Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter
Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter on?
- Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Android, Arcade, FM Towns, iOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine, PlayStation, Sharp X68000.
- When did Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter release?
- Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter was first released on May 18, 1991.
About Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter
You pilot the TC-17 Twin Cobra assault helicopter to fight the forces of Commander Anziga, the myopic leader of the nation of Kaban. Your job is to fly into Kaban and take out the entire military base of Commander Anziga. You will fight small helicopters, tanks and stationary guns, defeat the large helicopters to get power-ups. By picking up colored icons (blue, yellow, red or green) you can change to different weapon types. Blue is a forward spread shot, yellow is a four-way shot, red is a wide forward laser shot and green is a continuous forward laser shot. At the end of each section, you land on a carrier ship and count up your bonuses.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Android, Arcade, FM Towns, iOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine, PlayStation, Sharp X68000
- Developer
- Graphic Research
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1991 | $19 | $38 | — | 66% | Low |
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Android · Arcade · FM Towns · iOS · Nintendo Entertainment System · PC Engine · PlayStation · Sharp X68000. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese release (Kyukyoku Tiger) | $37 | $90 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.89 in Apr 2008, $18.77 five years ago, and $19.06 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $4.71 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $4.71 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $4.98 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $5.94 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $8.47 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $9.06 | $15.00 |
| Jan 2015 | $9.47 | $17.50 |
| Jan 2016 | $10.50 | $25 |
| Jan 2017 | $13.99 | $27 |
| Jan 2018 | $15.11 | $25 |
| Jan 2019 | $13.35 | $30 |
| Jan 2020 | $15.31 | $30 |
| Jan 2021 | $19.00 | $36 |
| Jan 2022 | $23 | $63 |
| Jan 2023 | $19.99 | $50 |
| Jan 2024 | $15.48 | $47 |
| Jan 2025 | $15.00 | $39 |
| Jan 2026 | $16.99 | $41 |
| Oct 2026 | $19.06 | $38 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | June 1991 | 1128 | 010086011289 |
| Japan | 22 February 1991 | T-24033 | 4991694122023 |
- Region
- JP+NA
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
A basic helicopter shooter on the Genesis, above the middle among US carts and much dearer in Japan.
This is the Genesis version of Twin Cobra, the arcade helicopter shooter that Toaplan made in 1987. Graphic Research developed the Genesis port. Treco published it in Japan in February 1991 as Kyūkyoku Tiger, and Sega published it in North America in June 1991.
Sega Pro, reviewing the Mega Drive game, called it a basic scrolling shoot-'em-up with nothing special to offer Mega Drive players.
What the press said at the time
| Computer + Video Games Issue 114 | June 1991 | 66% |
“Having enjoyed the quite addictive PC Engine version of this vertical scroller, I was rather disappointed to find that the Megadrive version falls down drastically, both in audio-visual and playability aspects.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
A 1992 Sega Force guide, by contrast, said it took the Genesis to do the hot arcade game justice.
Also on other platforms
Android · Arcade · FM Towns · iOS · NES · PC Engine · PlayStation · X68000
| Arcade | Toaplan |
- Arcade. The arcade original was a success for Toaplan, earning positive reception from Western critics and several Gamest awards; the home ports were each done by different third-party developers.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the median. The Japanese cart (Kyukyoku Tiger) usually costs about double or more, and has a different cartridge shape from a Western console's slot. It is a cheap-tier game with no per-game fake concerns. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Watch on YouTube
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