Tiger-Heli

Last updated

Tiger-Heli
Tiger-Heli arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Toaplan [a]
Publisher(s) Arcade
NES
Programmer(s)
Composer(s)
  • Masahiro Yuge
  • Tatsuya Uemura
SeriesTiger
Platform(s) Arcade, NES, Atari 7800
ReleaseArcade
  • JP/NA: October 1985
NES
  • JP: December 5, 1986
  • NA: September 1987
  • EU: January 17, 1990
7800
  • WW: July 18, 2025
Genre(s) Vertically scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tiger-Heli [b] is a 1985 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in Japan by Taito and in North America by Romstar. A version for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in 1986. It is the first entry in the Tiger series and the first shoot 'em up from Toaplan. The player controls the Tiger attack helicopter fighting against enemies. The helicopter is equipped with missiles that can hit targets and bombs that destroy any enemy and their bullets within range.

Contents

Tiger-Heli was programmed by Masahiro Yuge, Tatsuya Uemura, and Yuichirō Nozawa. Their previous work, Performan , was not as successful as the team had hoped. They revisited Vastar (1983) and decided their next project would be a shooter, drawing inspiration from Gyrodine . The staff wanted to create a game that balanced between being stressful and exciting, and to have players keep wanting to play it after dying. The team chose a helicopter as the player's craft as they deemed it suitable for a shooter that had the screen continuously scrolling. The soundtrack, composed by Yuge and Uemura, was made to convey a sense of bravery, but was hampered by technical limitations.

Tiger-Heli was a hit that helped establish Toaplan as a leading producer of shooter games during the 1980s and 1990s. The game's introduction of the bomb concept would also become a staple of the shoot 'em up genre. The NES version sold over a million copies in North America, but received mixed reception from critics. It was followed by Twin Cobra (1987). The rights to Tiger-Heli are owned by Tatsujin, a Japanese developer and licensee formed by Yuge. In 2025, an officially licensed version was released for the Atari 7800.

Gameplay

The Tiger helicopter taking down an enemy tank (arcade version shown) ARC Tiger-Heli.png
The Tiger helicopter taking down an enemy tank (arcade version shown)

Tiger-Heli is a vertically scrolling shooter game. [1] [2] [3] The player controls the Tiger attack helicopter, fighting against air and ground enemies such as tanks, gunboats, artillery, and aircraft. [4] [5] [6] [7] Other targets include buildings, level crossings, cars, fuel depots, tents, and mine carts. The helicopter is equipped with two weapons: short-range missiles and bombs. [4] [5] [6] [8] The missiles can hit both air and ground targets. [3] [4] [6] The bombs can destroy any enemy and their bullets within range when fired. If enemy bullets hit a bomb carried by the helicopter, it will detonate automatically. [4] [9] [10] The game employs a scoring system; the player's score increases as targets are destroyed. Destroying ground targets also allows the player to discover secrets that provide bonus points. [3] [5] [6]

There are three items the player can obtain by shooting cross-shaped bunkers that alternate between green, red, and gray: extra bombs and two small helicopter gunners. Shooting a bunker when it is green will spawn a "B" icon and the player will be able to re-equip the helicopter with up to two bombs upon pickup. [5] [6] [9] [10] Shooting a bunker when it is red or gray will summon smaller helicopters to join the player's formation on the left or right side, providing additional firepower support. Red ones fire laterally, while gray ones fire forward. The player can recruit up to two units and combine both variants. [3] [5] [6] [9] If the player picks up any item when not needed, it will only award bonus points. [3] [5] [9] [10]

The game consists of four stages where the player flies through various terrains. [4] [5] [8] After completing a stage, the player arrives at a helipad and receives bonus points for carrying bombs or small helicopters. [6] [9] The player is given three lives, and additional lives are awarded upon reaching certain score thresholds or destroying ten diamond-shaped blocks. [5] [6] [10] [11] The player is sent back to a checkpoint if they die and the game is over once all lives are lost. [4] [11] In the NES version, the player can resume from the last stage reached using a hidden continue option. [6] [12] After the final stage, the game loops to the second stage with a higher difficulty. [4] [13]

