Helicopter Games

Helicopter games put you at the controls of an aircraft that lifts straight up, and that opens the door to very different missions: shooting, rescuing or parking with precision. There are about 65 on the site.

How a helicopter handles in a game

A helicopter isn't a plane. It doesn't need a runway, it can hang almost still in the air, and it moves by tilting. Games reflect that with more or less accuracy, but there's nearly always some momentum: tilt forward and let go, and you keep drifting ahead a little. The key is to correct early with light touches instead of yanking the controls, which is what usually ends in a crash.

You normally steer with the keyboard arrows. Some simpler games use only the mouse, and the action ones add a key to shoot or drop a payload.

Before you start, check the camera. In shooters it's usually a side view, with the helicopter floating like a character in a platformer. In simulators you may see it from behind or above, which gives a better sense of volume but makes distances harder to judge. If the game lets you choose the view, try both on your first run.

What kind of mission to expect

Action and shooting games like Heli Attack, Helicopter Shooter, Helicopter Strike, Overkill Apache and Desert Strike ask you to destroy targets, with enemies firing from the ground or the air. They're the most direct and the closest to a classic arcade game.

Rescue Helicopter and Helicopter Rescue are about something else: get there, pick up whoever needs help and fly back without crashing. It's calmer, and the challenge is in the precision.

Helicopter Parking Simulator, Helicopter Parking and Racing and Quadcopter FX Simulator lean toward simulation. You'll have to set down on a specific spot or fly with great care. Every bump counts, and rushing doesn't help.

And there are a few with characters or odd ideas, like Ben10 Helicopter and Helicopter Want Jet Fuel, which are lighter and quicker to get.

If you've never flown anything in a game, start with a 2D shooter and leave the simulators until you've got the controls down.