Heli Fire
{{Short description|1980 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Heli Fire
|image = Helifire arcadeflyer.png
|developer = Nintendo R&D1
Ikegami Tsushinki{{Cite web|last=McFerran|first=Damien|date=2018-02-26|title=Feature: Shining A Light On Ikegami Tsushinki, The Company That Developed Donkey Kong|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/02/feature_shining_a_light_on_ikegami_tsushinki_the_company_that_developed_donkey_kong|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Nintendo Life|language=en-GB}}
|publisher = Nintendo
|composer = Hirokazu Tanaka
|released = {{vgrelease|JP|September 1980}}
|genre = Shoot 'em up
|modes = 1-2 players alternating turns
|platforms = Arcade
}}
{{nihongo foot|Heli Fire|ヘリファイア|Heri Faia|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a video game developed by Nintendo, and released in arcades in September 1980 by Nintendo.{{cite book |last=Gorges |first=Florent |others=Collaborated by Isao Yamazaki, translated by Raphael Mourlanne |title=The History of Nintendo |volume=1 (1889–1980) |publisher=Pix 'n Love Publishing |location=Triel-sur-Seine, France |year=2010 |isbn=978-2-918272-15-1 |page=204}} Some sources{{Nihongo|It started from Pong|それは『ポン』から始まった : アーケードTVゲームの成り立ち|sore wa pon kara hajimatta: ākēdo terebi gēmu no naritachi}}, {{Nihongo|Masumi Akagi|赤木真澄|Akagi Masumi}}, {{Nihongo|Amusement Tsūshinsha|アミューズメント通信社|Amyūzumento Tsūshinsha}}, 2005, {{ISBN|4-9902512-0-2}}. claim that Ikegami Tsushinki also did design work on Heli Fire. Similar to Taito's Polaris (1980), players control a submarine and must survive as long as possible against a barrage of enemy attacks from the sea and above.
Heli Fire was manufactured in both upright and cocktail arcade cabinets. It uses color raster graphics on a Sanyo 20-DZC monitor. The game can be played with one player or two players who alternate turns.{{cite web |title=Heli Fire |publisher=Killer List of Videogames |accessdate=July 26, 2011 |url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8101}} The sound, provided by Hirokazu Tanaka,{{cite web |title=Nintendo Archive |publisher=Hirokazu Tanaka |accessdate=May 5, 2011 |url=http://www.hirokazutanaka.com/works/nintendo/ |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808171105/http://www.hirokazutanaka.com/works/nintendo/ |url-status=dead}} consists of one amplified monoural channel.
Gameplay
The submarine can move in eight directions and can defend itself with missiles. While ships and mines attack the submarine from the water, enemy helicopters, which come in four different colors that designate their speed, drop missiles and depth charges at the submarine from the air. Each level consists of three sets of ten helicopters (for a total of 30) which must be destroyed within a specified time limit, or else they start to attack in a "special assault pattern". After a certain number of helicopters are destroyed, the submarine resurfaces, and a native girl dances (called "dancers of the isles") on top of the submarine while bonus points are awarded. After each level, the water level rises, placing the submarine closer to the helicopters and underwater traps.{{cite manual |title=Heli Fire arcade flyer |publisher=Nintendo |location=Kyoto, Japan |year=1980 |url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=501&image=2 |accessdate=July 26, 2011}}
Reception
According to Florent Gorges' book The History of Nintendo, Heli Fire, "for once, really put the players' skills to the test"; he explained that players had to dodge attacks from the air as well as pay attention to what is in the water in order to avoid ships and mines. The Killer List of Videogames website listed the game as one of the rarest machines amongst the members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society.
Notes
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