RC Stunt Copter on PS1

RC Stunt Copteris a rare thing – a flight-sim on a Playstation, but not a conventionalone. Instead of controlling a Lear Jet or a Jumbo, you get to twiddle withthe controls of a remote controlled helicopter!

The pitch of the game is simple. Control your chopper, pull off some stunts- which range from simply flying about to shooting targets – and try not tocrash into the ground. How accurate you are, the amount of fuel left andother factors, will determine your score for that round. Achieve it and youcan progress, otherwise you’ll be asked to try try again.

For the single player, the game starts with a training round and you can onlygo on to the one-player option after you’ve completed the initial tasks.A 2-player game is also available as is a “free flight” mode in which you canfly where you like.

Graphics, Sound and Playability

The graphics in this game play very much on the side of minimalism. There’snothing here that’ll make your jaw drop but a simple chopper, targets to shootat or land on and landscapes includes rolling hills, buildings and the sea.Some of these areas can be explored and some can’t. The graphics move fast,sometimes too fast, but it’ll keep you on your toes.

The sound – a buzzing chopper, shooting sounds that resemble that of afairground as you aim at your targets, an annoying voice that can beswitched off, which levels criticisms whether or not you ask for them,plus the intro to the stadium chant of Queen: We Will Rock You.

Half-marks for the playability. It takes a long time to get used to thecontrols – which is what the training section is for – but even still itwould probably be easier with an analogue controller and not the standardSony gamepad I’m still using, causing me to spin round and down into thegrass.

Overall

At first I was ready to throw the gamepad down in frustration when I keptcrashing during the early training sessions, but this is one of thosecuriosities that for a while will draw you back for “just one more go”.However, the levels are way too hard and require too much precision, soif you can’t progress quickly you may stop having that one more go.

I wouldn’t say this was worth paying full price for, but definitely worth arental and if you like it then consider it when it is reduced to Platinum-price.