Development

Tiger-Heli was the first shoot 'em up by Toaplan. [4] [14] [15] It was programmed by Masahiro Yuge, Tatsuya Uemura, and Yuichirō Nozawa. [15] [16] [17] Yuge, Uemura and Nozawa had worked for the Japanese companies Orca and Crux, before both went bankrupt and they joined Toaplan. [15] [18] [19] [20] Nozawa had previously created the shooter Gyrodine , while Yuge and Uemura had worked on the action game Performan , their first game at Toaplan. [15] [18] [19] [21] Performan was not as successful as the team had hoped, so they stepped back and revisited Vastar (1983), a shooter they previously made at Orca and which had performed well. They decided their next project would be a shooter, under the working title Cobra. [15] [19] [22]

The staff wanted a game that balanced stressful and exciting sections. [13] The idea of playing as a helicopter was influenced by Gyrodine, as it was considered suitable for a shooter where the screen was scrolling due to it being a slower craft and able to hover midair. [20] Yuge explained that another reason was that the team wanted to make it easier for beginners to see the bullets by reducing their speed, and that increasing the craft's speed would make route planning in each stage less strategic. [13] They also felt the helicopter theme was more fitting, as the game was developed with a cocktail cabinet in mind, which would have the player seated, using a joystick, looking down at the screen. [22] The bomb system emerged when the staff questioned how to make the game more fun and was added to provide players with an aggressive weapon to vent their frustration on enemies. [13] [22] [23]

The team also sought a game that would encourage players to replay it after dying and continue immersed in its world. [13] [22] From the outset, they assumed that levels would have to be loaded into memory one by one, but the new read-only memory (ROM) chips available on the game's arcade board made running one seamless world possible. [22] Since the hardware had low specifications, the team forced it to run the game as they desired. [24] When creating the graphics, described as "polygonal", Toaplan was conducting research for a flight simulator they could develop themselves, and one of the designers implemented a sample image from that program into the game. The staff used tricks such as high-speed sprite flickering, as the board could not handle transparency of an object's shadow. They also wanted to make the bomb graphics more detailed, but were hampered by hardware limitations. [13] According to Uemura, production was funded by the team's own funds, as publisher Taito was solely focused on distribution and Toaplan's name could not appear in the game due to contractual agreements. [13] [20]

Music

The music for Tiger-Heli was scored by Yuge and Uemura. [16] [17] [25] [26] When composing the songs, Uemura attempted to convey a sense of bravery, but he was limited by technical and memory limitations at the time. [25] A CD album containing the game's soundtrack titled Kyukyoku Tiger -G.S.M. Taito 2- was distributed in Japan by Scitron and Pony Canyon on November 21, 1988. [27] [28] In 2011, the soundtrack was included on Toaplan Shooting Chronicle, a six-CD compilation album distributed by SuperSweep. [28] [29] [30] In 2018, the soundtrack was also included as part of the eighth volume of the Toaplan Arcade Sound Digital Collection, an 11-volume series released under City Connection's Clarice Disk label. [28] [31]

Release

Tiger-Heli was first tested at a game center in Meguro. [19] The game was released for arcades by Taito in Japan and Romstar in North America in October 1985. [32] [33] It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Micronics and released by Pony Inc. in Japan on December 5, 1986. [22] [34] [35] In North America, Taito decided not to release the game, but Nintendo planned to publish it as Helifighter under its "Action Series" label. [22] [36] Acclaim took over western publishing instead, releasing the game in North America in September 1987, followed by Europe on January 17, 1990. [22] [37] [38] Computer Entertainer wrote that it was released in North America in November 1987. [39] The game was also distributed in South Korea by Hyundai Electronics. [22] In 1996, it was included in the Toaplan Shooting Battle 1 compilation, developed by Gazelle and published by Banpresto in Japan for the PlayStation. [15] [22] [40] [41]

