Let's Compare ( Choplifter )

[@diegobras]

The SMS version was awesome! Oh, the good days...

[@belfry43]

I believe that Choplifter is an example of a game released for computers first (1982), THEN to an arcade machine (1985), not the usual other way around (computer/game system port of an existing arcade game.

[@YuzoTibi]

Same with Pitfall 2. Sega licensing a Western game for their System 1/2 arcade hardware.

[@gzsfrk]

The Apple IIe version will always be my favorite, as it's the one that I played most growing up. Such a grand feeling of accomplishment when you finally deliver that last hostage and the GAME OVER message displays. :)

[@feenix219]

well that IS the original version.....

[@bwc1976]

Nice! Although they're in the wrong order. The Apple II, Commodore 64, and other "night time" versions (except Airlift, which was a tribute to the original but written for newer hardware) came before the arcade.version. Then Sega Master System, NES, the other "daytime" versions, and Airlift came after arcade.

[@SuperNintendoZach]

One of the games, that got me into gaming very early in. This game made you feel important and those men are heroes and must be saved!

[@SeekerLancer]

I used to play the arcade cabinet all the time in K-Mart when I was a kid. As far as home versions of the arcade remake go, Master System is the clear winner. Sega nailed that port even if there is excessive flicker. The 7800 one is interesting, it seems to be a weird hybrid of the two "types" of Choplifter games with gameplay similar to the Apple II but elements borrowed from the arcade.

[@tomwilson2112]

He didn't include the SNES version, which is even better. =)

[@GuitarAnthony]

oh LOVED Choplifter! Played the hell out of the C64 version.

[@THOMASSU63]

But that early Atari 800 version looked exactly like the 5200 version. They remade it later for the XE game system, which is the version that was shown here.

[@ag3ntorange164]

Fascinating, thanks for taking the time to make this.

[@RichardCraig]

This show is seriously the nerdiest thing I subscribe to... and I love it!

[@SolitaryBro]

This was one of my favorite games at the arcades when I skipped school in the 80's..... "OVER HERE"

[@THOMASSU63]

Loved this game on the Atari 800. But I played the early version which looks like the 5200 shown here.

[@saigokun]

Thanks for posting this. The Apple II and MSX versions look a lot like each other.

[@unlimitedgaming7872]

Sms best version!

[@andiarrohnds5163]

the sms just has an amazing color pallet overall. everything looks amazing on it

[@stabarnak9841]

still hoping nearly 40 years later that someone uncovers the code for the never released TI -99/4A version! We got Roboton 2084 and Slime and Tutankham as 30 year old releases, but no sign of Choplifter, one of my favorite golden era games, even though it was even assigned a cartridge serial number!

[@phj9894]

aside from arcade and SMS version, which are the redesigned version by sega, Sg-1000 version is my favorite. it runs more smoother and faster than c64 or apple2 version, has background music and additional levels. what's even better is that there's score to prove your skill and the game repeats forever until you lose all solties.(you get new 3 sorties after every water levels.) if you are skilled enough, you can enjoy endless fun of simple choplifter.

[@ryzmaker11]

You convinced me to get a copy of the game :) Seems like a very good version indeed. Also surprised at how different it is to the MSX version. Usually (at least from what I noticed), both systems have similar versions of multiplats due to similar hardware but here the SG-1000 version is quite different and seems much better.

[@dreamcastII]

I think the Atari 800 and Apple II versions came out around 1982? With the C64 close to that. The arcade version is a remake, around 1985. The Sega Master system pushes the arcade version very closely. I am surprised there is not a ZX Spectrum version, it could do a good monochrome. I version of this. . I recall putting my C64 and TV next to my brothers Atari and his tv and having a race in our helicopters. The Atari one won by about 2 screens - it was faster at scrolling.

[@Ralfast]

I always liked the arcade score. One of the best video games scores.

[@leechapman76]

I'm not too sure I've ever played Choplifter but Choplifter II on the Nintendo Game Boy is one of my fave games.

[@GreekRetroGeek]

I love this slightly distorted master system highs in many sms tunes, same here

[@wingnut4427]

no. I didn't forget it. I didn't add it because it was titled Choplifter II.

[@wingnut4427]

Was that the port released in 2012 ? I could not locate it. :(

[@Rayofficial13565]

Interesting that the SG-1000 version is classic Choplifter, but with music from the arcade version.

