Choplifter is a 1982 Apple II game developed by Dan Gorlin and published by Brøderbund. It was ported to other home computers and, in 1985, Sega released a coin-operated arcade game version. While many arcade games have been ported to home computers and consumer consoles, Choplifter was one of the few games (Lode Runner is another) to take the reverse route: first appearing on a home system and being ported to the arcade. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Dan Gorlin is a computer game programmer, desginer and founder of Dan Gorlin Productions. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Brøderbund Software was a maker of computer games, educational software and the Print Shop productivity tools. ... Ariolasoft was a German software developer, publisher, and distributor. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Dan Gorlin is a computer game programmer, desginer and founder of Dan Gorlin Productions. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer or video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Chess is one of the most well-known and played strategy games of all time. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... The 1977 Apple II, complete with integrated keyboard, color graphics, sound, a plastic case and eight expansion slots. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, or simply Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari as a replacement for the famous Atari 2600. ... The Atari 7800 is a video game console released by Atari in June 1986 (a test market release occurred two years earlier). ... An Atari 800XL, one of the most popular machines in the series. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... “NES” redirects here. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short) is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... 1979 TI-99/4 with RF modulator, optional Speech Synthesizer, keyboard overlays, and a cartridge. ... Joystick elements: 1. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The 1977 Apple II, complete with integrated keyboard, color graphics, sound, a plastic case and eight expansion slots. ... Dan Gorlin is a computer game programmer, desginer and founder of Dan Gorlin Productions. ... Brøderbund Software was a maker of computer games, educational software and the Print Shop productivity tools. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Sega Corporation ) is a multinational Japanese video game software and hardware development company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed (e. ... Children playing on a Amstrad CPC 464 in the 1980s. ... A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or electronic device that manipulates the video display signal of a display device (a television, monitor, etc. ... Lode Runner is a 1983 platform game, first published by Brøderbund. ...

Overview

In Choplifter, the player assumes the role of a combat helicopter pilot. The player attempts to save hostages being held in prisoner of war camps in territory ruled by the evil Bungeling Empire. The player must collect the hostages and transport them safely to the nearby friendly base, all the while fighting off hostile tanks and other enemy combatants. According to the backstory, the helicopter parts were smuggled into the country described as "mail sorting equipment." For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hostage (disambiguation). ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ...

Although the Iran hostage crisis ended the year before the game was released, Gorlin has stated "the tie-in with current events was something that never really crossed my mind until we published."^[1] Iranian militants escort a blindfolded U.S. hostage to the media. ...

Description

The helicopter (named "Hawk-Z" in the Master System version manual) can face three directions: left, right, or forward, facing the player. It may shoot at enemies in any of these directions and need not fly in the same direction it is facing. The forward-facing mode is used primarily to shoot tanks. Care must also be taken to both protect the hostages from enemy fire and not accidentally shoot them oneself.

The player rescues the prisoners by first shooting one of the hostage buildings to release them, landing to allow the prisoners to board the sortie, and returning them to the player's starting point. Only one building's worth of passengers can be carried at a time, so several trips must be made. When the chopper is full, no more hostages will attempt to board; they will wave the helicopter off and wait (hopefully) for its return. Usually, each trip back is more risky than the previous one since the enemy is alerted and has deployed a counter-attack. Sortie is a term for deployment of one military aircraft or a ship for the purposes of a specific mission, whether alone, or with other aircraft or vessels. ...

If the player lands directly on top of a hostage, the hostage will be killed. In the Apple II and Atari 7800 versions, hostages will also die if the vehicle is not landed correctly (it is slightly tilted), being crushed as they attempt to board the chopper. While grounded, the helicopter may be attacked by enemy tanks, which it can shoot at only by returning to the air.

Platforms

Tanks and a jet target the helicopter while hostages flee a burning building in the original Apple II game.

