History VideoGame / ASPAirStrikePatrol

This game receives an equally obscure SpiritualSequel in Nintendo 64 called Chopper Attack (Wild Choppers in Japan), however, it was a pure ActionizedSequel with none of the logistics operations present in this game and player now piloting one of many types of attack helicopter.

A fairly obscure [[IsometricProjection Isometric]] [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'Em Up]] / SimulationGame (in the same vein as the ''[[VideoGame/DesertStrike Strike]]'' series), ''A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol'' (known in Europe as ''Desert Fighter'') was produced in 1995 by SETA Corporation for the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem.

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The Zaraki Army has perfect Target Leading with its guns: If you don't change your speed or direction when a Zaraki Army ground unit fires, you WILL get hit.

** You'll get the second best ending if you win the game with high marks on supply and opinion. The low marks on forces is represented by many families being worried by the large number of coalition casualties.
** Bad Ending #1 concludes that the heavy civilian casualties caused by the SCUD attacks led to numerous outbreaks of terrorism.
** Bad Ending #2 concludes that the war was a financial disaster due to your failure of being careful and conservative with your planes and munitions.

* TimedMission: '''All''' missions in the game are time-sensitive, but the time you have for each is measured in hours and days, so you won't run out while in the mission zone. Rather, fractions of hours are deducted every time you head into the combat zone, return to base for refueling and rearming, or when you a new loadout. If you crash or run out of fuel during a mission, a ''huge'' chunk of time is wasted in rescuing you (to say nothing of what it means for your Supplies rating).\\

* NintendoHard

On the other hand, despite the accuracy used in the planes flown by the players, Zaraki vehicles aren't based on what the Ba'athist Iraq forces had during UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar. They ''are'' still mostly based on real military vehicles, though; the [[RedsWithRockets Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrum, Mi-24 Hind, T-80 main battle tank, SA-4 Ganef]] (spelled "Gannif"), and the [[BritsWithBattleships British Rapier SAM]] (including a tracked variant called the "Rolland"). The only real problems are that the T-80s have anti-aircraft missiles (they have anti-''tank'' missiles in RealLife), and that there are trucks said to be armed with "Swatter" anti-aircraft missiles (a NATO reporting name given to a type of Soviet ''anti-tank'' missile).

The game itself takes place during a thinly-veiled [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Gulf War]]. A Middle Eastern country, [[{{Qurac}} Zarak]], is invading its smaller neighbor Sweit. In early 1990, [[TheAlliance the P.D.F.]] launches Operation Desert Corrado, with the aim of stopping the Zarak military's advance. As part of the [[TitleDrop Air Strike Patrol]], you fly either [[YanksWithTanks F-15E Strike Eagles or A-10 Thunderbolt IIs]] in support of the Coalition.

* NintendoHard: Even Save Scumming on an emulator, seeking and destroying all the scud launchers and causing untold damage using the Super A10 cheat to keep all scores up you still get the bad ending. The game may have been based on the first Iraq war but may as well take place in the second as you seemingly cannot win no matter what you do.

A fairly obscure [[IsometricProjection Isometric]] [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'Em Up]] / SimulationGame (in the same vein as the ''[[DesertStrike Strike]]'' series), ''A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol'' (known in Europe as ''Desert Fighter'') was produced in 1995 by SETA Corporation for the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem.

* OutsideContextVillain: [[spoiler: The aliens.]] Their involvement is foreshadowed in some of the mission debriefings, but there's still not much information on ''why'' they're doing what they're doing.

* NintendoHard

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: Even completing all missions, including seeking out all scuds and secondary objectives with high scores railroads you into a bad ending.

* UnwinnableByDesign: Even SaveScumming on an emulator, seeking and destroying all the scud launchers and causing untold damage using the Super A10 cheat to keep all scores up you still get the bad ending. The game may have been based on the first Iraq war but may as well take place in the second as you cannot win no matter what you do.

