Rescue (1982 video game)

Rescue
Developer(s)	Universal Research Laboratories, Inc.
Publisher(s)	Stern Eletronics
Designer(s)	Chris Oberth
Platform(s)	Arcade
Release	1982
Genre(s)	Twin-stick shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Rescue is a 1982 twin-stick shooter video game designed by Chris Oberth and released by Stern Electronics for arcades. ^[1] The player flies a helicopter over the open sea to rescue stranded paratroopers from enemy forces and sharks. ^[2] As the player-controlled helicopter flies left and right, the cloud layers move at different rates, giving a parallax scrolling effect.

Gameplay

The player pilots a helicopter over a body of water. Paratroopers drop from the top of the screen and land in the water. They can be picked up by carefully hovering so a short ladder drops, and they climb in. Being slightly too low and touching the water loses a life. A falling paratrooper is killed if it hits the player's helicopter.

Enemy helicopters attack the player and can be shot by moving the second joystick. The falling wreckage is deadly. A "bomb" button releases a projectile straight down for destroying sharks and submarines targeting paratroopers waiting for rescue. ^[2]

Reception

Electronic Games reviewed Rescue in 1982. The reviewer commented: "With Rescue, everything ties together in a neat package that's not only fun to play, but increasingly challenging the further you're able to go into the mission." ^[2]

References

1. Rescue at the Killer List of Videogames
2. Sharpe, Roger C. (June 1983). "Insert Coin Here". Electronic Games. pp. 96–97.