Choplifter HD
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Konami (Xbox 360)[1]
| Choplifter HD | |
|---|---|
 Promotional art | |
| Developer(s) | inXile Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | inXile Entertainment Konami (Xbox 360)[1] |
| Series | Choplifter |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3[2] |
| Platform(s) | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,[1] Ouya, Android |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Choplifter HD is a 2012 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed by inXile Entertainment. It is a 3D polygonal remake of the 1982 game Choplifter by Dan Gorlin, whom inXile hired as a design consultant for the remake.[3] As in the original game, players fly missions in a helicopter, defeating enemies and rescuing people. Initially released for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, the game was later ported to Ouya and Android devices. Choplifter HD was praised for staying true to the original and retaining the gameplay the series was known for, but was criticized for its high level of difficulty.
Players take on the role of a helicopter pilot for an elite rescue squad known as Coordinated Helicopter Operations, Preservation and Rescue (C.H.O.P.R.).[4] The game retains the same basic objectives as the original Choplifter, including the classic side-scrolling gameplay, but now features 3D polygonal graphics. Choplifter HD offers three main campaigns and 30 different missions, along with a tutorial level.[1] The player completes missions by piloting the helicopter into hostile territory while evading or destroying enemies and managing the helicopter's depleting fuel supply, which can be replenished either at the helicopter's home base or at fuel depots scattered throughout the level. Missions typically involve picking up and dropping off various passengers. New features include passengers who can die and are associated with a timer, as well as zombie enemies. Levels now feature enemies in the foreground, which can only be defeated by facing them directly. Players can also unlock improved helicopters by collecting stars in each mission. Three difficulty modes are available, with the higher difficulties making enemies more challenging to defeat and causing the helicopter's fuel to deplete faster.[5]
Development
The game was announced in March 2011 for release on PlayStation 3 (via the PlayStation Network) and Windows.[6] An Xbox Live Arcade release was confirmed the following June.[3] inXile founder Brian Fargo was a fan of the original Choplifter, having played the game on the Apple II.[6] The original game's designer, Dan Gorlin, served as a design consultant for Choplifter HD, and Fargo credited Gorlin with contributions such as "connect(ing) the pilot to the rescued hostages in a meaningful way".
Originally slated for release in Fall 2011, the game was delayed to a winter release, with Konami signing on to publish the Xbox Live Arcade version.[7]