Choplifter was ported to many other home systems of the era. These versions were ports of the original Apple II game, not the later arcade version. These systems include the Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, MSX, and Texas Instruments TI-99/4A. German publisher Ariolasoft published the European Commodore 64 version. A screenshot of Choplifter by me This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... A screenshot of Choplifter by me This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... The Apple II was one of the most popular personal computers of the 1980s. ... In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed (e. ... The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, or simply Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari as a replacement for the famous Atari 2600. ... The Atari 7800 is a video game console released by Atari in June 1986 (a test market release occurred two years earlier). ... An Atari 800XL, one of the most popular machines in the series. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... 1979 TI-99/4 with RF modulator, optional Speech Synthesizer, keyboard overlays, and a cartridge. ... Ariolasoft was a German software developer, publisher, and distributor. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

In 1986, ports of the arcade version back to home versions were developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Master System. Not surprisingly, the arcade version and its ports are more colorful and intense than the Apple II version. It boasts more environments (desert, sea, caves and city) as opposed to the Apple's single desert environment. The arcade version is listed in the Killer List of Videogames Top 100 and one of the four best games in 1985. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... “NES” redirects here. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short) is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... For the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity, see desertion. ... The Killer List of Videogames (otherwise known simply as KLOV, pronounced Kay-El-Oh-Vee) is a website devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

Version differences

In the original Apple II game, play continues until all three helicopters are destroyed or all prisoners are either rescued or killed. There is no scoring system other than the counters at the top of the screen, which indicate how many of the 64 total hostages have been killed (red), how many are on-board the helicopter (blue), and how many have been rescued (green). The best possible result is to rescue all the hostages, for which the game will award you a triple crown, Brøderbund's emblem. The Commodore 64 version is the same.

In the arcade version, a point system is used, giving points for enemies killed and hostages rescued. Furthermore, the arcade version has only eight hostages per building rather than 16. In order to move from one level to the next, the player must rescue at least 20 hostages (40 in the Sega Master System version). The arcade version also forces the player to restart a level if too many hostages are killed, but does not restore any helicopters lost. (In the Sega Master System version, this automatically ends the current game in progress.) Another difference in the arcade version is the addition of a Fuel Meter. This was essentially a time limit because there was only one way to replenish the meter—saving hostages.

The original game provides a safe zone around the player's launch area where the player was largely free from attack. A fence indicates the border between friendly and enemy territory. While the fence is still present in the arcade version, enemy jets will pursue the player's helicopter all the way to his landing pad.

In the original game, a new enemy is added with each trip the player makes. First, the player faces only tanks which are limited to attacking only when the helicopter has landed or is extremely close to the ground. The next trip introduces jet fighters that shoot missiles at the helicopter in the air and bomb it when it's on the ground. The last enemies are "air mines" which attempt to collide with the player's helicopter, and which on the fourth trip gain the ability to shoot. The arcade game has a larger variety of enemies which vary more according to each level's landscape rather than the number of trips the player has made. The most significant of these are anti-aircraft guns which make the arcade version much harder than the original. It retains the tanks and jet fighters, but does not include air mines which follow the player's helicopter.

Reception and legacy

This game was fairly successful and popular, spawning two sequels: Choplifter II for the Nintendo Game Boy and Choplifter III for the Super NES. On the Commodore 64 and the MSX, games related to Choplifter were Lode Runner and Raid on Bungeling Bay, all three games featuring the fictional Bungeling Empire. Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... For the entire Game Boy series of handheld consoles, see Game Boy line. ... Choplifter 3 was released September 09, 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment system. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... Lode Runner is a 1983 platform game, first published by Brøderbund. ... This is the Commodore 64 version of Raid on Bungeling Bay. ...

In a review by Computer Gaming World, the graphics and animation were highly praised.^[2] Computer Gaming World Computer Gaming World (CGW) is the oldest video game publication still in continuous circulation. ...

Trivia

Choplifter was played by U.S. submarine crew members in Tom Clancy's book The Hunt for Red October. Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

If the player crashes at home base, it often happens that some hostages survive the crash and run to safety.

The original Apple version (and perhaps other platforms) contains what is arguably a bug: it is possible to create a situation in which the game cannot end. The hostages will run towards the helicopter when it lands. If the helicopter takes off before hostage can board, and lands closer to the base, the hostage will again run towards the helicopter. With repeated "hops," the hostage can be led back to the base; when led within the fence, the hostage will run straight into the base--however, that rescue is not counted. As a result, that hostage will never count as either a rescue or a death, and the game cannot end (except by the destruction of all the helicopters).

See also

• Rescue Raiders

Rescue Raiders was a game by Sir-Tech Software for the Apple II. In it, the player flies a Choplifter-esque helicopter over a user-created armored column. ...

References

Computer Gaming World Computer Gaming World (CGW) is the oldest video game publication still in continuous circulation. ...

External links

• Choplifter at the Killer List of Videogames
• Choplifter at MobyGames