1994 Origin
Platforms: PC and 3DO
Also known as: Chopper Assault
In a winter CES feature in a 1994 issue of Power Play, a new game by Origin was reported as being in development. Chopper Attack was being developed by Andy Hollis (of Gunship fame), who had recently joined Origin. This apparently was to be an action oriented helicopter game released on both PC and 3DO.
Eventually the game was reworked and released as Jane’s Longbow, a more hardcore simulation. But what happened to the original planned incarnation, and especially a 3DO development?
Well, this page on Longbow reveals a little about what happened:
“Longbow apparently started out as a far more arcade oriented game called Chopper Attack which would have been released simultaneously on 3DO. The collapse of the 3DO resulted in a more detailed PC only game which led into the full-on simulation we ended up with.”
It would be fantastic to see the original action themed build, and to learn just how far the 3DO edition had got. Was either version anywhere near completion, and what were the original plans exactly? Hopefully Andy Hollis will be able to shed some light in the future.
There was ironically a game called Chopper Attack released on the N64 just a few years later, an arcade style title – but we don’t believe its related at all to this development.
Thanks to contributor Jim, there might be a clip of it running on this Winter CES video from 1994, but it is likely a different game (the very brief sign for the game at the start doesn’t seem to say Chopper Attack):
Thanks to Hoagie, we learn that more details about the game are mentioned in Computer Games Strategy Plus 39 (2/1994) page 34, and the description matches AH-64D Longbow, yet the first previews of the game won’t appear before September 1995.
If you know anything more about the game, or have any screenshots of the earlier development – please let us know.
With thanks to Karl Kuras for the heads up, Hoagie for the article corrections and scan suggestion, Archive.org for the additional scan and Jim for the video suggestion.
Gallery
The report in Power Play does not clearly say that the game was shown. It just says that Andy Hollis joined Origin recently and that he’s currently working on a helicopter game named Chopper Attack. It may be some news the journalists heard at the Origin booth.
The game is mentioned in Computer Games Strategy Plus 39 (2/1994) page 34, and the description really matches AH-64D Longbow, yet the first previews of the game won’t appear before September 1995.
That’s a good point Hoagie – thanks for flagging that up. I’ll also add the scan and the alternate name too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ZTt0YKpKY
It might be the helicopter game in the first minute of this video?
Great spot Jim! It could possibly be, though the logo at the very start seems to say something else other than Chopper Attack? Not sure – but i’ve added into the page for now until we get further confirmation.