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Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to soar through the sky or steamroll your way through the battlefield with your ever-reliable tank! These 7 unique war games will satisfy even the most hardcore simulation fans.

Even with different conflicts, new machines of war, and varying technologies, the challenge for gamers remains the same - win against all odds. Today on GOG.COM, we welcome 7 retro war games that have been brought back from the past under the logo of video game publisher, Retroism.



Gunship!
This is the third part of the award-winning simulation game series created by MicroProse. In Gunship!, you become an assault helicopter pilot during the fictional conflict between Russian forces and the NATO army. Gunship! combines action and realism, while also providing players with micromanagement options in the form of customizing your gunship to fit your style of play.



Fleet Defender: The F-14 Tomcat Simulation
As the game’s developers stated in 1994, this title was the first flight simulator to accurately recreate carrier-based operations. Fleet Defender: The F-14 Tomcat Simulation gives you the chance to hop in the cockpit of the screaming sonic-speed fighter aircraft. Experience the excitement of a catapult launch from the carrier, dynamic air-to-air combat, and the challenge of landing on a pitching deck at sea.



F-19 Stealth Fighter
A simulator for all retro-gaming lovers, F-19 Stealth Fighter was in many ways ahead of its time. For example, during missions, the perspective of the camera could change depending on your assigned character. Moreover, the game showers you with over a hundred missions set across the globe - from the deserts of Libya to the arctic North Cape.



1942: The Pacific Air War
This time, we travel a little further back in time to become a pilot during WWII. 1942: The Pacific Air War lets you sit behind the cockpit of one of 10 available planes from both Japanese and US air forces. Using the planes available, you can try to either cement historical events or attempt to alter them. A great game for all history buffs.



Command HQ
From legendary designer Dan Bunten, the creator behind such classic strategy titles like M.U.L.E. and The Seven Cities of Gold, Command HQ gives you complex control over a country during the global war - countries from both the past and future. But trigger-happy gamers must watch out - as the technology in the campaign progresses, the risk of a devastating nuclear war becomes more and more real.



Across the Rhine
Another WWII game, this time set in Europe, Across the Rhine, is a strategy game that gives you the chance to witness the war from the nerve-wracking perspective of a tank commander. Take complete operational control of a single-tank platoon and climb your way to the top, eventually taking command over an entire American or German battalion.



Shadow Ops: Red Mercury
We finish our list with an all-out FPS title, Shadow Ops: Red Mercury. This time, your enemies are terrorists who wish to destabilize the world’s political and economic stage. In order to stop them, our hero, a member of an elite anti-terrorist group, must set off on a string of stealth and assault missions across the globe.

So, what will be your role - a pilot, a commander, or a special forces soldier? Check out our retro war games sale and let us know in the comments what was your choice!
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trusteft: Speaking of flight sims that haven't been mentioned yet, Battlehawks 1942, Fantastic. Especially the ST version I know more than any other.
Lucasfilm's flight sims were indeed great! Unfortunately they've been almost forgotten nowadays. I still regard "SWOTL" as one of the best WW2 flight-sims ever made.

https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/battlehawks_1942
https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/their_finest_hour_the_battle_of_britain
https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/secret_weapons_of_the_luftwaffe
I've been waiting for Command HQ to come here - I have it on Steam, but this is an instant buy for me. I'd rather own it here.
Does Gunship work with an Xbox 360 controller?
high rated
Gunship! seems to have better care from GOG than the Steam version. The Steam version is the game "as is" (If it runs good for you). The GOG version has applied the dx1-7 wrapper/configurator to make the 3d acceleration mode compatible with modern computers.
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Enebias: I'm in dire need of good first person shooters.
Shadow Ops seems good at glance, any opinions about it?
I thought it was ok.

One thing is, it feels more like a console shooter than a PC one, because of the basic gameplay and simplistic level design. I also think it doesn't have quick saves (don't really remember).
Nice.

Already have some of these games in physical format though, sadly F-14 FD and 1942 TPAW had "gold" versions with videoclips and such, which I don't think these have as I've heard those were impossible to run on Dosbox.

Also shoutout to Retroism or whoever owns the right to get the F-15 Strike Eagle games over here, I must have played F-15 Strike Eagle III to death back in the day, really wish to replay it for a bit of fun as I don't have it anymore and you really need a manual with that game.
If gog can get Gunship 2000 and The European Airwar would be nice too.
Oh very cool. I only wish B-17 Flying Fortress made the list. Maybe another time!
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Gudadantza: Gunship! seems to have better care from GOG than the Steam version. The Steam version is the game "as is" (If it runs good for you). The GOG version has applied the dx1-7 wrapper/configurator to make the 3d acceleration mode compatible with modern computers.
Hello Gudadantza!

I assume, you now own the GOG version of Gunship! and might be familiar with the game.

Do you know, whether the GOG release of Gunship! needs to be played with a joystick or even HOTAS-joystick--is it required to play as in some other classic flight simulations?
Or is it reasonably playable with mouse and keyboard?

Thanks in advance for your answer!