In 2021, the arcade and NES versions were included in the Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli: Toaplan Arcade Garage collection, developed and released by M2 initially in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch as part of its ShotTriggers line. In 2023, Limited Run Games announced the physical release of the collection in the west. M2 later released it in North America in 2024 via the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop. [42] [43] [44] In 2022, Tiger-Heli was included in the Toaplan Arcade 1 compilation released by Blaze Entertainment for the Evercade. [45] [46] In 2024, the game was included as part of Toaplan Arcade Shoot 'Em Up Collection Vol. 3, released by Bitwave Games for PC via Steam and GOG.com. [47] [48] That same year, it was included as a demo and as a purchasable title in the Amusement Arcade Toaplan app, released for iOS via the App Store and for Android via Google Play. [49] [50] In February 2025, the arcade version was included as part of the Polymega Collection Vol. 3 - Tiger-Heli compilation for the Polymega. [51] [52] The game was also included in the Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1, released in August 2025 by City Connection in Japan and by Clear River Games in the west for the PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S. [53] [54]

Atari released a version for the Atari 7800 on July 18, 2025. [55] [56] The port arose during a meeting on the AtariAge forums between Ben Jones, director of retro business at Plaion, and Bruno Steux, director and founder of SandCastle. After discussions on the forums, they agreed to adapt Tiger-Heli to the 7800 with approval from Tatsujin, the current intellectual property owner. [22] [57] The 7800 version is distinguished by its music, reworked by Maxime Steux, Bruno's son, who used a tracker for the POKEY chip, in addition to the Television Interface Adapter (TIA). [17] [22] [57]

Reception

According to Masahiro Yuge, Tiger-Heli generated a lot of income during its location test in Meguro and was a big hit. [19] [21] [23] In Japan, Game Machine listed it in their October 1, 1985 issue as being the most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks. [58] Micom BASIC Magazine considered Tiger-Heli a monumental work, but noted that its gameplay was slow and lacked balance. [9] AllGame 's Anthony Baize found the game fun and its graphics ahead of their time, but faulted the limited range of bombs and lack of power-ups. [59]

Retrospective commentary for Tiger-Heli has been mixed. [4] [60] [61] Hardcore Gaming 101 's Nick Zverloff wrote that "Tiger-Heli is a little rough in retrospect, but it's also about on par with other shooters from 1985". [4] In a 2021 review of Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli, Nintendo Life 's Will Freeman called the game a classic of its time, but felt that it has not aged well compared to its contemporaries. [60] Likewise, M! Games' Thomas Nickel found it archaic due to its simple graphics and short length. [61] In 2024, Paste ranked it as the thirteenth best Toaplan shoot 'em up. [62]

Reviewing the Atari 7800 version, Retro Gamer 's Nick Thorpe called it an excellent conversion, stating that it faithfully recreated the gameplay and level design of the arcade original. [63] Similarly, Time Extension 's Damien McFerran considered the 7800 version an impressive technical achievement and found its gameplay to be close to that of the arcade original. [57]

NES

According to Newsday and author Steven L. Kent, Tiger-Heli sold over one million copies in North America by the end of 1987, making it one of the best-selling NES games. [36] [71] The game received a 15.55/30 score in a 1991 readers' poll conducted by Family Computer Magazine. [72] It also garnered mixed reception from reviewers. [73] [74] [75]

Computer Gaming World 's Bill Kunkel thought the NES version was excellent and praised its graphics, but found it difficult to determine the altitude of the helicopter and easy to accidentally deploy a bomb while firing. [76] Micro News' Patrick Gallo considered it a compelling adaptation that faithfully replicated the arcade original. [69] Computer Entertainer felt that the maneuverability of the helicopter and ferocity of the enemy attack made Tiger-Heli interesting. They also commended the game's graphics and sound. [77] In their "Complete Guide To Consoles", Computer and Video Games remarked that it was faithful to the arcade, but found the audiovisual presentation dull and noted that the limited play area made it difficult to dodge enemy fire in later stages. [65] Nintendo Magazine System (Official Nintendo Magazine) wrote that the game was a rather simple shoot 'em up and criticized its repetitive graphics, bland sound, and average gameplay. [66]

