** Monday MAME Club [11/10/08] - Choplifter **

[Flack]

http://www.robohara.com/mameclub/mameclub.jpg

ParallaxScroll has (indirectly) selected Choplifter (Sega, 1985). Download (http://www.robohara.com/mameclub), play, and discuss! (KLOV Info (http://www.klov.com/C/Choplifter.html))

http://www.klov.com/images/11/11812420703.jpg

Club Rules

01. You do not need to sign up for the club. If you want to participate, simply download the game of the week and post about it!

02. At the end of the week, I will randomly select someone who participated this week to select next week's game.

03. The current MAME Club Pick of the Week can be found every Monday stickied at the top of the Arcade Alley.

Previously Picked Games: Avenging Spirit, Violent Storm, Gaiapolis, Ninja Baseball Batman, Rastan, Choplifter.

Now, MAME ON!

[skaar]

I've never liked the title screen.

I see this screen full of panicked civilians being gunned down by a military helicopter. It just doesn't sit right, it's just creepy. Yes I'm aware of what is really happening, but still ;)

I love the game though. I'll be playing this one tonight.

*added*

The more I think about it, I think it was because of Die Hard that I thought that - because I don't remember seeing it that way at first.

"We're going to need some more FBI guys."

[jb143]

Does this rom only work on a newer...or older version of mame? Mine wouldn't run it correctly and none of the bootlegs ran either.

Either way though, it's a nice change of pace from the beat em ups that have been featured so far and I look forward to playing this game again.

[Flack]

I'm running an older version of MAME32 (0.108u1) and it worked okay. I'll make sure the ROM I stuck on the site is the same one I have in my own folder.

As ParallaxScroll mentioned in his thread, I think Choplifter is the first game to go from the home computer market to the arcade. Most versions of Choplifter (including the arcade port) use two buttons, one to spin your helicopter and the other to shoot. Some versions like the C64 port only use one button due to controller limitations. On the C64, quickly pressing the fire button shoots while holding it down spins your helicopter. It can be really frustrating trying to fire and accidentally spinning your aircraft around in circles -- the two button layout works much better.

People used to always complain about the decrease in graphics and options when games were ported to the arcade to home computers or consoles, but in Choplifter's case, I don't see that a lot got added. There are a few more jets flying around and of course a lot more color, but the game play is essentially the same.

[jb143]

I'll try it on an older build. I'm not sure what mine is but it's probally 6 months old...and not mame32...so that could be the difference. I got the red "this game does not work bla bla bla" box when I booted it up. It seemed to glitch up and freeze after the title screen. I tried other ROM images and bootlegs as well and none of them worked for me.

[Arcade Antics]

As ParallaxScroll mentioned in his thread, I think Choplifter is the first game to go from the home computer market to the arcade.

A common misconception, but Exidy released three of First Star's computer games a year earlier (1984) as arcade games. Boulder Dash, Astro Chase, and Bristles all precede Sega's Choplifter (1985).

And Cosmic Chasm went from the Vectrex to the arcade a year prior to that (1983), but it's a home console to arcade port and not a computer game to arcade port. :)

[Flack]

I didn't realize Boulder Dash went that early. I wouldn't mind owning one of those machines someday. That was one of the first game we owned for our PC Jr. back in the day and I played it an awful lot.

[parallaxscroll]

I use any version of MAME32 and run the Choplifter bootleg ROM (chplftbl) that I got from romnation.net (http://www.romnation.net/srv/roms/55681/mame103/Choplifter.html)
The other versions of the ROM don't work, they get stuck at the IC check screen.


An now from reading this thread as well as my own thread, I realize Choplifter was *not* the first computer-to-arcade game. Though it was probably the first one that got a serious upgrade.

[scooterb23]

Confession time.

I have never liked Choplifter. This arcade version is not helping, in fact, I feel it is quite a bit harder than the computer versions I have played before.

Meaning I didn't save a single person, hell, I never even FOUND another person...I got murdered by the barrage of planes.

I may try a couple more times, and it did look pretty good.

[BHvrd]

Confession time.

I have never liked Choplifter. This arcade version is not helping, in fact, I feel it is quite a bit harder than the computer versions I have played before.

Meaning I didn't save a single person, hell, I never even FOUND another person...I got murdered by the barrage of planes.

I may try a couple more times, and it did look pretty good.

The thing is you have to rule out fighting as a gameplay element, lol. It's all about getting the hostages to the safe zone.

Just stay at the top of the screen keep going where you need and don't stop firing (you won't get hit up there) and drop down and pick up the hostages, just watch out for the anti-aircraft that come, hehe.

Honestly this game is great, it was obviously an early inspiration for the great EA Strike series on the consoles (those need a comeback btw!).

