Airborne Ranger

The game was followed by Special Forces in 1991.

• Title — Airborne Ranger • Developer — MicroProse • Publisher — MicroProse • Designer — Lawrence Schick Scott Spanburg Bill Stealey (concept) • Artist — Iris Leigh Idokogi Barbara Miller Jackie Ross • Composer — Ken Lagace • Platforms — Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST • Released — 1987: C64, Spectrum 1988: Amstrad, MS-DOS 1989: Atari ST, Amiga • Genre — Action • Modes — Single-player

• Illustration — Ranger found some supplies during an arctic mission (Atari ST). The game consists of several missions, in which the player controls a sole Ranger whose objectives include capturing an enemy officer, destroying an enemy bunker, taking out a SAM site, and rescuing a captured POW, which would possibly free a roster member that was labeled P.O.W. The game creates the maps and objective locations randomly, so the player is required to plan each mission carefully, because no mission is the same. At the start of each mission, the player is presented with a short overview of the mission, and can select a Ranger from a roster of available soldiers. The player is then in control of an aircraft, described as a V-22 Osprey and is allowed to drop three ammo crates over the enemy territory. Once the three containers are dropped, the Ranger is parachuted into the area. Upon touch-down, the player has to overcome several obstacles, including enemy soldiers and officers, mine fields, foxholes and bunkers. Due to limited ammunition, the player needs to plan his path through the territory. The dropped ammo crates provide the soldier with fresh hand grenades and ammo. After completing the mission, the Ranger has to navigate to a pick-up point within a time limit. If the Ranger is captured (but not killed), the player can start an optional rescue mission using another soldier from the roster. Each successful mission increases the rank of the individual Ranger, up to colonel.