Chopper Command
| Chopper Command | |
|---|---|
| Studio | Audio Visual Display & Label |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1983 |
| platform | Atari 2600 |
| genre | Fixed shooter |
| Game mode | Single player or heat to heat |
| control | joystick |
Chopper Command is a shoot-'em-up game by Activision for the Atari 2600 system, which has war-like structures. It was only published in the democratic states and was very controversial in Germany. After it was launched, it was gradually sold to adults only. Due to the resistance, a new manual was added to the game a short time later , which played down the background of the game. The game was developed by Bob Whitehead .
description
In Chopper Command, the player takes on the job of a helicopter pilot who has to protect his returning truck convoy from enemy air attacks.
The own helicopter is very reminiscent of the US Apache attack helicopter , which at the time was still a secret project of the American government. In direct aerial combat , opposing helicopters and aircraft (fighters) must be shot down and trucks traveling on land must be protected from bombs.
The actually simple game principle was made more difficult by the fact that a total of four zones per level had to be mastered, but only one zone was visible on the screen. So it happened that several trucks had already been destroyed in the next zone. As a further level of difficulty, the game speed was extremely increased from the 4th level.
Point system
- Successfully shot down helicopter: 100 points
- Successfully shot down aircraft: 200 points
It is interesting to note that although the main objective of the game is to avoid this, a destroyed truck did not mean any disadvantage. So you could still finish the level successfully, even if the entire column of trucks was destroyed. According to the operating instructions , the player should take responsibility for his "comrades" on the ground, which should exert psychological pressure on the player.
Game types
It was possible to play as a single player or in an indirect game against each other (American: head to head - each zone of the player was called up alternately). The weapon on board the helicopter could be selected between a rapid fire rifle or a laser cannon using the difficulty switch on the back of the console .
criticism
The game was the first of its kind, which should give a real feeling in case of war . Was one z. B. For Star Raiders or Asteroids responsible for yourself (this also played in a fictional environment> space), you now had virtual responsibility for an entire army .
Records
There is no official list. However, Thomas Kobsch (Germany) achieved the infinite game in 1987 at a public presentation in Wuppertal . At 999,900 points the system started again from zero without changing the level of difficulty. The common assumption and myth that game would end in a letter salad afterwards was refuted.
history
Chopper Command was one of the first games on which political pressure was exerted due to its warlike, imaginable game principle. Due to a change in the operating instructions, the location of the event has now been relocated to a fictitious environment (previously the convoy was in a desert area on the way to the base ). To date, however, it has not been clarified why a very strong reference to the then US secret project of the Apache helicopter was chosen as a playing instrument. At that time, this was subject to the maximum security level. In 1995 Atari made a notice that the game was made from secret documents. However, there is no evidence whatsoever and therefore remains a guess.