Prior to its launch in the North American market, the game was titled Desert Tank Force before being renamed to Desert Commander and was showcased multiple times at the Summer and Winter editions of Consumer Electronics Show from 1988 to 1989 respectively. The soundtrack was composed by Hiroyuki Masuno. Development and release ĭesert Commander was first released in Japan by Kemco on Apand later in North America on June 1989. Germany was determined to help Italy win their conflict while preparing for their fateful campaign in the Soviet Union at the same time. However, the Italian army was instantly defeated by the British counterattackers who had a duty to protect Egypt. He looked at this opportunity to transform the Mediterranean Sea into an "Italian Lake." Axis forces managed to deliver their invading troops to Egypt by September 1940. Benito Mussolini, the dictator of Fascist Italy had signed a military alliance with Germany at the time. By June 1940, France formally surrendered to Nazi Germany making Germany the strongest nation in Continental Europe. World War II began when the German army of Adolf Hitler invaded Poland through the use of the infamous blitzkrieg technique. Transport units are also available to carry infantry units across the map. Units cannot be produced, but players can replenish them by landing at the appropriate buildings or be resupplied by a supply truck for example, all aircraft must stop at an airport in order to recharge their fuel and ammo supply. A certain unit is particularly strong or weak against a particular opponent, performing average against every other unit type.
The player's force consists of nine different types of units and one headquarters unit (which is a unit by itself and also can be used to attack).
Prior to a two-player match, players can also customize the number of units at their disposal. When in a one-player game, the second controller can be used to modify the CPU forces. There is no variance in artificial intelligence, so the only thing that makes the later maps harder is the larger number of units the CPU has. On the easiest scenario, both the player and the CPU have the same number of units, while in all others the CPU will have more than the player. When playing against the CPU, the computer will be given a different ratio of units to command from the player. Each scenario has no time limit and gives a different set number of units to use, which the players can mix and match between the different types without going over that limit. Terrain plays an important role during battle sequences, as it can affect the outcome of encounters in terms of terrestrial unit's movility, attack and defense (except for aircraft). Players command their units on a map, using a command window function, and each unit have different mobility range that varies according to their type except aircraft units in addition of possessing different shooting range. The main gameplay objective is to either occupy the enemy headquarters or destroy all opposing forces on the playfield and the player that does so first wins. Available modes of play include the main single-player campaign and a two-player versus mode. Patton and Bernard Montgomery across five increasingly difficult scenarios that take place in the 1940s, each one giving a pre-determined set number of units to use, to fight against the Axis Powers led by Erwin Rommel.
Desert Commander is a World War II-themed turn-based strategy game where players assume command of the Allied Forces led by Generals George S.