Choplifter

Choplifter! (often written “Choplifter”) - the 1983 action shooter for
Commodore 64 from Brøderbund Software.

Skim the border in a rescue chopper, crack open barracks, and ferry
survivors back to the post office landing pad while tanks, jets, and
mines close in.

Core loop
- dash to the prison line and open barracks to free hostages
- land to board up to 16, then return them safely to base
- repeat sorties until all hostages are rescued or lost

Systems and items
- facing modes - tap fire to shoot, hold to face forward, hold longer to turn
- capacity - 16 passengers per trip - 64 total to save for a perfect game
- barracks - one is pre-blasted open - others must be freed under fire
- enemies - tanks, jet fighters, and homing drone mines
- lives - three helicopters per game - lose them and the mission ends

Level design and feel
Smooth bidirectional scrolling with a readable horizon and clear silhouette
sprites. The forward-facing “tank attack” stance gives a dramatic mid‑air
hover as you cover panicked hostages sprinting below.

Why it is notable
- definitive C64 port of Dan Gorlin’s Apple II classic
- published by Brøderbund in the US, reissued by Ariolasoft in the UK

Tips
- face forward to swat tanks before landing near a barracks door
- avoid crushing crowds: touch down just ahead so they run to you
- if drones spawn at base, climb and weave before turning to shoot

At a glance
Year - 1983
Developer - Brøderbund Software
Design and programming - Dan Gorlin - Dane Bigham
Publisher - Brøderbund Software
Genre - Action shooter
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 1