Time for another oldie but goodie, a game that you may have fond memories of playing. Choplifter was developed and released by Broderbund in 1982 for the Apple II computer and soon found ports to other computing platforms of the 80s. This game came out at a time where other related titles like Lode Runner and Raid on Bungeling Bay were all the rage. Due to their popularity, Sega released a coin-op version of these games in 1985, which was quite odd, since there were very few games that would make the transition of console-first, arcade-second at the time. Cosmic Chasm, Lode Runner & Pitfall II would also make such a jump, re-designed for appropriate arcade play. Arcade games for sale.
In Choplifter, the player takes controls of a chopper in a side-scrolling format somewhat similar to Midway’s Defender. The chopper controls beautifully, and the player can perform a number of aerial acrobatics. the objective is to take off from home base, and scroll through the zones of the Bungeling Empire, rescuing helpless hostages from their buildings and taking them back to the base. Throughout the levels, the enemies will deploy all sorts of obstacles to deter you from completing the objective, such as tanks, jets, and air mines. In order to complete a perfect game, the player must rescue all 64 hostages. To add a comedic twist to an otherwise generic military plot, the game’s backstory states that the parts of the chopper operated by the player were smuggled into Bungeling territory as “mail sorting equipment.”
Controls
Choplifter came in two types of controller configurations: one with a one-button controller, and another that has two buttons.
For the former, the player can use the joystick to fly the heli over the stage. As the player nears the edges, the screen will either left or right, depending on the direction they are travelling. Furthermore, the player can press up to rise in the air; the chopper will slowly fall if altitude is not gained. The only button on the controller can be tapped to fire missiles or bombs, and can be tapped repeatedly to launch a stream of projectiles. If the chopper is oriented left or right, it will launch a missile. If it is pointed towards the player, it will instead drop a bomb. By holding the button, the player can re-orientate the chopper in up to 90 degrees.
The two-button controller has a D-pad instead of a joystick, which functions in the exact same manner as the latter. Other than that, the controls are exactly the same for this version.