Old-school Desert Strike homage Cleared Hot gets old-school publisher as retro planets align

If your gaming history stretches as far back as the Commodore Amiga and Sega Genesis / MegaDrive chances are high that you came across a helicopter game called Desert Strike (or one of its sequels Jungle Strike or Urban Strike).

Rising from the ashes of a failed attempt at a flight simulator Desert Strike arrived in 1992, fresh from Operation Desert Storm and the Gulf War (I wonder if it ever got played on this GameBoy?), and plopped you in a modded Apache helicopter flying around the deserty landscape doing missions and rescuing people.

Although it was technically a shoot ‘’em-up it was also a combined strategy game, lighter on the traditional hectic blasting.

Why should you care? Well because Cleared Hot from Cfinger Games has just been picked up by original 90s bad-boy publishers MicroProse who will release it later this year, and send us all back to nostalgic heaven.

Check out the trailer for a blast from the past and you can wishlist Cleared Hot on on Steam now.

“We’re beyond excited to add Cleared Hot to our storied MicroProse lineup,” said Chris Ansell, MicroProse CMO. “Its combination of nostalgia, creativity, and physics-based action makes it a perfect fit for our commitment to bringing fresh, engaging experiences to gamers.”

In Cleared Hot, players step into the cockpit of a fully upgradeable attack helicopter, blending classic arcade shooter action with modern physics-based mechanics. Players will shoot, dodge, and use creative tactics to move squads across dynamic battlefields while using an innovative rope and magnet system to interact with the environment. From picking up vehicles and redirecting heat-seeking missiles to throwing rocks at enemies, the game offers a truly unique and emergent take on how players can achieve battlefield control.

It’s Desert Strike kids, but not as you know it.

• Fully physics-based mechanics for emergent and dynamic gameplay.
• Engaging single-player campaign with immersive objectives.
• Customizable helicopters with a variety of upgradable features and load-outs.
• Three distinct biomes: Desert, Jungle, and Arctic.
• Day and night missions allow pilots the tactical edge with night vision and thermal goggle upgrades.
• A wide range of enemy vehicles, including tanks, boats, fighter jets, and more.

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