Personal Compuer Games


Copter Capers
By A 'n F
BBC Model B

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #13

Copter Capers

Your mission is to rescue the survivors from a fishing boat that broke up in heavy seas. Little did you expect a sudden increase in turbulence to somehow transport you to another time.

Never mind the story line, let me describe the actual game itself. The tape loads preceded by detailed instructions. Your helicopter appears in the middle of the screen and down below there are the drowning people.

But wait, there are also submarines with swastikas and up in the sky there is an airship. Your effort to lift the people off the waters and to place them on firm ground is hampered by the surface-to-air missiles launched from the subs and the heat-seeking missiles from the airship.

Copter Capers

However, the helicopter has obviously been transported back in time rather than forward since the weaponry of your helicopter is vastly superior to the weapons of the airship and the numerous subs put together.

For the first screen at least, it is almost too easy to blast the enemy into smithereens while at the same time rescuing the people, but as you rescue more, the battle becomes fiercer. Enemy aircraft arrive to complement the barrage of fire from the subs and airship.

As you progress, the game becomes a compulsive shoot-'em-up but the graphics are very simple Beeb standard and the sound is very unimaginative.

Copter Capers

The action is fixed to a single screen - if you try to go off the edge of the screen, the helicopter simply stops against an invisible barrier.

This game is pleasant enough and I'm sure many will enjoy playing it, but I felt that the single screen, the simple concept and the rather crude graphics left a lot to be desired.

Peter Connor

A very rudimentary pick-'em-up-and-shoot-'em-down game. It's enjoyable enough on a very childish level, but I doubt that it will retain the interest of anyone over the age of ten for more than a couple of hours. The helicopter moves quite smoothly and the very BBC-sounding sound effects are pretty good. Even better, they can be turned off.

Rob Patrick

Copter Capers

Though it features excellent sound, some very good graphics and smooth control, this is just too simple to be a great game. Even the higher levels are relatively easy and, despite the fact that the program is full of nice little touches like the bonus game, the music and the explosions, it has nothing else to make it stand out from the crowd. Which is a pity...

Simon Rogers

This game offers nothing new, which is a real shame because the presentation is great, especially the way the instructions scroll across the screen. The sound was about the best thing in the whole game, with very realistic effects.

I doubt if A&F will have much success with this one.

Shingo Sugiura

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