Arcade Video game published 44 years ago:

Rescue (c) 1982 Stern Electronics.

The player pilots a rescue helicopter and must try to rescue numerous airmen who have parachuted into the sea below. The rescue chopper is under constant attack from enemy helicopters, while sharks swim in the ocean below and will kill any floating airmen they come across. Later levels also have enemy subs and ships all intent on foiling the rescue mission. Players must be careful to avoid the falling wreckage of any enemy helicopters they have just destroyed, and also need to be wary of hitting any parachuting airmen with their 'copter blades, as this will kill the airmen instantly.

In a very similar vein to Williams' legendary "Robotron", also released in '82, the rescue chopper is armed with a gun that can fire in eight different directions, irrespective of the direction the rescue chopper is flying in. In addition to the eight-way gun, the 'copter can also drop missiles from its underside, which is essential for destroying enemy subs and ships.

To complete a stage, players must pick up a set number of fallen airmen from the sea (determined at the start of each level) and deposit them safely onto a nearby island.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz) Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 1.78975 Mhz) Sound Chips: (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.78975 Mhz)

Screen orientation: Vertical Video resolution: 224 x 256 pixels Screen refresh: 60.61 Hz Palette colors: 226

Players: 2 Control: Double 8-way joysticks Buttons: 1

- TRIVIA -

Released in November 1982.

A bootleg of this game is known as "Apocaljpse Now".

- STAFF -

Designed and programmed by: Chris Oberth

Player layout in our catalog: 2P alt.

If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.

Open Play on this page to start Rescue. Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.

Rescue is filed in our catalog as a 1982 release.

Player layout on this cabinet: 2P alt.

Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Shooter.

Credit line lists Stern Electronics as developer.