Choplifter HD is a relaunch of the Choplifter series from the 1980s and early 1990s, created in collaboration with the original designer Dan Gorlin. It’s a side-scrolling shooter in which the player controls a helicopter through a range of attack and rescue missions, just like the original games. The aircraft can only move in two directions, but the graphic design is in three dimensions. There are various helicopters accessible, which are eventually unlocked. They have passenger capacity, armor, fuel, weapons, and speed data.
As in the original titles, missions frequently include individuals being rescued. This is accomplished by landing near them so they can board the aircraft and be transported back to the base. The primary offensive weapon is a mini-gun with free aim in any direction. Even though there is an infinite supply of ammo, firing continuously is not practical owing to overheating. Therefore, it must be done in shorter bursts. The player can also use a limited number of rockets to deal even more damage. Enemies in the foreground of the environment can be tagged to aim in that direction by tapping a key or a button. This causes the aircraft to turn left or right.
A level map is displayed as a horizontal bar near the top of the screen, with targets and P.O.W.s for transportation marked. Some are injured and must be picked up first. In other circumstances, the helicopter must turbo to get home quicker, which consumes fuel more quickly. Fuel is scarce. Thus, refueling is done at a station or home. It is possible to return at any time. However, each assignment has a time limit. There are hidden mission objectives in addition to the primary mission objective that are only found when the mission is in process.
