Best port of Choplifter?

[SoulBlazer]

Seeing the talk about the limited release of Choplifter for the Intelivision made me recall the game. It was one of my favorite games as a kid, where I played the C64 version all the time.

 

Which home version of the game is the best and why?

[The Usotsuki]

Well, the Apple ][ version's the original, but some might prefer others for better graphics or sound...

[Osgeld]

Apple II, cause its the original

 

but I had a lot of fun with the 7800 version, or the sega arcade versions

[BassGuitari]

Apple II and Atari 5200 versions for me.

[darthkur]

I like the 5200 and C64 ones the best although the Sega 1000 version is very good as well.

[jaybird3rd]

Of the ports I've tried so far, I like the Atari 800/5200 versions the best, either the Broderbund version for the Atari 800/5200 or the Sculptured Software re-release for the XL/XE series. Broderbund's was high-res and had smoother animation, albeit in artifacted monochrome, but Sculptured Software's version was more colorful. It's interesting to see two different takes on the same game concept, implemented on the same machine. I've also briefly played the ColecoVision version, but I don't remember it very well. The Atari 7800 version was okay, but it didn't feel quite as polished as the others I've tried.

[BillyHW]

Sega Master System.

[DaytonaUSA]

I thought the Master System's had great control and graphics. Not sure if it's the "best" version, but I had more fun with it than any other version.

[Osgeld]

yea the master system version is a port of the sega arcade version, adds more baddies, a fuel guage and good graphics, its a different vibe than the standard versions and is quite fun to me, though there's still a lot of fun in the classic version as well

[Great Hierophant]

I would say any version that uses two buttons to control the helicopter. That cuts the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit ports.

 

I consider the Famicom, Arcade and Sega Master System versions to be more of adaptations than a port.

[Austin]

The Master System version is great. Nice graphics, good sound, fun gameplay, and it's challenging. I also like the 7800 version (I haven't played any others actually now that I think about it), but it's a shame it ends so fast. Not a whole lot of replay value with that one.

[CGQuarterly]

Definitely the Master System version for me. In fact, I even reviewed it for my website a few years back.

[BillyHW]

This thread has inspired me to fire up my SMS emulator and play some Choplifter. I've never been able to finish it. I remember there was a cave stage and then a sea stage. Maybe I'll make it further now.

 

This was always a tough game to make it far in. (The arcade especially was sick and disgusting.)

[RickR]

VIC-20! I like it because it is the version I first played and played and played as a kid. I think it is very similar to the original Apple version, but it gets pretty choppy with a lot of objects on the screen.

7800 version isn't bad, but the tanks are way too big.

[SoulBlazer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWrYMaXE0fo

 

Of course I should have looked at YouTube.

Here's a video comparing all 13 versions made BITD. Only one not here is the 'new' Intelivision version.

 

EDIT: Huh, in the old days this would have the actual video here. Anyone know how to do that?

Edited September 3, 2013 by SoulBlazer

[jaybird3rd]

EDIT: Huh, in the old days this would have the actual video here. Anyone know how to do that?

I just flip the "BBCode Mode" switch (in the upper-left corner of the editor toolbar), then enter the tags directly:

 

[media] (Insert YouTube URL Here) [/media]

Like this ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWrYMaXE0fo

[ianoid]

The answer is: The first Choplifter you played is always the best.

 

Apple ][ for me. Some of the best early arcade action.

 

Second choice: Cave 2k on 2600! Not really Choplifter, but honorable mention.

[Emehr]

I was introduced to the game on the 7800 and played it for years, but after acquiring the SMS version, I gotta hand the trophy to that one for its polish. I'm still fond of the 7800 version for nostalgia, though.

[Ransom]

I played the Apple ][ version first, so I'll always like that one the best.

 

More recently, I tried out many different console versions and finally settled on the one for the 5200 as being the best port for me, mostly due to the similarity of the control scheme.

[S1500]

Apple //e. The Atari 7800 version had way too large of sprites, and ruined the gameplay IMO.

[+FujiSkunk]

The Apple II release is the best of the original bunch, in my opinion. The C-64 version is pretty good too, but like Great Hierophant said, it gets pushed down a notch for having limited control compared to the original. I think the Commodore release is as good as it possibly could be with the standard Commodore/Atari joystick, but the game really shines on the Apple II with its two-button analog controller.

 

Technically, the arcade version is a port, so there is a case to be made about that one being the best port, but if the question becomes which port of arcade Choplifter is the best, then I would say the SMS version with the Famicom version running a close second. Curiously, Famicom Choplifter does not mention Sega at all, even though it has all of the arcade game's levels and enemies.

 

The worst port of the arcade game is on the 7800. Oh, that wasn't meant to be a port of the arcade game? Then why did they base the graphics on the arcade game? A little bit of bait-and-switch going on there, if you ask me.

[Skarrj]

Sms still seems like the best port to me