Air Rescue

Sega console exclusive

Air Rescue is similar to Choplifter!. You are a driver of a helicopter and the object is to rescue hostages without being shot down by soldiers, jeeps, tanks, choppers, and ground-based missiles, and bring them back to base. A maximum of four hostages can fit into the helicopter at any given time, so it is necessary to make more than one trip. You can choose from a variety of weapons that you can use to shoot down enemies.

Released: 1 March 1992
Platforms: Arcade Master System Sega Master System/Mark III
Genres: Action Shooter Simulation Strategy
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: First person
Themes: Action
Country: Japan

About

Air Rescue is action game from Sega released in arcades in 1992. It runs on the Sega System 32 hardware. A Master System conversion has little in common with the original. The two games are similar to Choplifter, which Sega had adapted for arcades.

The arcade version of Air Rescue has a first-person perspective, while the Master System version is side-scrolling. The Master System version was only released in PAL territories.

Keywords

modern warfare
helicopter
2.5d
flight
side-scrolling
hostages
modern military
super scaler

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Both versions of Air Rescue share a similar concept to the original Choplifter. The player must pilot a helicopter, land it near hostages/prisoners behind enemy lines, and return them to the safety of the base.

The arcade version uses a first-person perspective and features full 3D movement throughout its environment, represented with large numbers of scaled sprites. The player can ascend or descent freely, as well as yaw left and right and move forward and back.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Air Rescue on their May 15, 1992 issue as being the third most-successful upright arcade unit of the month.

In Play Meter magazine, Jim Overman gave the arcade game a rating of 92% and a "gut feeling" score of 8 out of 10. John Cook of Sinclair User gave the arcade game an 80% rating. They said "Sega are the tops" in technology, with praise for the "stunning visuals, playability" and "an interesting co-operative two player option." He said "it does fail to inspire quite as much as I would like it to" but "it is worth a few 10p's of anyone's money."