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Choplifter

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Choplifter
Atari 5200 box cover
Developer(s)Dan Gorlin
Sega (arcade remake)
Publisher(s)Broderbund

Atari, Inc. (5200)
Atari Corp. (7800, 8-bit)
Sega (arcade, consoles)
Platform(s)Apple II, Arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Famicom, Fujitsu FM-7, Master System, MSX, SG-1000, Thomson MO5, Thomson TO7/70, VIC-20
ReleaseOriginal
Arcade remake
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Choplifter (stylized as Choplifter!) is a military-themed scrolling shooter developed by Dan Gorlin for the Apple II and published by Broderbund in 1982. It was ported to the Atari 8-bit computers the same year, and also to the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Atari 5200 (released in February 1984),[6] ColecoVision, MSX, and Thomson computers.

In 1985, Sega released a remake as an arcade video game, with ports published for the Master System and Famicom in 1986. Graphically enhanced versions for the Atari 8-bit computers and Atari 7800 were also released in 1988 by Atari Corporation.[7]

Gameplay

[edit]

In Choplifter, the player assumes the role of a combat helicopter pilot. The objective is to rescue hostages held in barracks within the territory controlled by the evil Bungeling Empire. The player must collect the hostages (described in the backstory as "delegates to the United Nations Conference on Peace and Child Rearing") and safely transport them to the nearby U.S. Postal Service building, all while fending off hostile tanks and other enemy combatants.[8][9] According to the backstory, the helicopter's parts were smuggled into the country, disguised as a "mail-sorting machine."

The helicopter can face three directions: left, right, or forward (facing the player). It can shoot at enemies in any of these directions and need not fly in the same direction it is facing. The forward-facing mode is primarily used to shoot at tanks. The player must be cautious to protect the hostages from enemy fire and avoid hitting them with friendly fire.

To rescue the prisoners, the player must first shoot at one of the hostage buildings to release the hostages, then land to allow them to board the sortie, and finally return them to the player's starting point. Each of the four buildings holds 16 hostages, and the helicopter can only carry up to 16 passengers at a time, meaning several trips are necessary. Once the chopper is full, no more hostages will attempt to board; they will wave the helicopter off and wait for its return. Each successive trip is typically more perilous than the last, as the enemy becomes aware of the player's actions and mounts a counterattack.

If the player lands directly on top of a hostage or completely blocks the building exit, the hostages will be killed. In the Apple II and Atari 7800 versions, hostages will also die if the helicopter is not landed correctly (i.e., if it is slightly tilted), being crushed as they attempt to board. While grounded, the helicopter can be attacked by enemy tanks, which it can only shoot at by returning to the air. Additionally, enemy jet fighters are deployed, which can attack the helicopter in the air with air-to-air missiles or on the ground with bombs.

Development

[edit]

Coming off a stint working for the Rand Corporation, Dan Gorlin initially developed Choplifter using an Apple II loaned to him by his grandfather.[10] Initially, Gorlin envisioned Choplifter as a 3D game, but he switched to a traditional 2D game environment due to technical limitations.

The game was developed in six months. After Gorlin began experimenting with animating a helicopter on the Apple II, he added scenery, tanks, and planes, with the hostages being added last. He noted that, as a story developed, "movie camera techniques seemed appropriate," including the final message "The End" instead of "Game Over." Gorlin's first demonstration to Broderbund was "too realistic, too much a helicopter simulation," and the company helped him make it easier to fly.[11] The concept of rescuing hostages was inspired by Gorlin's experience with the game Defender, in which the player must protect people on the ground. Although the Iran hostage crisis ended the year before the game was released, Gorlin said, "The tie-in with current events was something that never really crossed my mind until we published."[12]

In the 1990s, Gorlin revisited the 3D concept in a failed attempt to remake the game.[10]

Reception

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Debuting in May 1982, the game sold 9,000 copies by June, appearing on Computer Gaming World's list of top sellers.[1] II Computing listed Choplifter seventh on the magazine's list of top Apple II games as of late 1985, based on sales and market-share data.[13]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Sega's arcade version of Choplifter in the November 1, 1985, issue as the most successful table arcade unit on the bi-weekly chart.[14] After being dethroned by Taito's The Legend of Kage on November 15,[15] Choplifter returned to the top of the chart on December 1, 1985.[16]

Reviews

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Softline in 1982 called the game "what may well be the first Interactive Computer-Assisted Animated Movie. A fusion of arcade gaming, simulation, and filmic visual aesthetics, Choplifter is destined to occupy a place in the software Hall of Fame." The magazine praised the animation and the helicopter's "subtle flight control," and concluded that seeing the hostages' "hope and excitement, their faith in you" made the game "hard to play. It hurts to see one of those lively people killed."[11] In 1983, its readers named Choplifter fourth on the magazine's Top Thirty list of Atari 8-bit programs by popularity.[17] BYTE called Choplifter "great fun".[18] Computer Gaming World,[19] Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games,[20] and The Commodore 64 Home Companion[21] praised the graphics and animation, the latter stating that "the little captives running across the desert almost seem alive."

