Helicopter

From Sega Retro

n/a

Helicopter US front.jpeg
Helicopter
System(s): Electro-mechanical arcade
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Developer:
Distributor: Sonic (ES)
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Arcade (Electro-Mechanical)
JP
¥180,000[1][2][3] ?
Arcade (Electro-Mechanical)
US
$? ?
Arcade (Electro-Mechanical)
ES
? ?




































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Helicopter (ヘリコプター) is an electro-mechanical helicopter arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega Enterprises, Ltd., and first released in 1968.[5]

Specifications

Dimensions[6]

876.3 mm (34.5")
1.778 m (70")
1.016 m (40")


Gameplay

For 10-cents, players fly a helicopter around the machine in a circular motion. The helicopter is attached to a rod that pivots on top of a center pylon and a counter weight helps lift the helicopter. Player controls the helicopter's pitch and speed. The object of the game is to fly the helicopter so it touch one of seven stationary pins (located around the edges of the helicopter's circle of rotation) with the helicopter's two pring "whiskers". The stationary pin to touch is identified by a light. After touching one stationary pin, another stationary pin is lit. When the correct pin is hit, points are scored. There is a set amount of time per game. The more targets hit, the higher the score.

Sega's Helicopter uses an 8-track tape for background sound for the helicopter engine and rotor sound effects. The speed of the tape player changes to roughly correspond to the throttle setting of the model helicopter, so the sound gets faster as the helicopter goes faster.

History

Similar contemporary competitors include Amusement Engineering's Helicopter Trainer (1968), Namco's Eagle Go! (1968)[7] and Midway's Whirly Bird (1969). Helicopter is thought to predate them.

It was Sega's first helicopter game. They later produced several 3D helicopter arcade games including Heli-Shooter (1977), Thunder Blade (1987) and Air Rescue (1992).

Promotional material

Helicopter flyer1.jpg
US flyer
Helicopter flyer1.jpg
Helicopter EM ES Flyer.jpg
ES flyer
Helicopter EM ES Flyer.jpg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Billboard (US) #1968-07-27: "July 27, 1968" (1968-07-27)
Logo-pdf.svg

Photo gallery

Physical scans

ES
Helicopter EM ES Manual.pdf
Manual

External links

References