Codename Desert Storm

Players Software

Status: Full Game, Findability: 5/5

Also known as: Codename Desert Shield

Next up in GTW64 is a title called Codename Desert Storm which was brought to light by its coder Duncan Kershaw.

The game was intended for release by Players in 1991 time, and was a sort of Choplifter game where you had to rescue Sadam’s human hostages. However, the war kicked off and the name had to be changed from its original name of Codename Desert Shield, to Codename Desert Storm. The hostages also were changed to downed airmen. Duncan suggested that the game would have been based on the Cobra Force game that he wrote for Players Premier.

Because of the war and ties, Players got cold feet and didn’t publish the title – despite the game being fully completed and with the changes. Duncan did later try to offer the game again to Julian Jones for his new Fun Factory label – but things didn’t last long and they never got to release any C64 titles.

After some searching through work disks, Duncan has managed to recover the full game that was offered around various publishing companies and has allowed us to release it. It has been sat on a disk for about 22 years until now!

So here it is! Overall the game is an average shooter affair and a little on the short side, but it is a full game with some unheard Richard Rinn music (iAN CooG confirming that the title tune is already in HVSC under Toccata in DEEK’s directory) as a bonus too. Ian has also passed on a SID rip from the game which he’s kindly allowed us to add with the downloads.

Check it out!

Contributions: iAN CooG

Supporting content

Creator speaks

Duncan Kershaw talks about his game:

“It was developed just as the first Gulf War started, around August 1990. I have the source code for it and probably the game code.

Think it was finished, can’t remember if it had music. I think I did the graphics for it. It would have been based on the Cobra Force game I wrote for Players Premier I suspect…”

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