Mr. HELI no Daiboken
Game title screen
| Developer: | Irem |
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| Publisher: | Irem |
| Planning: | Yoshihito Tagami |
| Music: | Masahiko Ishida |
| Program: | Takeo Sumita Ryouichirou Shobu |
| Art: | Tomohiko Tanabe Yoshio Shimizu |
| Release date: | 1987 |
| Next game: | Image Fight |
Mr. HELI no Daibouken is a multidirectional scrolling shooter developed and published by Irem in 1987. It was released overseas under the name Battle Chopper.
Gameplay Overview
Mr. Heli is a 2 button game with 8-way movement. The player takes control of a sentient chopper, the eponymous Mr. Heli, on a quest to save the world from the mad scientist "Muddy".
Mr. Heli consists of 6 stages, which alternate between free-roaming and forced scrolling sections. It's a checkpoint-based shmup in typical Irem fashion, although conspicuously, there's no 2nd loop in the arcade version.
Controls
- A: Main Shot
- B (in air): Missiles
- B (on ground): Bombs
Weapons
You have three different weapons at your disposal; a main shot, missiles, and bombs. Each can be upgraded a total of two times.
| Shot (Lvl. 1) |
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Default shot. |
| Shot (Lvl. 2) |
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Level 2 shot. Doubles your firepower. |
| Shot (Lvl. 3) |
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Level 3 shot. Sends out a five-way spread for excellent coverage. |
| Missile (Lvl. 1) |
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Default missile power. Fires a single missile directly above you. |
| Missile (Lvl. 2) |
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Level 2 missile. Sends out three missiles at once, homes in on nearby enemies. |
| Missile (Lvl. 3) |
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Level 3 missile. Sends out five missiles at once, homes in on nearby enemies. |
| Bomb (Lvl. 1) |
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Default bomb power. Drops 3 bombs onto the ground. |
| Bomb (Lvl. 2) |
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Level 2 bomb. Drops 5 bombs onto the ground. |
| Bomb (Lvl. 3) |
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Level 3 bomb. Drops 7 bombs onto the ground. |
Items
Items are found by destroying the bricks scattered throughout the levels, which include crystals (the in-game currency,) as well as weapon upgrades & health restoratives that may be purchased using said crystals.
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Crystal The currency in Mr. Heli, used for purchasing all other items. Comes in small, medium, or large varieties. (Each worth $20, $100, and $500 respectively) |
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Shot Upgrade Increases your main shot's power. $400 for the Level 2 upgrade, $800 for Level 3. |
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Missile Upgrade Increases the amount of missiles you fire at a time. $300 for the Level 2 upgrade, $600 for Level 3. |
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Bomb Upgrade Increases the amount of bombs you release at a time. $200 for the Level 2 upgrade, $400 for Level 3. |
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Energy Tank Restores Mr. Heli's life bar. The less expensive variant heals a small amount, whereas the more expensive recovers 100%. |
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Namazu A legendary catfish known to cause earthquakes. Destroys all currently on-screen bricks. |
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Barrier Grants Mr. Heli a much needed shield. Expires after taking approximately 15 hits. |
Rank
Rank is tied to your upgrades. The more upgrades you equip, the more resilient & aggressive the enemies become. The rank increase when a Barrier is active is particularly noticeable. Dying sends you back down to base power levels, and thus the rank along with it.
