"Nuclear devices come in all shapes and sizes. So do the lunatics who use them. Anyone who tells you the threat of thermonuclear war is over is a fool, an enemy or both." Thus begins Nuclear Strike 64, a game that has you stacked against formidable odds and limited resources. As a member of the covert Strike Team, it is your job to prevent terrorists from acting on their apocalyptic urges. You will carry out your role unhampered by governmental regulation, because well, you do not officially exist.

The current situation is as follows: a former CIA Intelligence Officer is believed to have a nuclear device in his power and may already be in the jungles of Southeast Asia. If he should continue to amass his troops unchecked, there could be serious repercussions for the entire planet. The Strike Team must infiltrate this area and do whatever is necessary to ensure that this rogue American, Colonel James LeMonde, cannot continue whatever he is planning. Before and during each mission, rest assured that you will be updated of any new developments.

Nuclear Strike 64 is a translation of 1997's Nuclear Strike for the PlayStation, the fifth game in Electronic Arts Strike series of aerial combat games. For those unfamiliar with the series, the game is played from an overhead view as you pilot a heavily armed Apache attack chopper from a third-person viewpoint. As you fly over the battlefields comprising each mission, you will have to deal with tanks, boats, troops and other vehicles looking to thwart your progress.

In order to advance to the next mission, you have to complete a series of objectives that may change at any time during play. As you fly over the texture-mapped terrain within a particular region, you have the option to switch to an overhead map that highlights enemies, your target objectives and any potential assets. Your chopper has a limited capacity of fuel, ammunition and armor, so you'll have to replenish each by flying over certain areas and picking equipment up with a winch (which automatically drops whenever your chopper is directly above the item in question).

Each map will also have various landing zones used to drop off passengers or switch between vehicles. Besides your Super Apache, players will be able to use the following vehicles to carry out their objectives: a Sea Apache, AV-8 Sea Harrier, PACV Hovercraft, M1-HX Abrams Tank, Bradley APC, A-10X Prototype Warthog, AH-6, AH-1W Super Cobra, RAH-66 Comanche, MI-28 Havoc and a Hokum. Exclusive to this Nintendo 64 version is an automatic reticle system that locks onto enemy vehicles by surrounding the closest target in green. As you fire at a highlighted craft, the reticle will eventually turn red to signify critical damage.

Nuclear Strike 64 allows players to save their progress to a Controller Pak after each completed mission, but players have three attempts before the game is over. Those owning a Rumble Pak will be able to feel vibration feedback during explosions and hits to their vehicle, and the optional Expansion Pak is supported for Medium resolution and improved frame rates due to the additional 4MB of memory. Options include three difficulty settings, four controller configurations and the ability to enter game codes to influence play.

Nuclear Strike 64 (Nintendo 64, 1999)