Aktueller Software Markt 's Torsten Oppermann found the NES conversion to be good, but criticized technical issues such as flickering sprites and poor sound. [64] Writing for the German publication Joystick, Robin Goldmann gave positive remarks on the game's audiovisual department, stating that while Tiger-Heli may not be one of the most difficult shooters on the NES, it was still fun. [68] Tilt 's Jean-Philippe Delalandre highlighted the game's colorful graphics, but noted the slow movement of the helicopter. [67] Power Play's Henrik Fisch faulted the game for its poorly drawn environments, flickering enemies, and repetitive gameplay. [70]

Legacy

The success of Tiger-Heli helped establish Toaplan as a leading developer of shooters during the 1980s and 1990s, which would continue to characterize its output. [22] [78] [79] [80] The game also introduced the concept of the bomb, a mechanic that Toaplan would continue to iterate on in later games, becoming a staple of the shoot 'em up genre. [24] [79] [80] As printed circuit boards (PCBs) slowly advanced, a sequel to Tiger-Heli was conceived out of a desire to remove the stress induced by its predecessor, offering a fun and deep experience for players as its core concept. [24] Twin Cobra [c] was released for arcades in 1987 and was ported to the NES, PC Engine, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, X68000, and FM Towns. [7] [41] [79] [81]

In 1994, Toaplan declared bankruptcy, but Masahiro Yuge and some of the staff transferred to Takumi Corporation. [82] [83] [84] Takumi acquired the Twin Cobra trademark and developed a sequel, Twin Cobra II , [d] released for the Taito F3 System in 1995. [15] [41] [84] [85] In 1997, Naxat Soft released the game for the Sega Saturn under the name Kyukyoku Tiger II Plus, [e] featuring a remixed soundtrack and an exclusive stage. [41] [85] It is the final installment in the Tiger series. [3] [4]

The Tiger helicopter is playable in Slap Fight Tiger, an adapted version of Slap Fight , as part of the Taito Nostalgia 2 plug and play game console in the Let's! TV Play Classic series. [86] The rights to Tiger-Heli are currently owned to Tatsujin, a Japanese video game developer and licensee founded in 2017 by Yuge. In 2022, Tatsujin was acquired by Embracer Group for a retro gaming focused operative group. [87] [88] [89] [90] In 2023, a demo of an Amiga port, developed by Ben "Acidbottle" Brown using the Scorpion engine by "Earok", was released online. [91] [92]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Nintendo Entertainment System by Micronics, and Atari 7800 by Plaion.
  2. ↑ Japanese: タイガー・ヘリ, Hepburn: Taigā-Heri
  3. ↑ Known in Japan as Kyukyoku Tiger (究極タイガー, Kyūkyoku Taigā; lit. 'Ultimate Tiger')
  4. ↑ Known in Japan as Kyukyoku Tiger II (究極タイガーII, Kyūkyoku Taigā II; lit. 'Ultimate Tiger II')
  5. ↑ 究極タイガー IIプラス (Kyūkyoku Taigā II Purasu)