[@TheCodedtestament]

The difficulty is fairly extreme; you'll take ground fire from cannons, tanks, and jeeps, as well as air fire from enemy planes. You can't stay in any place for long, especially when picking up prisoners. This is one exciting game. 

[@RyuHayabusa06]

SMS port looks to be the best. I used to play this at the laundromat when I was little. Pretty good but Commando and Pole Position got most of my quarters, lol.

[@Trusteft]

I played this in the arcades in the 80's. I was terrible at it but I enjoyed it very much. I always thought Desert Strike as the spiritual successor (and much better IMO)

[@HerZeL3iDza]

Objectively the SMS version is the best to me in every way by a large margin. Great graphics, sound and smooth framerate.

[@lurkerrekrul]

There's a Choplifter clone for the Amiga called Apocalypse. It's not identical, but the gameplay is basically the same.

[@gzsfrk]

You missed the Intellivision port of Choplifter.

[@belfry43]

Also Pitfall II (see below):

[@retro-rock3067]

This game has more ports on computers like the Sharp X1, Fujitsu Micro-7, Nec Pc-8801, Sony SMC-777 and Epoch Super Cassette Vision

[@SparkleWolf404]

i love the music on AIRLIFT RESCUE

[@nickdeth24]

As usual I like the master system for looks but famicom for gameplay and sound.

[@jeremywadkins5852]

I could never get the mame to work. About half of all MAME roms ever work and Ive tried every version.

[@OldAussieAds]

Me neither. I think the MAME ROM is known to not work. Unlike other ROMs that don’t work, this one does load, but just cycles at the title screen.

[@null1023]

Still a bit surprised that the SG-1000 version actually looks like it's a tad different from the MSX version. And man, I always thought the game took place out in space on some moon or something, seeing the more Earth-like "day versions" of the game is weird.

[@seminaro76]

Atari 2600 version not shown here was my favorite!

[@DanZero77]

Maybe I look at this game through rose colored glasses, but I was damn happy to have the 7800 port growing up. Looking at all these really primitive computer versions really makes me feel better.

[@shaolin95]

Glasses indeed as the 7800 version was atrocious

[@wingnut4427]

I appreciate that. I'm glad that You enjoy them so much. :D That's why I do it ! :)

[@Lightblue2222]

The Atari 7800 is the best version based off the computer ports. SMS is the best version based off the arcade.

[@wingnut4427]

I'll have to give it a try ! Thanks for telling me about it. :)

[@wingnut4427]

+bwc1976 They are not in the wrong order because I don't put them in chronological order. This is the only way that My personal opinion shows in these videos. I put them worst to first as compared to the arcade. Since 99.9% of the time it is the arcade that they are striving to match.

[@Rayofficial13565]

wingnut4427 It's a little misleading in Choplifter's case, though. It's not fair to directly compare the Apple II version to the arcade version because they're different games. "Super Choplifter" would have been a better title for the arcade version. It's not like comparing arcade Spy Hunter with Apple II Spy Hunter and seeing how the Apple II version falls short.

[@Rayofficial13565]

wingnut4427 Not that I'm actually finding any fault with your video. You had to pick an order, it's consistent with your other videos, and it would be of questionable value to have a separate video comparing just the arcade derivatives.

[@fragmentalstew]

I feel like this video should have started with the Apple version since that was the original. Also, the commodore version has this neat primitive anti aliasing effect that you can't really see in the video.

[@RonaldoGazel]

SMS has a fkng wonderful version. And very funny, too, even with the easter eggs from arcade, like ´superman´ easter egg.

[@wingnut4427]

You have good reason to appreciate the 7800 version. It had excellent game play & great graphics. The only thing that detracted from it for me was the sound. But it did come in on My top 3 for the game play, & Graphics alone. The Last is Usually My favorite & the 1st after the arcade is Usually My least . That is unless there is something of an oddity of a game like a table top or so. Then it's just an extra. :)

[@dreadhead170]

I used to play the arcade in my teens, a good game. Saga version looks o.k but the music sounds a bit strange.The Famicom looks nice and the Atari 7800.

[@loveandrockets4life]

The SMS version is hands-down the best home version.

