LHX Attack Chopper

LHX Attack Chopper is a helicopter combat simulation from Electronic Arts, set in the near future, that casts the player as the pilot of the experimental LHX attack helicopter, at the time genuinely under development for the US Army as a successor to an older helicopter type. The game combines individual missions with a broader campaign in which the player carries out tasks ranging from reconnaissance and convoy escort to destroying enemy vehicles with guided missiles, unguided rockets, and the onboard cannon, with choosing the right weapon for a given target type being key to mission success. The choice between a simpler arcade mode and a fully simulation mode made the game accessible both to less experienced players and to flight enthusiasts who wanted to manage fuel, individual system damage, and limited ammunition.

Technically, the game benefited from colorful VGA graphics and digitized sound, which in 1990 were among the better standards on DOS, although the terrain was still rendered rather schematically, with limited detail depth and simpler textures than later titles on similar themes. The music and sound effects nonetheless supported the feeling of low-altitude combat over the landscape well, including at night, when the game used thermal imaging and other sensors simulating modern cockpit equipment. Missions were designed to gradually increase the demands on tactics, route planning, and managing limited weapons and fuel.

LHX Attack Chopper was among the popular simulators of its time and helped popularize the theme of combat helicopters on personal computers even before the arrival of more advanced titles like Gunship 2000 or the later Comanche: Maximum Overkill. Today it serves as an interesting historical glimpse into the early phase of helicopter simulators, even though its controls, graphics, and enemy AI are clearly marked by their era and appear simplistic compared to later games, which does not diminish its historical significance.

Why play it: For fans of the early history of helicopter simulators who will appreciate the game's pioneering status despite its simplified controls and graphics typical of its era.