References

  1. ↑ "新着ゲーム通信: タイガーヘリ". Famitsu . No. 6. ASCII Corporation. September 5, 1986. p. 81.
  2. ↑ "タイガーヘリ". Family Computer Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Vol. 2, no. 17. Tokuma Shoten. November 7, 1986. p. 130.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Castelli, Stefano (January 28, 2023). "IGN Retro: Tiger Heli". IGN Italia (in Italian). Vusumo. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Zverloff, Nick (July 3, 2011). "Tiger-Heli". Hardcore Gaming 101 . Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "タイガーヘリ". Family Computer Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Vol. 2, no. 18. Tokuma Shoten. November 21, 1986. pp. 42–43.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "最新ゲーム徹底解剖: タイガーヘリ". Famitsu . No. 14. ASCII Corporation. December 26, 1986. pp. 14–17.
  7. 1 2 "ザ・ベストゲーム - Full List: 株式会社東亜プラン". Gamest (Extra) (in Japanese). No. 60. Shinseisha. July 1991. p. 203.
  8. 1 2 "1989 Buyer's Guide: Nintendo". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment . No. 1. Larry Flynt Publications. November–December 1988. pp. 26–48.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "ビデオゲームCLASSIC GUIDE". Micom BASIC Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 112. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation  [ ja ]. October 1991. pp. 303–306.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Tiger-Heli (Instruction Manual) (North American ed.). Romstar. 1985.
  11. 1 2 Tiger-Heli (PDF) (Game Pack Instructions) (North American ed.). Acclaim Entertainment. 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ Dolan, Celeste, ed. (February 1988). "Nintendo Software: Japanese Game Fanatics' Tip of the Month". Computer Entertainer . Vol. 6, no. 11. Marylou Badeaux. p. 11.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Q&A". Disc 6. Toaplan Co., Ltd. Shooting Chronicle (設定資料集) (in Japanese). SuperSweep. November 14, 2011. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2014-02-23 at the Wayback Machine ).
  14. ↑ "1993 V-V Toaplan Interview". shmuplations.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Iona; VHS; K-HEX (June 2009). "東亜プラン FOREVER". Floor 25 (in Japanese). Vol. 9. (Translation by Gamengai. Archived 2020-10-10 at the Wayback Machine ).
  16. 1 2 Uemura, Tatsuya (August 6, 1998). "世間知らずの、いい会社だった". ゲーム屋の音楽部屋 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 30, 2002. Retrieved August 9, 2025. (Transcription by Magicseed. Archived 2009-10-24 at the Wayback Machine ).
  17. 1 2 3 Plaion (July 18, 2025). Tiger-Heli (Atari 7800). Atari. Scene: Staff roll. Original Arcade Game Developed By Toaplan
  18. 1 2 Uemura, Tatsuya (August 6, 1998). "同じメンツで色々な名前の会社があった". ゲーム屋の音楽部屋 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 22, 2002. Retrieved August 9, 2025. (Transcription by Magicseed. Archived 2009-10-24 at the Wayback Machine ).
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "開発者インタビュー". Disc 6. Toaplan Co., Ltd. Shooting Chronicle (設定資料集) (in Japanese). SuperSweep. November 14, 2011. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2014-02-23 at the Wayback Machine ).
  20. 1 2 3 Kiyoshi, Tane; Tanaka, Haruhisa; Yūsaku, Yamamoto (February 3, 2012). "東亜プラン特集: 東亜プラン 元・開発者インタビュー1 上村建也氏". Shooting Gameside (in Japanese). Vol. 4. Micro Magazine. pp. 33–40. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2022-05-16 at the Wayback Machine ).
  21. 1 2 Ishii, Zenji (September 1990). "イケイケ!! ニューパワー: 東亜プラン 開発者インタビュー". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 49. Shinseisha. pp. 68–69. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2014-02-23 at the Wayback Machine ).
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Freeman, Will (July 31, 2025). "The Making of: Tiger-Heli". Retro Gamer . No. 275. Future plc. pp. 42–47.
  23. 1 2 Kiyoshi, Tane; Tanaka, Haruhisa; Yūsaku, Yamamoto (February 3, 2012). "東亜プラン特集: 東亜プラン 元・開発者インタビュー2 弓削雅稔氏". Shooting Gameside (in Japanese). Vol. 4. Micro Magazine. pp. 41–48. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2022-05-17 at the Wayback Machine ).