[@MrSchlachtwerk]

AMIGA Apocalypse by Miracle Software

[@bensbg79]

you forgot the game boy version, i owned those days. i still think its a nice game for the system. i had fun!!!

[@Rayofficial13565]

Arcade version is better than the SMS version. Same game as the SMS, but better graphics and it includes the city level, which is awesome. And the little guys say "Thank you!" when they get in the chopper. The NES version is interesting, because it's also a version of the Sega arcade game, but licensed and ported by Jaleco. It really sucks, though (but has the city level the SMS lacks)

[@jasonlee7816]

i wish Sega had remade Choplifter on the 16-bit Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console

[@perfectionbox]

Shoplifter?

[@Atariatari-ky9te]

Atari 7800 version is my favorite

[@ruraladventurer1884]

I still have my 7800 cartridge that I brought home from Toys R Us in 1988

[@3dmaster205]

Damn; the Sega Master System version was awesome, you'd almost say it was as good if not better than the Arcade version.

[@lylepetersen814]

That's because it was released last and is a port of the remade arcade version (as is the Famicom version). Most of the other versions were released years before and were all ports of the Aplle II game. This really is a comparison of two games (the original and remake) and all the various ports of each.

[@lurkerrekrul]

You're welcome. :)

[@TMS5100]

colecovision helicopter is far too twitchy... wtf with the atari 7800 version... looks like what would happen if they made a 2600 version.

[@wingnut4427]

the music.

[@Themaniacnextdoor]

As usual, the Colecovision version is very impressive.

[@YesiPleb]

You've forgotten to add the BBC Micro version!

[@GamingHistorySource]

There is no information on it. Must be a home brew.

[@YesiPleb]

It was released under the name Airlift. It's not a homebrew. bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=109

[@lidiacarvalho5762]

Choplifter! Or choplifter is a apple 2 game

[@hernanmatias1428]

The NES/famicom version is so f****g hard it's almost impossible to play

[@jasonlee7816]

in 1991 Sega developed two versions of Choplifter an arcade game using System 32 hardware and a beefed-up Master System version Beam Software snatched the license and screwed it up by making a shit Choplifter game on Game Boy they could've made it better on the TurboGrafx

[@blaksunxine]

you missed NES version

[@blaksunxine]

great version by the way

[@GamingHistorySource]

+Miguel Negrete ever heard of the Famicom ? It's in there.

[@8bitsdiversion76]

+Miguel Negrete lo dicen en el vídeo "FAMICOM"

[@gzsfrk]

I have both the 5200 and 7800 versions of Choplifter and, except for the terrible controller, I consider the 5200 version to be the superior port. Just as with Karateka, the 7800 version is ruined by TERRIBLE control responsiveness that forces you to mentally compensate to play the game even badly. Such a shame that so many 7800 games were ruined by the awful implementation, because the hardware itself was fairly capable. (As evidenced by the excellent Tower Toppler port.)

[@Ultradude604]

Sega one is the only non shitty version.

[@GamingHistorySource]

In a strange sort of way. I enjoyed them all. It's the differences that I enjoy.

[@MetalSonicodraco7342]

+shawdawg28 Shinobi on NES...are you kidding?

[@fordprefect4728]

+MetalSonicodraco7342 yah, didnt u know sega ported all their games to nintendo, i remember playing sonic and golden axe on it :P

[@MetalSonicodraco7342]

+ford prefect Literally they were unofficial ports. Sonic was a joke and the only one I remember was Space Harrier, After Burner, and Altered beast, the only good one was Altered Beast (because the extra best and levels)

[@GreekRetroGeek]

No Sonic game has ever been released in any consumer available format (apart from hacks and completely unofficial chinese junk-somari and the rest). On the contrary there are various semi-official sega games endorsed by sega to be converted, but not by the console owner, nintendo.

[@SparkleWolf404]

it's epic

[@SparkleWolf404]

what?

[@basshunter2007]

i think sms version is better music is to

[@atariforever2002]

Here's How I'd rank them based solely on the video: 1. DOS 2. Arcade 3. NES 4. 7800 5. SG-1000 6. Master System 7. Atari 800 8. 5200 9. MSX 10. Colecovision 11. C64 12. Apple II 13. VIC-20

[@wingnut4427]

lol

[@SolitaryBro]

This was one of my favorite games at the arcades when I skipped school in the 80's..... "OVER HERE"