Heli Attack 3
Encyclopedia
Heli Attack 3 is a run-and-gun shooter game created by the company squarecircleco. and released on June 17, 2005. It is the third in the Heli Attack series
of games in which the player takes on the role of a paratrooper
who must travel through different locations or zones and use a wide array of different weapon
s to destroy a series of helicopter
s, or helis, whilst these enemies simultaneously attempt to harm and, ultimately, kill the paratrooper.
There are sixteen different levels
in Heli Attack 3; in earlier levels the helis are comparatively weak with inaccurate and low powered gun
s. As they progress through the game, the player must take on helis which are more difficult to destroy, and with weaponry that can cause considerable damage to their character's health. There are also a number of purely ground based enemies in the game; in early levels these have no weapons, but in later levels, they have weapons and a highly accurate aim and, if ignored, they pose a big threat to the health of the paratrooper.
. At the start of the game, in the training area, you start with all weapons that do not have to be earned throughout the game to be allowed to get to know them. After which you start the game with 3 weapons. After completing each level you will gain access to a new weapon. All levels (even the training level) except the final level have a weapon that you can get.
'head' section splits apart to reveal a gun that can only fire in the direction that the robot is pointing. Finally, Sniper Robots are equipped with guns and can aim with high accuracy in any direction, though it is immobile. They are very low to the ground and are the smallest and most deadly of the ground enemies.
. It has a highly accurate, rapid-fire chain gun that can rotate to fire large quantities of bullets in all directions. It is also equipped with forward-firing rockets that inflict a lot of damage if you are hit. It has 600 health.
Excluding the training zone, Heli Attack 3 has sixteen levels. These are organized into four groups of four, and one of these groups is set in each of the different Zones; for example, the levels in group one are Zone 1-1 through to Zone 1-4, and those in group two are Zone 2-1 to Zone 2-4, and so on.
To complete Zones 1-1 through to 4-3 you must destroy a set number of helis before you are killed. However, the final level Zone X only ends when you are killed: your task is to destroy as many enemies, particularly Big Guns, as you can before this happens to amass a high score. Since a player's arsenal may, be low at this stage since all non-infinite ammunition weapons are lost when you die, a random weapon appears on the ground to pick up at the start of the level.
, and is the starting point of Heli Attack 3 where the player can learn how to play the game. Onscreen tips guide the player through the different skills they will need to master, and they are provided with infinite amounts of ammunition. Time powers can be used for any length of time.
The training zone is similar to the last levels, but is supposedly located in a different place.
n arctic
, and these early levels are comparatively easy, allowing the player to warm up their skills and build up their arsenal against small waves of weak opponents. The second set of four levels are set in the Amazon jungle
, a tropical location which hosts slightly harder levels against stronger and more dangerous opposition, where the player must take out many more helis than before to proceed.
Levels 3-1 through to 3-4 take place in canyon
s located in Africa
. The helis in these levels are more powerful than in the Amazon jungle, and there are considerably more of them to be destroyed than there were in the previous zone. There are also ground based enemies with guns as an extra threat in this zone. The final zone in Heli Attack 3 is set in the underground lab, a secret laboratory which, whilst identical in appearance to the training zone, is supposedly located in Australia
. The four levels here are the hardest of all, with large numbers of strong helis that must be destroyed in order for the player to proceed, as well as ground based enemies that have a highly accurate aim.
within the game universe. There is a specific gauge present in it so is limited. This, if executed carefully and cleverly, gives the player a big advantage over their opponents since they are able to move faster than the enemy and their projectiles. It takes a long period and takes a long time to recharge after use; however, this process can be accelerated by destroying any kind of enemy. There are three different time powers in Heli Attack 3, TimeDistort, which slows down both the player and enemies, TimeRift, which slows down enemies but not the player, and TimeBreak, which completely stops enemies, but has no effect on the player. In addition, there is TimeSink, a power-up which falls from helis and allows the player to use any combination of the time powers for its duration.
The player can also perform a HyperJump, which allows him to jump higher than normal. The power bar for HyperJump recharges very quickly. If a player destroys a heli or ground unit from above while performing a HyperJump, the player gains 25 rounds for the Machine Gun.
Additionally, large numbers of Heli Attack 2 players found Heli Attack 3 did not have the addictive quality of Heli Attack 2, and thought the ground enemies were a pointless distraction. Heli Attack 2
therefore remains a popular game.
Heli Attack (series)
The Heli Attack series is a series of run-and-gun shooter games created by the company squarecircleco. in which the player takes on the role of a soldier who must use a number of weapons to destroy helicopters, or helis, whilst these enemies simultaneously attempt to kill the player...
of games in which the player takes on the role of a paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
who must travel through different locations or zones and use a wide array of different weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s to destroy a series of helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, or helis, whilst these enemies simultaneously attempt to harm and, ultimately, kill the paratrooper.
There are sixteen different levels
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
in Heli Attack 3; in earlier levels the helis are comparatively weak with inaccurate and low powered gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s. As they progress through the game, the player must take on helis which are more difficult to destroy, and with weaponry that can cause considerable damage to their character's health. There are also a number of purely ground based enemies in the game; in early levels these have no weapons, but in later levels, they have weapons and a highly accurate aim and, if ignored, they pose a big threat to the health of the paratrooper.
