Choplifter

Originally created by Dan Gorlin for Brøderbund in 1982, Choplifter is a military‑themed scrolling shooter series built around piloting a rescue helicopter into hostile territory to save prisoners of war. Its gameplay blends precision flying, directional shooting, and careful hostage retrieval, with the constant tension of enemy fire and limited carrying capacity forcing multiple dangerous trips. Over the years it’s been reimagined in arcades by Sega, adapted to numerous home systems, and revived in later sequels and remakes, retaining its core identity as a high‑risk, high‑reward rescue mission under fire.