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#9 - CHOPPER COMMANDO (1988) by MARK CURRIE by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/11/2008, 2:25am PDT


Mark Currie wrote this in Pascal at the age of 15. It is a mission-based mix helicopter sim with arcade and strategy elements that involves taking missions in some unspecified shithole hot spot. While some of my fondness for this game is due to the fact that there really wasn't much to play in the very early 90s for the PC, it really is a neat and original concept, due to the fact that it is one of the few games to correctly embrace "dead means dead" as a design decision.

When you start the game, you'll create a pilot. You can have up to four or five at one time (sorry, it's been a while). You can select the type of mission you want to go on - from easy to medium to difficult, if I remember correctly. Some of the missions just involve you flying to the right, landing, and returning. Others have you doing a whole bunch of crazy shit. But the real payoff is in growing and developing a pilot, and getting him through the most challenging missions.

The pilot doesn't get better or anything - your only reward is that high score table. But we had so much time in the late 80s, early 90s, that it was enough. My generation of game players would sit through 162 baseball games in something like RBI Baseball for the NES and record our own statistics. I learned how to use Lotus 1-2-3 to simply calculate earned run average for my pitchers. I'm not even looking back on this time with fondness - it sucked. But a game like Chopper Commando, which gave you about two dozen missions, deformable terrain, the ability to eject, and controls that were Asteroids-like in their beauty, would soak up hours of play.

The graphics are even shitty like a fox: the green stuff can be destroyed, the brown stuff can be destroyed as well, but oftentimes are necessary for the mission to be completed, and at any point you can jump out of your copter and possibly find yourself in fistfights with other human enemies.

I think what I like most about it, is just the thing's appreciation of the art and craft of game design. You really never knew what you were in for the first few times you'd try a mission. There was real mystery and tension, and I love that sense of wonder.

(Mark Currie later went on to form Inhuman Games, and created the (excellent) RTS game Trash a few years ago.) I think Chopper Commando is actually a little bit better, because one of life's greatest joys is playing with the boys, and it's my ninth favorite indie game in recorded history.


the dark and gritty...Ice Cream Jonsey!
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My ten favorite indie games, not counting text games NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/09/2008, 6:47pm PDT NEW
    #10 - ABUSE (1996) by CRACK DOT COM by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/09/2008, 7:02pm PDT NEW
        Just in case you missed it, check my list for "FrAbS" NT by Mischief Maker 10/09/2008, 7:23pm PDT NEW
            I read it, then forgot, then found it again just now. by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/10/2008, 3:57pm PDT NEW
        Available for the iPhone now by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/30/2009, 10:52pm PDT NEW
    Will you also include an "overrated" list including all my favorites? NT by pinback 10/09/2008, 7:14pm PDT NEW
    #9 - CHOPPER COMMANDO (1988) by MARK CURRIE by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/11/2008, 2:25am PDT NEW
    On hold until I can write a review of Space Giraffe NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 10/28/2008, 4:33pm PDT NEW
        I think I'm going to beat Space Giraffe again instead of starting Fallout 3. by Jerry Whorebach 10/28/2008, 9:27pm PDT NEW
            Re: I think I'm going to beat Space Giraffe again instead of starting Fallout 3. by Ice Cream Jonsey 11/24/2008, 1:17pm PST NEW
                That'd be tough, my PC's seen some pretty groundbreaking porn this year. by Jerry Whorebach 11/24/2008, 2:59pm PST NEW
                    I understand by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/30/2009, 10:59pm PDT NEW
                        So what you are saying is Space Giraffe Isn't Tempest? NT by Jerry Whorebach 03/30/2009, 11:09pm PDT NEW
    let's get this going again, ICJ NT by mark 05/13/2009, 6:20am PDT NEW
    #8 - CRAYON PHYSICS (2009) by PETRI PURHO by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/13/2009, 3:33am PDT NEW
        Agreed 100% Classic game. NT by M Squared 08/13/2009, 9:24am PDT NEW
            I, too, enjoy this game NT by The Breadman 08/13/2009, 11:24am PDT NEW
        omg thank you NT by up with pod people 08/13/2009, 11:54am PDT NEW
        joh played that game on his TABLET NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/13/2009, 12:29pm PDT NEW
        You might like Scribblenauts (but it's for the DS) by Fussbett 08/13/2009, 2:09pm PDT NEW
            Holy shit. Holy shit! NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/14/2009, 12:16am PDT NEW
    #7 - COMMANDER KEEN in GOODBYE GALAXY! (1991) by id SOFTWARE by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/20/2009, 11:11pm PDT NEW
        considering about 10,000 people played wolfenstien on release that's amazing by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/21/2009, 2:22am PDT NEW
            Re: considering about 10,000 people played wolfenstien on release that's amazing by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/21/2009, 3:35am PDT NEW
                you couldn't aim up or down in doom, you also couldn't jump by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/21/2009, 5:59am PDT NEW
                    *I* can think of a Doom game that allowed aiming and jumping NT by Devil Dinosaur 08/23/2009, 1:03am PDT NEW
                    So I guess you're a big Quake fan? NT by Erradicating 2.5D forever 08/23/2009, 2:25am PDT NEW
                        I guess you are a big anal sex fan by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/23/2009, 3:15am PDT NEW
 
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