Amstrad Action


Helichopper
By Firebird
Amstrad CPC464/664/6128

 
Published in Amstrad Action #12

Helichopper

Not one of the more original titles I've seen lately and unfortunately the same can be said of the game itself. It's a one screen effort in which a helicopter has to rescue clones from various swamp creatures. There are 23 waves of creature so the opposition changes, even if nothing else does.

On the left hand side of the screen are a number of ledges and in the bottom right is a man standing by a fence. Your helicopter appears roughly in the middle of the screen and has to fly down to the fence, pick up the man, and then drop him off on one of the ledges. Several men have to be deposited; how many depending on which level you're on. Trying to stop you are the various creatures that appear on each of the 23 levels.

These appear from the edges of the screen, some following fixed movement patterns while others move around aimlessly - some even home in on the helicopter. You can bomb them if you can get them underneath you, and you have an infinite supply of bombs to blast away with.

Helichopper

Each screen has to be completed within a set time limit, and every time the chopper hits one of the creatures or sinks into the swamp at the bottom of the screen a life is lost. Most of the screens are fairly easy, though there is the occasional one that needs careful timing - but with a little practice even these won't hold you up for long.

Not very inspiring at all, with very crude use of graphics and colour, and boring gameplay that won't interest anyone for long. The best thing about it is the loading music and screen.

Second Opinion

I find it hard to believe this comes from the same house as Thrust. The game is absolutely diabolical, no two ways about it. Puny graphics, pointless gameplay and feeble sound effects make this the sort of thing that gives budget games a bad name. Avoid.

Third Opinion

Helichopper

You must be joking.

First Day Target Score

Screen 23.

Green Screen View

You can hardly see some of the nasties, but that's a small price to pay for getting rid of those revolting colours.

Good News

P. 23 screens of various creatures to beat.

Bad News

P. Crude graphics and colour.
P. Boring, repetitive gameplay.
P. Not even worth £1.99.
P. Monotonous game sound.

Bob Wade

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