  24. 1 2 3 Freeman, Will (June 9, 2023). "A Tribute to: Toaplan". Retro Gamer . No. 247. Future plc. pp. 48–55.
  25. 1 2 Uemura, Tatsuya (November 21, 1988). "<曲目解説> タイガーヘリ". 究極タイガー -G.S.M.TAITO 2- (in Japanese). Pony Canyon, Scitron. p. 3. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2016-12-08 at the Wayback Machine ).
  26. ↑ Abeto, Kobatsu (September 1989). "東亜プランインタビュー". PSG (in Japanese). Vol. 10. F.S.G Club. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2014-02-23 at the Wayback Machine ).
  27. ↑ "ゲーム・ミュージック新譜試聴室". Micom BASIC Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 78. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation  [ ja ]. December 1988. pp. 308–309.
  28. 1 2 3 Fuentes, Edgar S. (September 17, 2020). "Vandal Game Music: Toaplan. Un legado escrito en chips FM". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  29. ↑ "アーケードサウンド調査団". Monthly Arcadia (in Japanese). No. 139. Enterbrain. December 2011. pp. 92–93.
  30. ↑ Kotowski, Don (August 1, 2012). "Toaplan Shooting Chronicle". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  31. ↑ "「スラップファイト」や「究極TIGER」などの楽曲を収録した東亜プランのアーケードゲームサントラCD第8弾が7月25日に発売". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  32. ↑ "タイトーから「タイガー・ヘリ」基板 編隊で戦車破壊 道場破りがテーマの「女三四郎」基板も" (PDF). Game Machine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 274. Amusement Press, Inc.  [ ja ]. December 15, 1985. p. 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  33. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). "国内編 メーカー 別リスト; 海外編 メーカー別リスト; 海外編 アルファべット順リスト". アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency  [ ja ]. pp.  11–63, 107–141, 143–172. ISBN   978-4990251215.
  34. ↑ "タイガーヘリ". Family Computer Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Vol. 2, no. 19. Tokuma Shoten. December 5, 1986. p. 99.
  35. ↑ "12 年の歳月で発売された全 1052 本のゲームタイトル!ファミコンソフ卜完全目録". 懐かしファミコンパーフェクトガイド. Perfect Guide (in Japanese). Vol. 1. Magazine Box. April 21, 2016. pp. 122–127. ISBN   978-4-906735-89-1.
  36. 1 2 Kent, Steven L. (2001). "Chapter 18: The Seeds of Competition". The Ultimate History of Video Games . Prima Publishing. p. 295–330. ISBN   0-7615-3643-4. Acclaim exceeded 200,000 in sales of its next game, 3D World Runner, and more than one million copies of Tiger Heli—a game that Taito released in Japan but decided against releasing in the United States
  37. ↑ "NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 31, 2004. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Tiger-Heli". nesdb.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  39. ↑ Dolan, Celeste, ed. (November 1987). "Availability Update". Computer Entertainer . Vol. 6, no. 8. Marylou Badeaux. p. 14.
  40. ↑ Hikiji, Tetsuji (September 1996). "Super Soft Hot Information: プレイステーション (PlayStation)". Micom BASIC Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 171. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation  [ ja ]. pp. 203–208.
  41. 1 2 3 4 Carroll, Martyn (December 31, 2019). "Ultimate Guide: Twin Cobra". Retro Gamer . No. 202. Future plc. pp. 38–43.
  42. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 15, 2021). "Toaplan shoot 'em up collection Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli announced for PS4, Switch". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  43. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 12, 2023). "Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli coming west this fall". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  44. ↑ Romano, Sal (May 16, 2024). "Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli: Toaplan Game Garage now available in North America". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  45. ↑ McFerran, Damien (May 31, 2022). "Evercade Is Getting An "EXP" Upgrade, Complete With Irem And Toaplan Collections". Nintendo Life . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  46. ↑ Santiago, Ángel Morán (October 4, 2022). "Dos nuevos cartuchos de IREM y Toaplan llegarán a Evercade VS el 24 de noviembre". HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  47. