Desert Rats: The North Africa Campaign screenshots

The game's title screen

The game has a save feature so the first of several decisions the player must make is whether to continue a saved game or start a new one

Having decided to play a new game the next decision is which one? (Or more precisely which scenario?)

I have yet to work out what role Malta plays in this but this is a historically based game so perhaps I'll learn something

Final decision. This is a one player game so which side does the player want to be?

After a brief pause the computer starts moving units. The blue is the sea, the yellow is the desert and the black lines are roads - important because some units must stick to roads

Where Axis & Allied forces are fighting the units flash red / yellow to show there is fighting going on

The end of the first round of movement that's almost like part of the setup / load process because as yet there's been no player involvement

Now the player's turn begins

The Allied nits are highlighted in turn and the player can assign a series of actions to them by using the action keys in the panel on the right

The battlefield is bigger than it appears. After giving orders to the troops in the immediate area of conflict the map screen shifts eastwards to show the rest of the allied forces

When all orders have been given the computer has a think.....

... then moves the units, both its own and the players, ....

... then resolves any areas of conflict between the two sides

... then it's back to being the Allied turn to move the troops.

Desert Rats: The North Africa Campaign

ZX Spectrum screenshots