Chopper Commando

Chopper Commando. A game that to this day remains one of my favorites. While it may be a simple, low tech simulation, with plain graphics and less than cheesy sound effects it is one of the most addictive pc games of all time. The game consists of a number of missions that you must complete one at a time. Mind you the last time I played Chopper Commando was in 7th grade so the details may be a bit sketchy. I do recall taking off and landing to be a bit challenging, but master those skills and that’s where the fun begins.

The controls consist of using the arrow keys, space bar and various hot keys on the keyboard. They are not too hard to get the hang of once you have played a few times.
The game play area is a 2-D, 4 bit (if that) 4-color landscape. Including buildings, hills, mountains, and “enemy” structures.
As for the missions… Some missions require you to rescue lost pilots, in other missions you must destroy certain enemy structures. Mission objectives are given to you as a simple one liner at the start of each level. Should your chopper come under too much fire, you can eject your commando and try to return to base for a yet another brand spankin’ new chopper. Be careful though falling off a cliff, or ejecting into the ceiling of a cave will result in an “Ahh my head!” one liner. Basically indicating you have killed your fragile commando.
Now, let’s say you’re not into completing missions and do not care much for high scores. No problem. Our favorite pastime was flying as fast we could across the length of the game play area and crashing into a mountain. Occasionally it would only yield a small red explosive ball. But every once in a while you could create a monster mega-blast that would consume the entire screen.
So, if you play Chopper Commando for the missions or just want to do a “kamikaze crash for kicks” give it a shot and I can guarantee addiction. It does not have the greatest graphics. It does not have the coolest game play. It does not even have what could be called real sound effects. What Chopper Commando does have is hours of fun. And for nostalgic people like me a trip down memory lane. Giving a nod to my former classmates and Captain Qwerty.