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 10, 2024). "Batsugun, FixEight, Tiger Heli, and Vimana coming to PC on February 1". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  48. ↑ McFerran, Damien (January 10, 2024). "Toaplan's Tiger Heli, Vimana, FixEight And Batsugun Are Coming To PC". Time Extension . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  49. ↑ "【配信開始】東亜プランの名作25タイトルがスマホで遊べる『AMUSEMENT ARCADE TOAPLAN』本日（11/15）リリース。『ナックルバッシュ』、『ゴークス』は初の完全移植。『TATSUJIN』は無料開放". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. November 15, 2024. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  50. ↑ Romano, Sal (February 17, 2025). "Amusement Arcade Toaplan now available". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  51. ↑ McFerran, Damien (February 11, 2025). "Tiger-Heli And Drift Out Join The Polymega Collection". Time Extension . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  52. ↑ Verdin, Guillaume (February 16, 2025). "Un demake de Daytona USA et autres news rétro de la semaine". MO5.com  [ fr ] (in French). Association MO5.COM. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  53. ↑ Romano, Sal (May 13, 2025). "Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, and Switch". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  54. ↑ Yarwood, Jack (May 16, 2025). "Even More Toaplan Reissues Are On The Way To Consoles, And Are Now Confirmed For The West". Time Extension . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  55. ↑ Yarwood, Jack (April 3, 2025). "Toaplan's Tiger-Heli Is Getting A New Port For The Atari 2600+ & Atari 7800+". Time Extension . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  56. ↑ Verdin, Guillaume (April 6, 2025). "Des jeux homebrew sur N-Gage et autres news rétro de la semaine". MO5.com  [ fr ] (in French). Association MO5.COM. Archived from the original on April 7, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  57. 1 2 3 McFerran, Damien (August 15, 2025). "Tiger-Heli Review (Atari 7800)". Time Extension . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  58. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)" (PDF). Game Machine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 269. Amusement Press, Inc.  [ ja ]. October 1, 1985. p. 31. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  59. ↑ Baize, Anthony (1998). "Tiger-Heli (Arcade) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  60. 1 2 Freeman, Will (November 27, 2021). "Toaplan Arcade Garage: Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life . Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  61. 1 2 Nickel, Thomas (December 2021). "Import-Only: Kyukyoku Tiger Heli (Switch)". M! Games  [ de ] (in German). No. 339. Cybermedia. (Transcription Archived 2025-07-20 at the Wayback Machine ).
  62. ↑ Normandin, Marc (April 4, 2024). "Every Toaplan Shoot 'Em Up, Ranked". Paste . Paste Media Group. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  63. ↑ Thorpe, Nick (July 3, 2025). "Retro Rated: Retro Roundup". Retro Gamer . No. 274. Future plc. p. 96.
  64. 1 2 Oppermann, Torsten (April 1990). "Konvertierungen". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). Vol. 5, no. 4. Tronic Verlag. pp. 54–67.
  65. 1 2 "Reviews: Tiger Heli (Nintendo)". Computer and Video Games (special). Vol. 1 (Complete Guide To Consoles ed.). EMAP. October 16, 1989. p. 89.
  66. 1 2 "Nintendo Magazine System Game Index: 8-Bit NES". Nintendo Magazine System . No. 1. EMAP. October 1992. pp. 104–109.
  67. 1 2 Delalandre, Jean-Philippe (July 1988). "Banzaï: Tiger-Heli (Cartouche Acclaim pour console Nintendo)". Tilt (in French). No. 56. Éditions Mondiales S.A.  [ fr ]. p. 73.
  68. 1 2 Goldmann, Robin (August 1989). "Cartridge Games: Tiger Heli (System: NES)". Joystick (in German). Vol. 2, no. 8. DMV-Verlag. p. 100.