The Apple II version of the game received a Certificate of Merit in the category of "Best Computer Audiovisual Effects" at the 4th annual Arkie Awards,[22]: 33  and shortly afterward, Billboard named it Computer Game of the Year.[23] The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 gave the game an overall A+ rating, calling it "a masterpiece." The book concluded that "the concept, graphics, and animation make this a delightful game."[24] InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers cited it as "innovative" and a "winner."[25]

Console XS magazine reviewed the Sega Master System version, giving it a score of 85%.[26] Computer and Video Games magazine reviewed the Master System version in 1989, giving it a score of 87%. They also reviewed the ColecoVision and Atari 7800 versions, giving them scores of 81% and 84%, respectively.[27]

Legacy

[edit]

Choplifter II, subtitled "Rescue Survive," was released for the Game Boy in 1991, then remade for both the Game Boy and Game Gear as Choplifter III in 1994. An unrelated Choplifter III was released for Super NES.

In late 1997, Gorlin and his development team, Ariok Entertainment, were working on a Choplifter game for IBM PC compatibles that would be in 3D and feature multiplayer functionality.[28] However, the game was never released.

Sega released a pair of spiritual successors without the Choplifter brand:

  • Air Rescue (1991) for the Sega System 32 arcade hardware is a first-person, pseudo-3D take on the concept.
  • Air Rescue (1992) for the Master System more closely resembles the 2D Choplifter, but features stages that scroll in all directions.

Programmer Will Botti cited Choplifter as a major inspiration for his 1996 game Black Dawn.[29]

In 2004, Xicat Interactive published ChopLifter: Crisis Shield exclusively in Europe.[30][31]

inXile Entertainment released Choplifter HD for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Microsoft Windows in January 2012, and for Ouya in August 2013.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Inside the Industry" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. September–October 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
  2. ^ "Choplifter (Registration Number PA0000170265)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Video Game Flyers: Choplifter, Sega (EU)". The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Choplifter (Registration Number PA0000280077)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ^ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971–2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 131. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  6. ^ "Year-End Index" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 3, no. 10. January 1985. p. 156.
  7. ^ "Choplifter!". Atari Mania.
  8. ^ Broderbund. Choplifter (Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64). Scene: game packaging.
  9. ^ Mott, Tony (2013). 1001 video games you must play before you die (Revised and updated ed.). London: Cassell Illustrated. ISBN 9781844037667.
  10. ^ a b Frank Cifaldi (January 13, 2012). "Choplifter: From 1982 to 2012". Gamasutra. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Salmons, Jim (July 1982). "The Choppers of Mercy". Softline. p. 18. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  12. ^ Hague, James (1997). "Halcyon Days".
  13. ^ Ciraolo, Michael (Oct–Nov 1985). "Top Software / A List of Favorites". II Computing. p. 51. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 271. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 November 1985. p. 23.
  15. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 270. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 November 1985. p. 23.
  16. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 272. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 December 1985. p. 23.
  17. ^ "The Most Popular Atari Program Ever". Softline. March 1983. p. 44. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  18. ^ Clark, Pamela; Williams, Gregg (December 1982). "The Coinless Arcade - Rediscovered". BYTE. p. 84. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  19. ^ Greenlaw, Stanley (July–August 1982), "Choplifter! Rescue the Hostages", Computer Gaming World, pp. 30, 38
  20. ^ Ahl, David H.; Brill, Andrew; Lubar, David; Coffey, Michael; Archibald, Dale (Spring 1983). "Apple Computer Games". Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games. Vol. 1, no. 1. p. 86.
  21. ^ "Broderbund Software". The Commodore 64 Home Companion. 1984. pp. 166–167. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  22. ^ Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (March 1983). "Arcade Alley: The Best Computer Games". Video. 6 (12). Reese Communications: 32–33. ISSN 0147-8907.
  23. ^ Kleiner, Karen (Jul–Aug 1983). "Billboard Conference". Softline. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  24. ^ Stanton, Jeffrey; Wells, Robert P.; Rochowansky, Sandra; Mellid, Michael, eds. (1984). The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software. Addison-Wesley. p. 74. ISBN 0-201-16454-X.
  25. ^ Mace, Scott (1984). InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers. Harper & Row. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-06-669006-3.
  26. ^ "Software A-Z: Master System". Console XS. No. 1 (June/July 1992). United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing. 23 April 1992. pp. 137–47.
  27. ^ "Complete Games Guide" (PDF). Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. 16 October 1989.
  28. ^ "In the Studio". Next Generation. No. 38. Imagine Media. February 1998. p. 28.
  29. ^ "Behind the Screens". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 87. Ziff Davis. October 1996. p. 158.
  30. ^ "ChopLifter [PS2 - Cancelled?] - Unseen64". 15 April 2008.
  31. ^ "ChopLifter: Crisis Shield Release Information for PlayStation 2 - GameFAQs".
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