Choppa: Rescue Rivals from Parta Games will have you flying on rescue missions in a world that feels like a Saturday-morning experience with an anime twist. Learn more in our Choppa: Rescue Rivals review!

 

Choppa: Rescue Rivals from Parta Games will have you flying on rescue missions in a world that feels like a Saturday-morning experience with an anime twist. It offers a modern experience with a retro feel to it, with a gameplay loop that has been inspired by arcade games from the 1980s and 1990s. You’ll get to step into the chopper as Rick, a legendary rescue pilot who is brought out of retirement by the Thunderbolt Rescue Foundation to take on one final, very important mission. After disaster strikes at an oil rig off the West Coast in 1995, it’s now up to you to make the most of your skills to save the day before it’s too late. Along the way, you’ll get to uncover an evil plot from the equally evil A.C.R. Corporation, as well as but heads with Burdock, your former wingman now turned adversary.

You won’t be doing this on your own, since other pilots from the Thunderbolt Rescue Foundation will also jump into action. With the stakes being so high, every single extra set of hands is certainly appreciated! Each of the pilots will have a unique rescue tool as well as a specific story chapter, which will change how you approach each scenario. With private corporations rushing to profit from despair, charging astronomical amounts of money to rescue others during a big crisis, the Thunderbolt Rescue Foundation – and its funding from the last true philanthropists in the world – are the ones putting their lives in danger to save others, seeking no reward.

Since your pilot license was revoked after an… incident with Burdock, you’ll need to use the trainer chopper to complete a few missions, just to prove that you’re ready to have your full license sorted. This is basically the game’s way of justifying sending you into a short tutorial segment so that you can get a chance to learn the basics as you get the hang of things.

 

You’ll be flying your chopper by using the left analog stick or the D-Pad, as you change your pitch by using the L and R buttons as needed so that you can maneuver through tighter spots. Once you spot someone to rescue, you will need to get closer to them so that they can grab onto your helicopter’s ladder. Press the A button to perform a tail strike, which will allow you to break through barriers, as well as fend off the wildlife. You can press the B button to perform a short jet boost for some extra speed. Once you start to play as Jordan, you’ll have a plunger that you can launch with the X button. Other pilots will have other abilities for you to consider, but you’ll need to play the game to find out more about this!

As you fly through each level saving the people in the oil rig, you’ll be able to collect coins, as well as find a trio of golden collectibles. These collectibles are not mandatory, but they’re a great way of making sure that you can 100% the game. You know, in case you’re that type of gamer. Speaking of which, you can also work on completing additional challenges in each level. These can include, for example, not irritating the seagulls in one level, completing a level without your chopper taking any damage, or not using the boost at all.

What will you be doing with the coins that you collect? These coins can be spent at the shop to unlock additional choppers, new stickers to customize your chopper, or additional arenas for the multiplayer air hockey experience that can be played on the side. More options will unlock as you progress further in the game’s story. Each chopper will have different stat values for speed, weight, and strength, which will change how you approach each subsequent mission.

Choppa: Rescue Rivals will have you flying on rescue missions in a world that feels like a Saturday-morning experience with an anime twist. It offers a modern experience with a retro feel to it, with a gameplay loop that has been inspired by arcade games from the 1980s and 1990s. You’ll get to step into the chopper as Rick, a legendary rescue pilot who is brought out of retirement by the Thunderbolt Rescue Foundation to take on one final, very important mission.

After disaster strikes due to a storm battering an offshore oil rig cluster off the West Coast in 1995, it’s now up to you to make the most of your skills to save the day before it’s too late. Along the way, you’ll get to uncover an evil plot from the equally evil A.C.R. Corporation, as well as but heads with Burdock, your former wingman now turned adversary. The many workers at the oil rig are in great danger, and the rigs could sink at any moment, so you must rush into action.

If you’re the type of gamer who likes to 100% games, then you’ll need to work on finding all of the hidden collectibles that are located in each level, so that you can prove that you’re as good as you think you are. On top of that, you can also take a break from the rescue missions in Story Mode and take on some hectic air hockey battles in which you’ll literally take to the skies with your choppers so that up to 4 players can duke it out and try to outscore their opponents. Choppa: Rescue Rivals is out on Nintendo Switch with a $14.99 price tag.

Disclaimer
This Choppa: Rescue Rivals review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Parta Games.