Kind regards,
foxgog
Any chance we'll see LHX: Attack Chopper on GOG?
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Enebias: I'm in dire need of good first person shooters.
Shadow Ops seems good at glance, any opinions about it?
Define good? :)

I didn't know this game existed until its release here. I'm only five missions in, but I would say it's 2/5 stars as a game, but 4/5 stars as a so-bad-it's-good game. I am at a loss to explain why Gog markets it as a "classic war game that faithfully simulate a real-life battlefield", since it's not a classic, not a wargame, and simulates a child's (or Donald Trump's...) idea of warfare.

But!

I do not regret buying it. I'm glad it's here, I wish Gog released more games like that!

It's comedy gold! I've been cracking jokes non-stop for well over one hour... with no one to hear them. So here's my advice: buy it, bring a friend to play it with you, and bring out the popcorn!

@bluethief
There are neither quicksaves nor saves. It's not a problem, since the difficulty is quite forgiving.
Any of these is still worth playing – excluding "nostalgia factor"?
Quick check in Google shows:
Shadow Ops: Red Mercury
· 9/10 Steam
· 7.9/10 GRY-OnLine.pl

Across the Rhine
· 6/10 Steam

Command HQ
· 8/10 Steam
· 5/5 Play CLASSIC games online
· 4.6/5 ClassicReload.com

1942: The Pacific Air War
· 6/10 Steam
· 3.8/5 ClassicReload.com

F-19 Stealth Fighter
· 8/10 Steam
· 4.5/5 ClassicReload.com

Fleet Defender: The F-14 Tomcat Simulation
· 8/10 Steam

Gunship!
· 6/10 Steam
· 3.8/5 ClassicReload.com
PS. I was also looking for Comanche on the list. Not this time, but I still have hope...
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Gudadantza: Gunship! seems to have better care from GOG than the Steam version. The Steam version is the game "as is" (If it runs good for you). The GOG version has applied the dx1-7 wrapper/configurator to make the 3d acceleration mode compatible with modern computers.
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foxgog: Hello Gudadantza!

I assume, you now own the GOG version of Gunship! and might be familiar with the game.

Do you know, whether the GOG release of Gunship! needs to be played with a joystick or even HOTAS-joystick--is it required to play as in some other classic flight simulations?
Or is it reasonably playable with mouse and keyboard?

Thanks in advance for your answer!

Kind regards,
foxgog
Apparently it needs to be patched with a little 480kb patch called gsuspatch.exe. It creates a couple of ini files and you edit the mouse controls.

I remember flying this sim with a mouse (very sensitive though) but probably I had it already patched and didn't remember. I am trying to find the patch but for now I have no luck. Sorry for not being of more help.

About other controls I also remember It ran with a generic gamepad detected as a Stick as well.

Greetings
Post edited May 25, 2020 by Gudadantza
Hello,
I am curious about "Gunship!". I did know only the former MS-DOS game--but am not sure anymore if I played the first or the 2000 one.

But, to be honest, I would rather see the (civilian) helicopter flight simulations from the Search & Rescue series (from Interactive Vision) released here on GOG.com.
My favorites are "Search & Rescue 4" (also known as "Coastal Heroes" in North America, 2002) and its stand-alone addon "Search & Rescue: Med+Evac" (although not entirely "civil", 2002)!
I might also like to take a look at "AH-64 Apache Air Assault" (2003) by the same developer team as Search & Rescue.

SAR4 Coastal Heroes (on mobygames)
SAR: Med+Evac (on mobygames)
AH-64 Apache Air Assault (on mobygames)

Maybe in the near future.

Kind regards,
foxgog

P.S.: Oh, and Comanche 3 and 4 were a blast to play, as well, despite being on the arcade style of gameplay!
Post edited May 25, 2020 by foxgog
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foxgog: Hello,
I am curious about "Gunship!". I did know only the former MS-DOS game--but am not sure anymore if I played the first or the 2000 one.

But, to be honest, I would rather see the (civilian) helicopter flight simulations from the Search & Rescue series (from Interactive Vision) released here on GOG.com.
My favorites are "Search & Rescue 4" (also known as "Coastal Heroes" in North America, 2002) and its stand-alone addon "Search & Rescue: Med+Evac" (although not entirely "civil", 2002)!
I might also like to take a look at "AH-64 Apache Air Assault" (2003) by the same developer team as Search & Rescue.

SAR4 Coastal Heroes (on mobygames)
SAR: Med+Evac (on mobygames)
AH-64 Apache Air Assault (on mobygames)

Maybe in the near future.

Kind regards,
foxgog
Not civilian, but in gog you have available other four interestng helicopter sims:

-Comanche Hokum
-Apache Havoc
-Hind and
-Apache

And if some day GOG bring us The Jane's simulators series (Logbow etc) the world would explode.
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Gudadantza: (...)
And if some day GOG bring us The Jane's simulators series (Logbow etc) the world would explode.
Hello, again!

Thanks for your answer regarding "Gunship!" further up!

And indeed, Jane's Longbow would be fantastic, too.

Have a nice day!

Kind regards,
foxgog