Retro Review: Urban Strike

Shoot em’ ups and action titles are quit different from what was introduced to gamers a couple of decades ago. At the height of the 16 bit era came plenty of action titles, but only one series made as an impressive mark as any in the action genre, the third installment of the Electronic Arts Strike series, Urban Strike.

The original Genesis game is played with a vintage 3/4 perspective camera view with the main protagonist flying an attack helicopter, completing various missions and wiping out the opposing forces. Dropped into a rather large “sandbox” style map for its time, you’ll fly through the skies firing from a selection of range weapons like missiles, rockets and the traditional machine gun.

Tailing the corrupt ex-political candidate/cultist leader millionaire, H.R. Malone, you do everything to stop the construction of a superweapon aimed to destabilize the American government. Through exciting level designs and strategic gameplay, Urban Strike takes the player on a dangerous mission to stop a global power from destroying the country.

A list of tasks are completed for all 10 missions throughout the seven different cities and countries. New to the Strike franchise, Urban Strike also introduced on foot missions, where you were equipped with an assault rifle and missile launcher, striking off mission tasks in designated areas, such as an oil rig, casino and even Alcatraz.

Two different helicopters, a ground assault vehicle and on-foot missions are all featured throughout the enduring campaign. The Mohican is the main helicopter in the game, providing you with speed, agility, a good amount of ammo storage and average armor. Rescuing various civilians and large amounts of prisoners are better handled with the robust Blackhawke, with a higher armor rating but less severe weapons.

The map feature highlights all the areas of importance, displays the mission objectives, as well as displays the locations of ammo and armor crates, fuel drums, landing zones and any other important areas in the level. Each helicopter uses fuel regularly, receives damage to their armor points and must restock ammo for every weapon after consistent usage. All items and restore points are limited and displayed accordingly on the map.

Urban Strike added more intrigue and action to the acclaimed Strike series. With upgraded features and more ways to play, the third and final installment for the Sega Genesis days made a huge mark on the franchise, leaving it as one of the most notable and beloved titles in the 16 bit era.