** [=MiGs=] appear a limited number of times in each level, however, meaning you can start with a F-15E that's fully air-to-air to deal with the [=MiGs=], then switch over to the fully air-to-ground A-10 and take care of the rest.

** Global News Network (GNN) is a clear take on CableNewsNetwork (CNN).

* ForeShadowing: This 1995 game is about a U.N. invasion of Zarak, right? Well, America leads a REAL U.N. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The game itself takes place during a thinly-veiled GulfWar. A Middle Eastern country, [[{{Qurac}} Zarak]], is invading its smaller neighbor Sweit. In early 1990, [[TheAlliance the P.D.F.]] launches Operation Desert Corrado, with the aim of stopping the Zarak military's advance. As part of the [[TitleDrop Air Strike Patrol]], you fly either [[YanksWithTanks F-15E Strike Eagles or A-10 Thunderbolt IIs]] in support of the Coalition.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Most things in the game are unmistakably renames and references to the real GulfWar.
** Operation [[DesertStorm Desert Corrado]], anyone?

* MultipleEndings: The Force, Supplies, and Opinion meters all determine the kind of ending you get. If any of those are lacking, the ending will only be merely an okay ending (for example, you'll be told that the Gulf War was a political disaster if public opinion is the lowest of the three).

On the other hand, despite the accuracy used in the planes flown by the players, Zaraki vehicles aren't based on what the Ba'athist Iraq forces had during the GulfWar. They ''are'' still mostly based on real military vehicles, though; the [[RedsWithRockets Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrum, Mi-24 Hind, T-80 main battle tank, SA-4 Ganef]] (spelled "Gannif"), and the [[BritsWithBattleships British Rapier SAM]] (including a tracked variant called the "Rolland"). The only real problems are that the T-80s have anti-aircraft missiles (they have anti-''tank'' missiles in RealLife), and that there are trucks said to be armed with "Swatter" anti-aircraft missiles (a NATO reporting name given to a type of Soviet ''anti-tank'' missile).
* SlaveToPR: If you want to get that GoldenEnding and keep the Gulf War from being seen as a second VietnamWar, you've got to do your best to keep the public happy while still completing your missions. No pressure.

* ShoutOut: Some of the voice clips heard in the game are soundbites from ''TopGun'':

** There are only two types of Zaraki [=MiGs=]: Gun [=MiGs=] (Green) and Missile [=MiGs=] (Tan).

* PaletteSwap: The [=MiG=]s are all recolored F-15s (or possibly [=MiG-25s=], apparently, but their colors signify what weapon they're armed with.

* HighSpeedMissileDodge: Your aircraft can out-turn missiles, and in many case it's possible to shake off missiles through sheer maneuvers alone. This is handy for managing your supplies rating, since expendend countermeasures are counted the same as expended munitions.

** There are only two types of Zaraki [=MiGs=]: Gun [=MiGs=] (Green) and Missiles [=MiGs=] (Tan).

* PaletteSwap: The [=MiG=]s are all the same model, apparently, but their colors signify how aggressive they are.

** All the A-10 loadouts are strictly air-to-ground and having limitless ammo for the cannon makes it easier to keep the Supplies score up. However, you have no way of fighting back against [=MiGs=] if you haven't spent a sortie shooting them down with an F-15E first.

* TimedMission: '''All''' missions in the game are time-sensitive, but the time you have for each is measured in hours and days, so you won't run out while in the mission zone. Rather, fractions of hours are deducted every time you return to base for refueling and rearming, or if you're selecting a new loadout. If you crash or run out of fuel during a mission, a ''huge'' chunk of time is wasted in rescuing you (to say nothing of what it means for your Supplies rating).\\

* NintendoHard:

* SuperSpeed: The F-15E can use its afterburners to provide a temporary speed boost, to get out of trouble quickly (or ''into'' trouble if so desired).

* ThatOneSidequest: After completing Mission 2, you are given a secondary objective of finding and destroying SCUD launchers. If you choose to not do this, you will get a bad ending regardless of how well you did in the other missions.