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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Choplifter HD
Being a giant, beloved video game site has its downsides. For example, we sometimes neglect to give independent developers our coverage love (or loverage, if you will) as we get caught up in AAA, AAAA or the rare quintuple-A titles. To remedy that, we're giving indies the chance to create their own loverage and sell you, the fans, on their studios and products. This week we talk with inXile president Brian Fargo about his company's reboot of a familiar franchise, Choplifter HD. What's your game called, and what's it about? Our big project for 2011 is Choplifter HD for PSN, XBLA and PC. We are taking a fresh approach to the classic helicopter rescue game Choplifter that was a huge hits in the '80s. People in the industry have really fond memories of the game and we intended to do it justice. In fact I brought the original creator Dan Gorlin on as a consultant he said it looks like the best adaption he had seen yet. It will be a very entertaining game.%Gallery-126541%
Choplifter HD airlifting nostalgia to PSN and PC this fall
If the idea of putting together burgers in HD wasn't weird enough for you, how about revisiting your old airlifting days on the Apple II via PSN? InXile Entertainment plans on doing just that with Choplifter HD, a project that will supposedly "redefine the helicopter rescue mission for the modern era." And just when we were thinking no one was bold enough to redefine such a mission! We were also at the point where we thought InXile had given up on the title -- the company filed a trademark for a new Choplifter title back in 2009. It seems that the developer has spent those two years filling the game with content, such as a "variety" of helis to control and "more than 20" mission types. Choplifter HD's announcement also details the new, highly unnecessary story. "Players take on the role of an up and coming rescue pilot asked to join the elite, international helicopter rescue team C.H.O.P.R. (Coordinated Helicopter Operations, Preservation and Rescue)," it reads, continuing in the long held gaming tradition of shoehorning ridiculous acronyms into plot lines. We can only hope that the C.H.O.P.R. team is getting some backup from the first encounter assault recon folks.%Gallery-119870%
inXile files new trademark for Choplifter
There's a reasonable possibility that you're wondering what both inXile and Choplifter are. The former is the company responsible for the amusing RPG The Bard's Tale, the console versions of Line Rider and not much else. Choplifter, for the uninitiated, is a series of video games (first released in 1982) in which players had to pilot a helicopter behind enemy lines and rescue hostages. Also, as a sidenote, it was really fun.With that out of the way: GameSpot reports that inXile has filed a new trademark for Choplifter, listing it specifically in the category of "downloadable electronic games via the Internet and wireless devices." As such, it sounds like a new version of choplifter might be headed to services like XBLA or PSN. We also wouldn't be surprised if it showed up as a new iPhone title either.Whatever inXile is doing with the franchise, let's hope the game doesn't stray too far from its roots. A 2D/3D makeover å la Bionic Commando Rearmed would suit us just fine.
