REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Chopper Rescue
by Gary Capewell
Blaby Computer Games
1983
Crash Issue 1, Feb 1984   page(s) 55

Producer: Blaby, 48K
£5.50
Author: G Capewell

The game starts with a helicopter dashing in to rescue the title from a dreadful spelling error, CHOPPER RISCUE it says, but the chopper comes back to insert an E and remove the I. As is their wont, scientists are being entombed by radioactive waste dropped from overflying planes. You must rescue them in your (nicely animated) helicopter by shooting away the waste and making tunnels in it to reach them. Each one must be returned to the safety of the helipad before getting the next. The gun fires in the direction of travel and there's not much time. If you get hit by the falling waste you're dead. This is a very fast game, almost impossible with the cursor keys. and difficult enough with a Kempston AGF or Protek joystick. Addictive and good value. Recommended


Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 2, Mar 1984   page(s) 57

Producer: Blaby, 48K
£5.50
Author: G Capewell

The game starts with a helicopter dashing in to rescue the title from a dreadful spelling error, CHOPPER RISCUE it says, but the chopper comes back to insert an E and remove the I. As is their wont, scientists are being entombed by radioactive waste dropped from overflying planes. You must rescue them in your (nicely animated) helicopter by shooting away the waste and making tunnels in it to reach them. Each one must be returned to the safety of the helipad before getting the next. The gun fires in the direction of travel and there's not much time. If you get hit by the falling waste you're dead. This is a very fast game, almost impossible with the cursor keys. and difficult enough with a Kempston AGF or Protek joystick. Addictive and good value. Recommended


Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 3, Apr 1984   page(s) 75

Producer: Blaby, 48K
£5.50
Author: G Capewell

The game starts with a helicopter dashing in to rescue the title from a dreadful spelling error, CHOPPER RISCUE it says, but the chopper comes back to insert an E and remove the I. As is their wont, scientists are being entombed by radioactive waste dropped from overflying planes. You must rescue them in your (nicely animated) helicopter by shooting away the waste and making tunnels in it to reach them. Each one must be returned to the safety of the helipad before getting the next. The gun fires in the direction of travel and there's not much time. If you get hit by the falling waste you're dead. This is a very fast game, almost impossible with the cursor keys. and difficult enough with a Kempston AGF or Protek joystick. Addictive and good value. Recommended


Transcript by Chris Bourne

C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 23, Sep 1983   page(s) 130,131

RESCUE THOSE STRANDED SCIENTISTS...

The helicopter leaves its normal environment in Chopper Rescue, to go on a mission of mercy underground.

Five scientists are buried below a pile of radioactive waste and you have to guide your helicopter towards them, blasting and bombing to create a network of tunnels.

Through these you fly to bring the scientists out and back to safety on the helipad.

So far this might sound easy - once you've learnt how to use the keys to control your helicopter - but the whole operation is made excruciatingly difficult by an enemy bomber dropping more waste to fill in the tunnels and devastating bombs which scythe through the whole lot, and all the time your fuel supply is rapidly running out!

The graphics on this program are effective while not exceptional - the routine for the disintegration of the helicopter takes up too much time - but its not really a game that is dependent on pretty colours.

The major playing drawback is that it requires five-fingered control on the keyboard version, but this can be overcome with practice and does not apply to the joystick version.

It is an addictive example of a good old fast-playing test of skill - you can wreck your three helicopters very quickly indeed - and the next game begins immediately the last one finishes, compelling the player again and again to have "one last go" for a higher score.

Best features of the game are the slow discovery of the various tactics and the extraordinary frustration of knowing how everything works but not managing to make them work together.

Chopper Rescue is available for the 48k Spectrum from Blaby Computer Games of Leicester at £5.95. A very good machine-code arcade game to have in stock!

Getting Started: 8/10
Graphics: 5/10
Value: 7/10
Playability: 8/10


Getting Started8/10
Graphics5/10
Value7/10
Playability8/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

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