Petit Copter :JAP: NTSC, a review ... Options

[c-2]

Title: Petit Copter
Dev: Aqua Systems
Date Released: 2002


well the other day i recieved this game called Petit Copter ... having no idea what to expect i threw it in the old xbox and fired it up .. a few logos some funny sound effects and entering your profile name (all in jap btw) and u get to the main menu .. u are presented with 3 options off the bat , Challenge, Adventure and Options (all in english) ... Challenge is a selection of levels where u have certain goals to achieve , Adventure is kewl, u fly around a house (more on that later) and the Options, well i hope u can read jap :]

Controls:
i started with Challenge mode , u pick what level and what sub level u want to do ... the load time is really quick and than WHAT THE HELL is going on as i franticlly spin the joysticks and watch as a tiny helicopter slams into the ground , k lets try that again , and again , and again , and again and maybe one more time or so for good measure .. if u have ever flown an RC helicopter or a real helicopter than u should have no problem picking this game up, if u have never flown a helicopter then u will probablly b quick to dismiss this game after slaming into the floor 8 or 10 times... after about 5 mins i started to sort of get the hang of it and was able to keep her in the air .. it takes practice .. it can b mastered but its tight .. the controls are as easily laid out as they can b .. left thumbstick angles the copter, right turns it , left trigger hovers (good for getting it under control) and right trigger is your targeting system which is used to shoot missles in the Apache and to interact with everything in the Adventure mode (ie open doors) .. sound easy enough ?

Graphix:
well this game certainly doesn't push the limits of the xboxs power very far .. the helicopters are nicely done , backrounds well they look like an N64 game but are done well enough for the most part to give u the feeling your a "petit copter" .. in Adventure mode u fly around a house, starting off in a bedroom u must collect stars, get a certain amount of stars and u can open new doors .. the house graphix are nicely done and u interact with alot of things laying around in the rooms .. check out the reflection in the floor :]

one of the biggest issues in a game such as this would b the camera , well Aquasystem has decided instead of having u fight with the camera u can more or less put it wherever u want, however this is not always a good thing.. hover with the left trigger and then tap the D-pad to spin the camera wherever, easy enough .. u are also givin a long range view which is fun to watch your copter crash in .. u will sometimes need to change the camera or risk getting into a spot and then having to get out blind , landing also really helps in this (down on right joystick and hold) ..

Sound:
hahahhahaha.. what the hell are those whipping noises that they use for the menu!? in game music has a good beat .. the only real sound effects are the sound of the rotor spinning which does sound different for every helicopter, i put on cypress hill :]

Overall:
its a good thing in Adventure mode u have no lives or time, u will know why when it happens and happens again :] the more u play this game the better it gets IMO .. the copter is really fun to fly once u get the controls down .. i wrote this review because i was impressed by this game and didn't want anyone looking for something different to miss it .. its a good challenge and worth the import .. sorry this was also my first review of a game so its a bit all over :]

This post has been edited by c-2: Oct 17 2003, 07:59 PM

[bbagnall]

Cool! Thanks for the review. I wish more people would showcase import games that we don't get to hear much about here.

[c-2]

thanx , glad someone liked it :] i get import games all the time so i'll see what i can do with some more reviews... i just got Border Down the new dreamcast game so i'll let ya know how that goes when i get my dreamcast hooked up again.

[PuddWakkr]

What import dealer did you go through to get this game. I can't find it anywhere. I found Aquasystems website but ti all in Japanese and a Flash type site so babelfish is not much help. I could order from their website but can't read a lick of it.

[c-2]

i don't know what website to go through .. i get my imports from a friend of mine .. he works for an import shop in vancouver ..

[Samstag]

If you can't find the import and want to give it a try, it was published for the PC in the United States by Summitsoft under the name "R/C Helicopter Indoor Flight Simulation". I picked up a copy for $10. I think you can probably find it cheaper if you look around.

They do a very good job of using fiarly realistic control without making it impossible to learn.