  69. 1 2 Gallo, Patrick (March 15, 1990). "Tops & Softs Consoles: Tiger Heli (Cartouche Aklalm pour console Nintendo)". Micro News  [ fr ] (in French). No. 31. Sandyx. p. 48.
  70. 1 2 Fisch, Henrik (April 1990). "Power Tests / Video-Spiele: Tiger Heli (Nintendo)". Power Play  [ de ] (in German). No. 25. Markt & Technik. p. 127.
  71. ↑ "Zapping All the Way to the Bank". Newsday . Debby Krenek. October 16, 1989. p. 127. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  72. ↑ "Famicom ROM Cassette All Catalog '91 全787本 5月10日号特別付録". Family Computer Magazine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Vol. 7, no. 9. Tokuma Shoten. May 10, 1991. p. 228.
  73. ↑ "最新ファミコンゲームお買い得情報: タイガーヘリ". Beep (in Japanese). Vol. 3, no. 1. SoftBank Creative. January 1987. p. 160.
  74. ↑ Misoju (April 1990). "Consoles: Tiger Heli (Nintendo Test)". Joystick (in French). No. 4. Sipress. p. 44.
  75. ↑ "Sistema Nintendo: Tiger Heli". VideoGame  [ pt ] (in Portuguese). Vol. 1, no. 1 (Special ed.). Editora Sigla. March 1991. p. 30.
  76. ↑ Kunkel, Bill (September 1988). "Video Gaming World: Tiger-Heli (NES)". Computer Gaming World . No. 51. Russell Sipe. p. 51.
  77. ↑ Dolan, Celeste, ed. (December 1987). "Nintendo Software: Tiger-Heli". Computer Entertainer . Vol. 6, no. 9. Marylou Badeaux. p. 11.
  78. ↑ Lambie, Ryan (April 24, 2014). "Why 1985 was a golden year for videogaming". Den of Geek . DoG Tech LLC. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  79. 1 2 3 Lambie, Ryan (June 21, 2018). "Toaplan: the rise and fall of Japan's greatest shooting game company". Den of Geek . DoG Tech LLC. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  80. 1 2 "Interface: Developer Profile / Toaplan". Wireframe . No. 13. Raspberry Pi Foundation. May 9, 2019. pp. 50–53.
  81. ↑ Zverloff, Nick (July 9, 2012). "Twin Cobra". Hardcore Gaming 101 . Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  82. ↑ "Overseas Readers Column: Toaplan Goes Bust" (PDF). Game Machine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 472. Amusement Press, Inc.  [ ja ]. May 15, 1994. p. 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  83. ↑ Neal, David (December 10, 2008). "A History of Toaplan". Insomnia. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  84. 1 2 Inami (October 15, 2020). "とんがりギャルゲー紀行　第121回：クラッシャーマコちゃん". 電脳世界のひみつ基地 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  85. 1 2 Zverloff, Nick (February 5, 2011). "Twin Cobra II". Hardcore Gaming 101 . Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  86. ↑ Motomiya, Shūsuke (June 15, 2006). "気になるe-Toy遊んでレポート: 往年の名作がXAVIXで復刻 バンダイ「Let's TVプレイ CLASSIC」". Game Watch  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Impress Corporation  [ ja ]. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  87. ↑ Bravo, Roberto (September 12, 2018). "Nueva compañía «Tatsujin» asegura tener gran parte de las IPs de la extinta Toaplan". Gamercafe (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  88. ↑ "［JAEPO2019］TATSUJINやナツメアタリの参入が発表されたexA-Arcadia。出展コーナーの模様を紹介". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. January 26, 2019. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  89. ↑ Yamanaka, Taijiro (August 18, 2022). "Embracer Groupがさらに多数のスタジオを買収、株式会社TATSUJINが日本初の傘下スタジオに。東亜プラン作品のPC展開も予告". Automaton  [ ja ] (in Japanese). Active Gaming Media. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2025. (Translation by Nick Mosier. Archived 2022-08-18 at the Wayback Machine ).
  90. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 18, 2022). "Embracer Group acquires Bitwave Games, Gioteck, Limited Run Games, Middle-earth Enterprises, Singtrix, Tatsujin, TripWire Interactive, and Tuxedo Labs". Gematsu. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  91. ↑ "Tiger-Heli - Taito's vertically scrolling shooter is coming to the Amiga. Early footage shown! (Demo Added)". Indie Retro News. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  92. ↑ Simmons, David (March–April 2023). "Newsflash: Tiger-Heli". Zzap! Amiga . No. 9. Fusion Retro Books. p. 54.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.