Weapons
Heli Attack 3 has been applauded for featuring a wide range of thirty-two different weapons, nineteen more than its predecessorHeli Attack 2
Heli Attack 2 is an Internet game created by Squarecircleco. Players take the role of a soldier in a jungle-type environment, and must take down as many helicopters, or "helis", as possible before the player dies, using a wide array of weapons...
. At the start of the game, in the training area, you start with all weapons that do not have to be earned throughout the game to be allowed to get to know them. After which you start the game with 3 weapons. After completing each level you will gain access to a new weapon. All levels (even the training level) except the final level have a weapon that you can get.
Enemies
There are eight different forms of enemy present in Heli Attack 3. Four of these are the helis which you must destroy in order to progress through the game, and the other four are ground based enemies, two of which will actively attack you and two of which will not. With the exception of holograms, destroying any of these enemies will earn you points and extended use of the time powers.Ground based enemies
Holograms are immobile red and yellow holographic projections, designed purely for target practice in the Training Zone. Rollers are present in earlier levels, and are small wheeled robots with limited mobility and no weapons. Walkers are larger and more mobile than Rollers and similar in appearance to the Drone. ItsHelis
Drones, the weakest of all Helis, are small unmanned machines with ineffective guns that can only fly at a set altitude. They have 50 health. The Flying Bug better resembles a standard helicopter, and is fitted with a light machine gun that can do moderate levels of damage but that has a bad aim. It has 300 health. The second most powerful of the enemies is the Small Thread, an angular helicopter with better aim and more armor than the Flying Bug. It is equipped with both a heavy machine gun and bombs, which cause a lot of damage on contact with the player. It has 450 health. The strongest of the enemies, is the Big Gun; reminiscent of the Apache helicopterAH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
. It has a highly accurate, rapid-fire chain gun that can rotate to fire large quantities of bullets in all directions. It is also equipped with forward-firing rockets that inflict a lot of damage if you are hit. It has 600 health.
Zones
To complete Zones 1-1 through to 4-3 you must destroy a set number of helis before you are killed. However, the final level Zone X only ends when you are killed: your task is to destroy as many enemies, particularly Big Guns, as you can before this happens to amass a high score. Since a player's arsenal may, be low at this stage since all non-infinite ammunition weapons are lost when you die, a random weapon appears on the ground to pick up at the start of the level.
Training zone
The training zone is set in a secret laboratory located in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and is the starting point of Heli Attack 3 where the player can learn how to play the game. Onscreen tips guide the player through the different skills they will need to master, and they are provided with infinite amounts of ammunition. Time powers can be used for any length of time.
The training zone is similar to the last levels, but is supposedly located in a different place.
Later zones
Levels 1-1 through to 1-4 are set in an alpine area of the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, and these early levels are comparatively easy, allowing the player to warm up their skills and build up their arsenal against small waves of weak opponents. The second set of four levels are set in the Amazon jungle
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, a tropical location which hosts slightly harder levels against stronger and more dangerous opposition, where the player must take out many more helis than before to proceed.
Levels 3-1 through to 3-4 take place in canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
s located in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The helis in these levels are more powerful than in the Amazon jungle, and there are considerably more of them to be destroyed than there were in the previous zone. There are also ground based enemies with guns as an extra threat in this zone. The final zone in Heli Attack 3 is set in the underground lab, a secret laboratory which, whilst identical in appearance to the training zone, is supposedly located in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The four levels here are the hardest of all, with large numbers of strong helis that must be destroyed in order for the player to proceed, as well as ground based enemies that have a highly accurate aim.
Time powers
Time powers or time distort are a unique feature in Heli Attack 3 which allow the player to control the speed of timeTime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
within the game universe. There is a specific gauge present in it so is limited. This, if executed carefully and cleverly, gives the player a big advantage over their opponents since they are able to move faster than the enemy and their projectiles. It takes a long period and takes a long time to recharge after use; however, this process can be accelerated by destroying any kind of enemy. There are three different time powers in Heli Attack 3, TimeDistort, which slows down both the player and enemies, TimeRift, which slows down enemies but not the player, and TimeBreak, which completely stops enemies, but has no effect on the player. In addition, there is TimeSink, a power-up which falls from helis and allows the player to use any combination of the time powers for its duration.
The player can also perform a HyperJump, which allows him to jump higher than normal. The power bar for HyperJump recharges very quickly. If a player destroys a heli or ground unit from above while performing a HyperJump, the player gains 25 rounds for the Machine Gun.
Critical response
Like its predecessor, Heli Attack 3 received a very positive response from gamers. It was particularly commended for building on the strengths of Heli Attack 2 and integrating more weapons into the game. Reviews also noted that the movements of the paratrooper had evolved with him able to jump significantly higher as well as climb and crawl. Such was its popularity that Heli Attack 3 was voted Miniclip Game of the Year 2005 - despite which, one of the main complaints about the game was their official host, Miniclip. Many gamers found that the design of the website caused significant problems if they clicked ads, being able to move or respond, or, worse still, if the player clicked on the large and prominently placed advertisements they would be taken away from the game and lose their score and progress.Additionally, large numbers of Heli Attack 2 players found Heli Attack 3 did not have the addictive quality of Heli Attack 2, and thought the ground enemies were a pointless distraction. Heli Attack 2
Heli Attack 2
Heli Attack 2 is an Internet game created by Squarecircleco. Players take the role of a soldier in a jungle-type environment, and must take down as many helicopters, or "helis", as possible before the player dies, using a wide array of weapons...
therefore remains a popular game.