in others

Perhaps if things had been taken in slightly more creative directions, or if Electronic Arts had been prepared to take a few more risks, the Strike series could have blossomed from this promising start into something even better. Something which took the gameplay to unexpected places and ironed out the niggling issues. Maybe something like...

Writer's Strike: At the time of (um) writing it seems likely that the mighty US Guild of Penpeople are about to settle their current dispute over the distribution of internet revenue. Still, there's no reason why the 1988 confrontation couldn't have been tarted up for a shameless game-of-the-disagreement cash-in. Play as either an unshaven hack with a part-time chopper licence or a producer with a private military-grade helicopter made of solid gold. As the writer, your primary tasks are to buzz the important award ceremonies around LA, destroy the free clothing and trinket bags handed out to stars like bookmarks and unleash a volley of missiles into the offices of the last executive to reject your marvellous screenplay. In contrast, those choosing to champion the producer must defend key events in town, protect the sets of hopeless reality TV shows in order to keep the schedules full and attempt to kidnap George Kirgo.

Miner's Strike: A spot of historical jiggery-pokery is going to be required for this one, admittedly. The 'lost' pre-Desert Strike title, Miner's Strike is a 1985 release for the 8-bit platforms. Probably a sideways-scrolling shooter or, worse, a text adventure. Use your helicopter (of course) to aid the establishment as they battle to save Great Britain from the dastardly Communist Scargill and his Red Army lackeys. Defend the trains ferrying additional coal supplies to massive government stockpiles, transport 'policemen' from the local barracks to break up groups of miners, and patrol the M1 motorway to ensure no pesky picketers are trying to get the jump on parliament.

Dessert Strike: Shrunk to the size of a wasp by some devilish scientist or other, your craft must direct a hive of buzzing monstrosities towards the leisurely picnic of the very same evil genius who left you in this mess to begin with. He and his family must be annoyed for the duration of three whole courses, climaxing in a daring raid on some expensive strawberries and cream - purchased by the white-coated boffin with the money he earned from your 'demise'. Extra points are gained by launching stinger missiles at small children, panicking the spheksophobic and absolutely ruining the entire day. You stripey bastard.

Dez's Trike: Playing as Dez, the young son of Andrew and Maurine Copter, your aim is to secure an item that will make you the coolest kid in school: a shiny new trike. With Christmas on the way...well, anyway, you get the idea with these.

Heliflopter

Alas, none of it came to pass.

Instead, the Strike series would gradually be sunk by a complete lack of invention or variety. The much-anticipated Jungle Strike was the relative equal to Desert Strike in quality, but aside from a different graphics set, a chance to fly a stealth fighter (poorly) and, err, do whatever it is you do in a hovercraft, essentially the same game. Again. No longer benefiting from a spark of originality, it came across as somewhat disappointing. A third effort, Urban Strike, faired little better, introducing an even more ludicrous plot and converting the hero into a wise-cracking moron. Perplexingly, Jungle Strike's opening mission took place in Washington DC and Urban Strike's sent you out over a jungle. Go figure.

In the post-Mega Drive era, the inevitable switch to proper 3D was made with Soviet and Nuclear Strike - but the series was stuck in an ever-deepening rut. Even ditching the Location Strike convention hadn't really helped. Plainly, the heights of the series were never coming back; something borne out by the lack of an original Strike title for the past ten years (despite, we're told, several attempts within EA to revive it). A reminder that a solid, successful idea, even one born of dubious political intentions, will rarely be able to stave off the time-honoured business tradition of running a franchise into the ground until it's dead.