Who could forget playing the classic Choplifter for the ATARI?

Even with it’s blocky and antiquated graphics, Choplifter is, even now, still really fun to play. Imagine my surprise to learn that a new Choplifter game is coming out for the PlayStation 3. I had a chat with Bryan Perfetto, lead engineer for Choplifter HD at inXile Entertainment about their upcoming PSN game.

Hit the jump for the full interview as well as gameplay footage of Choplifter HD.

SonyRumors (Jan): Why did inXile decide to remake Choplifter?

Bryan Perfetto: It’s a classic that everybody loves and its something we’ve always enjoyed when we were kids and growing up so we just wanted to bring it back and give it a new skin, a new look, push everything as far as we could. We’re using the Unreal engine so everything’s over the top, with crazy explosions, and a new 3D look. We wanted to bring it back and do justice to what we envisioned it being in our heads when we played the original game.

SonyRumors (Jan): How long have you been working on Choplifter HD?

Bryan Perfetto: Just about a year.

SonyRumors (Jan): When I was playing the demo, I definitely noticed that the game had a Black Hawk Down feel to it.

Bryan Perfetto: Yeah we really wanted to give you that intense feeling of being in the heat of battle. It’s something we referenced during the original design meetings was Black Hawk Down. We want you to feel like you’re there and have an emotional impact rather than just another generic sidescroller.

SonyRumors (Jan): Could you tell us a little bit about the game’s story/plotline?

Bryan Perfetto: You’re basically an ace combat pilot and you’re put into these different missions to pick up guys that are injured or that need rescuing and bring them back to base and back to safety. We’ve also got some ranger missions where you take your ranger and he’s gotta go and destroy some enemy targets; whether it be a missile silo or different bases.

SonyRumors (Jan): Could you tell us about the level being demoed today ?(Jungle warfare level)

Bryan Perfetto: In this demo level, you fly the little bird and they have to go and pick up guys, bring them back to safety through hostile territory. We’ve got other levels in the demo as well there’s one where you have to destroy some anti-aircraft guns that are at a distance and it’s a little bit of a puzzle how you have to figure out how to destroy those. We’ve also got a ranger mission where you’ve got to drop them off in this arctic tundra, and he’s got to destroy a couple of bases along the way.

SonyRumors (Jan): How many choppers are available in the full game?

Bryan Perfetto: We’re gonna have three choppers each with their own unique upgrades. We’ve got the little bird, we’ve also got the raven, which is our take on the Black Hawk. And we’ve got the Navajo, which is a more beefed up with machine guns, missles, and can hold fewer people but does a lot more damage.

SonyRumors (Jan): Which comapny will publish Choplifter HD?

Bryan Perfetto: We’re actually self-publishing this game which gives us the oppurtunity to do whatever we want. We can iterate on things and try things that a publisher might not normally want us to try. If it works it works, great. If it doesn’t then we can take it out and and try something else.

SonyRumors (Jan): Is there a multiplayer component to the game?

Bryan Perfetto: We’re still working on that, W’re not exactly sure what we’re going to do with multiplayer but if we do, I think it’ll be local.

*End Interview*

Out of all the upcoming downloadable titles I’ve had a chance to play, Choplifter HD would have to be my favorite. The gameplay is intense yet fun at the same time. The game definitely pushes players to strategize during each level. Doyou go and save all of the prisoners of war in one fly-through at the cost of all your fuel? Or do you save some, refuel, then save some more; but then there’s more chances for the chopper to be shot down by enemy fire. And let’s not forget about all the crossover characters showing up in the game.

Check out the video below for a surprise cameo from a certain ass-kicker who’s been famous since “Forever.”

Choplifter HD will be released in the fall of 2011.