Brutal, Ruthless, and Cruel –
Chopper I is for one type of gamer only – the glutton for punishment. Like the days of NES, this game is difficult, frustrating, and requires the utmost tenacity and determination to complete the first stage let alone the entire game.
If anything, Chopper I is a great example of how games have evolved. Originally designed to suck quarters out of your pocket, this top down shooter is beyond difficult. The problem comes from the one-hit kills and checkpoint system. Taking a single bullet will cause instant death and force the player back to the previous checkpoint only to attempt it all over again. Can you image playing Contra and going back to the beginning of the stage instead of just respawning right where you died? Yeah, Chopper I is pretty much just like that.
Unlike the recently released The Next Space, Chopper I has much slower gameplay because of the one-hit kill gameplay element. Rarely will you encounter more than a couple enemies at one time and the chopper and background scroll in line with the speed of molasses. But even though the game moves slowly, it is still difficult and boring.
Perhaps the most positive aspect of the game are the 16-bit SNES style sprites that are colorful and varied. The theme of choppers, tanks and turrets have been done a million times before but the brightly colored graphics will distract the player from the punishing difficulty… for about 15 seconds.
Chopper I is nothing more than a lesson is frustration. If you enjoy brutally difficult games like Battletoads and the original T.M.N.T for NES, then you might want to try your hand at this downloadable title. Everyone else should look elsewhere.
Not As Good As: screaming Get To Da Choppa
Also Try: Prehistoric Isle
Wait For It: the next batch of SNK re-released titles
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