If you liked the classic arcade game Choplifter then the chances are you would (or did!) enjoy this effort from Miracle Games.
This was yet another Amiga game that was plagued with development problems and delays (a la Epic) before finally being released in 1994.
Unlike Epic it turned out not to be broken and bug ridden - and was an enjoyable arcade experience in the classic side scrolling vein.
So, we've got a big chopper, loads of bullets and plenty of bad guys to shoot at. It's got to be the ultimate 'game for the lads' eh?
I've got to say that this game was far from easy. Set (initially) in a sort of vietnam style jungle you had to rescue captured and wounded soldiers and bring them back to your base where they would no doubt be treated by Hawkeye and Klinger.
You really had to plan your way through each mission (there were 5 levels in total), for instance you had to take out the enemy helicopters before setting down with rescued soldiers or you would be mercillesly strafed whilst sitting on the helipad.
The bad guys were adept at using the jungle to hide - so being taken out by a rocket launcher was a common occurence until you really got the hang of the game.
But once you did get the hang of it, this classic game really opened up to you. The real fun to be had was with the variety of weapons at your disposal and using them to kill hundreds of bad guys. Yep, total slaughter had never been so much fun.
You could zip around the jungle surroundings letting rip with your auto cannon, shredding the enemy troops as they ran for cover. As you screamed past picturesque waterfalls and jungle canopy you could let loose with a flame thrower (watch those installations burn!), take out enemy heli's with missiles and even lay mines strategically to protect your own guys on the ground.
As you progressed through the game the scenery changed. The jungle gave way to an enemy battleship and eventually you ended up inside some sort of temple, which resembled the 8-bit arcade classic and far too bloody hard Airwolf.
The later levels really were tough and the lack of a save or password option is where the game fell down slightly. Once you lost all of your lives it was back to the start of level one, and playing all the way through to the same point again did become a little tiresome.
I did (and still do) like this game, as it had just the right blend of arcade action and strategy.
The jungle scenery was very nicely drawn, and the atmosphere was top notch with creatures chirping away, shimmering waterfalls and great little touches like your 'bullet splash' if you strafed the water, enemy soldiers running around with stretchers and so on.
If you like shoot em ups, helicopters and a challenge, then this game could be for you. If not - let Stringfellow Hawke play it instead.
We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Apocalypse. Alternatively you could try and play it online.
Please see our other Amiga game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys
GENRE: Arcade Game (Shoot em up)
RELEASE DATE: 1994
RELEASED BY: Miracle Software
DEVELOPER(S): Frank Szendzielarz, Gordon Leggatt, Jeremy Ashton, Paul Docherty, Craig White
PRICE: £25.99 - UK
Major flying ace Lawrence Bartle Frere controls his chopper in classic arcade action:
Classic Games, Arcade Games and Amiga Games
2 comments:
Nice! I never played this one (I was too into my MD by then!) but it looks really good! Reminds me of Choplifter but with fancier grahics and levels :P
Yeah mate,
It was a good game. Pretty tough from the outset but once you got the hang of it....
Great graphics at the time too.
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