The shooting may be a bit funky, but really it isn't about that, it's about getting the hostages which is what it is supposed to be about. I'll admit back in the day I played this one a few times but never (got it) myself, but now I do, and it's/was one helluva little title, ranks up there with Moon Patrol imo.

Thanks, great pick.

[parallaxscroll]

Confession time.

I have never liked Choplifter. This arcade version is not helping, in fact, I feel it is quite a bit harder than the computer versions I have played before.

Meaning I didn't save a single person, hell, I never even FOUND another person...I got murdered by the barrage of planes.

I may try a couple more times, and it did look pretty good.


It's all about avoiding enemy fire and just surpressing enough of it so you can safely rescue the hostages. To play effectively, you need to rapidly fire to take out enemy air defenses. Hostages are held in the buildings, shoot the buildings open to free them. Also when you are on the ground collecting men, tap up on the controller to lift your chopper every couple seconds to prevent the tanks from showing up.

The graphics are a huge step above the Apple II original and other computer & console ports

[stargate]

I could never get this game to work on my Mame set up.

[Suzaku]

Whoo-wee. I am, admittedly, not the most coordinated gamer in the world, even if I do love such games to death. That said, this game is HARD. There's a ton of stuff flying at you, and it comes fast. I don't know if it's the emulation, but I don't believe my chopper's hitbox takes up the whole of the sprite, as I noticed AA shots passing through my tail and occasionally my rotors. Once you realize that it's really NOT a shooter, the game makes more sense, and becomes a bit less frustrating. Which doesn't make it much easier. I stopped playing when I got run over by what looked like a SAM truck.

Now that I've played it, I can see why this one was so popular. Definitely addictive.

[poloplayr]

Not sure why but I have always preferred various home conversions (and sequels) over the original arcade game. Having said that, it's a true classic and still fun.

May I suggest the next (or later) Monday Mame Club game?

Konami's Wild West - C.O.W-Boys of Boo Mesa from 1992.

I feel it is such a fun yet overlooked game and would be very interesting to hear what everyone else thinks!

[skaar]

This actually motivated me to buy Choplifter III for SNES recently :D

[poloplayr]

This actually motivated me to buy Choplifter III for SNES recently :D

Good game!

[jb143]

After over a month, I still never managed to get this game to work past the title screen.

I did play the C.O.W-Boys of Boo Mesa game though. I didn't even realise there was a game of it. I used to watch the show all the time when it was on.

[Lerxstnj]

it's Monday!

[stargate]

we need a new game ! anyone?

[BHvrd]

we need a new game ! anyone?

http://www.robohara.com/mameclub/mameclub.jpg

BHvrd has (directly) selected Victory Road (SNK, 1986). Download (http://h1.ripway.com/BHvrd/victroad.zip), play, and discuss! (KLOV Info) (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10307)

http://h1.ripway.com/BHvrd/victroad.png



Club Rules

01. You do not need to sign up for the club. If you want to participate, simply download the game of the week and post about it!

02. At the end of the week, I will randomly select someone who participated this week to select next week's game.

03. The current MAME Club Pick of the Week can be found every Monday stickied at the top of the Arcade Alley.

Previously Picked Games: Avenging Spirit, Violent Storm, Gaiapolis, Ninja Baseball Batman, Rastan, Choplifter.

Now, MAME ON!

[stargate]

Good choice! I remember playing this one back in 1986 or 1987 when it first came out. They had it at a local arcade. Definitely a bizarre game. Gotta love the floating head taunting you in the beginning, "Show some guts!!"

Still lots of fun, but would be better if I had rotary joysticks.

[BHvrd]

Good choice! I remember playing this one back in 1986 or 1987 when it first came out. They had it at a local arcade. Definitely a bizarre game. Gotta love the floating head taunting you in the beginning, "Show some guts!!"

Still lots of fun, but would be better if I had rotary joysticks.

I agree, rotary sticks are really needed to truly enjoy this title, though the controls can be edited to come close at least. Just remember it was never full 360 degree movement, it was like 8 directional.

I also played this back in the day and it was one of those games you heard and were like (wtf was that sound coming from that game!, lol).

I never even realized this was the sequel to Ikari Warriors till years later, just thought it was some bizarre clone. Either way the game stayed etched in my mind and I always had to plop a couple dollars worth of quarters into it everytime I went to the cade.

Pretty challenging.

[p_b]

Time for a new game?

[stargate]

Time for a new game?

Yeah, hey Flack, can we discuss maybe a new format for the Monday MAME club? Maybe change it to a Monthly MAME club and have a new game on the first of every month? I think there are still enough members interested in the Club. I sure look forward to it. What does everyone think of a Monthly MAME Club?

[scooby105]

Monthly or maybe twice a month?

I'd be interested. I sometimes need motivation to play new games that I haven't played before.