.gif)
Thunderhawk (Video Game)
Encyclopedia
Thunderhawk is a helicopter combat simulator game released by Core Design
for the Amiga
, Atari ST
and IBM PC
(DOS
) in 1991, and for the Sega Mega-CD
(Sega-CD in North America) in 1993. The game was renamed to AH-3 ThunderStrike for its USA release.
In the game the player is part of the "MERLIN" helicopter combat assault team, flying an AH-73M helicopter. The game has been described as a first person version of the Strike series
of games.
Thunderhawk was followed by its sequel Thunderhawk 2.
for each one of ten world areas, the campaigns are themed around real events or activities in these areas (e.g UN convoy relates to the Bosnian war, South China seas relates to piracy etc.)
The World areas and their campaign themes were...
A typical campaign consists of 4 or 5 missions. Each mission has a primary objective that must be completed to successfully complete the mission, there are other targets in each missions such as tanks and SAM sites
but these are only used to help the player boost their score. The primary target is usually a major structure like an enemy base or a bridge.
Usually the player is equipped with a standard set of weapons - 16 Missiles, 76 Rockets and a machine gun with unlimited ammunition. On some special missions the rockets are replaced by a weapon that is critical to the success of that particular mission, such as a runway cratering system
when the primary objective is to destroy an airbase or a bomb when destruction of a bridge is the primary objective.
The control system for Thunderhawk was fairly unique for the platforms supporting a mouse. It used the mouse for basic control, plus some keyboard input for rarely used commands. Moving the mouse would tilt the helicopter in the specified direction, and make it start moving in that direction. Pressing the left mouse button fires weapons. When the right mouse button was held, moving the mouse up and down changed altitude, while side to side yawed the helicopter side to side.
Core Design
Core Design was a British video game studio best known today for creating the popular Tomb Raider series.-History:Based in the city of Derby, England, Core Design was set up in 1988 by Chris Shrigley, Andy Green, Rob Toone, Terry Lloyd, Simon Phipps, Dave Pridmore, Jeremy Heath-Smith and Greg Holmes...
for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
(DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
) in 1991, and for the Sega Mega-CD
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
(Sega-CD in North America) in 1993. The game was renamed to AH-3 ThunderStrike for its USA release.
In the game the player is part of the "MERLIN" helicopter combat assault team, flying an AH-73M helicopter. The game has been described as a first person version of the Strike series
Strike series
Strike is the common name of a series of video games created by Mike Posehn, John Patrick Manley and Tony Barnes released between 1991 and 1997 by Electronic Arts for a number of video game systems. The games are multi-directional shooters shown from an isometric perspective...
of games.
Thunderhawk was followed by its sequel Thunderhawk 2.
Gameplay
The game consists of several campaignsMilitary campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
for each one of ten world areas, the campaigns are themed around real events or activities in these areas (e.g UN convoy relates to the Bosnian war, South China seas relates to piracy etc.)
The World areas and their campaign themes were...
- South America - Arms Running
- South America - Stealth Down
- Panama Canal - Canal Crisis
- Central America - Recapture Town
- Alaska - Bio Research
- Eastern Europe - United Nations Convoy
- The Middle East - Escort
- The Middle East - Oil Dispute
- South East Asia - Chemical Warfare
- South China Seas - PiracyPiracyPiracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
A typical campaign consists of 4 or 5 missions. Each mission has a primary objective that must be completed to successfully complete the mission, there are other targets in each missions such as tanks and SAM sites
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
but these are only used to help the player boost their score. The primary target is usually a major structure like an enemy base or a bridge.
Usually the player is equipped with a standard set of weapons - 16 Missiles, 76 Rockets and a machine gun with unlimited ammunition. On some special missions the rockets are replaced by a weapon that is critical to the success of that particular mission, such as a runway cratering system
JP233
Originally known as the LAAAS , the JP233 was a British submunition delivery system consisting of large dispenser pods carrying several hundred submunitions designed to attack runways.-Design and development:...
when the primary objective is to destroy an airbase or a bomb when destruction of a bridge is the primary objective.
The control system for Thunderhawk was fairly unique for the platforms supporting a mouse. It used the mouse for basic control, plus some keyboard input for rarely used commands. Moving the mouse would tilt the helicopter in the specified direction, and make it start moving in that direction. Pressing the left mouse button fires weapons. When the right mouse button was held, moving the mouse up and down changed altitude, while side to side yawed the helicopter side to side.