Tiger-Heli is a vertical-scrolling shoot-’em-up developed by Toaplan and published by Taito, originally released in arcades in 1985 and ported to the NES the same year. You pilot the Tiger-Heli helicopter across continuously scrolling terrain, shooting enemy tanks, armoured vehicles, gun emplacements, and aircraft while staying alive long enough to reach the next stage.
How to play
Move with the arrow keys. X fires your main gun; Z drops bombs that deal area damage — limited in supply, so save them for crowded moments. Enter starts the game; Shift is Select.
Collecting power-ups from defeated enemies summons small escort helicopters that fly alongside you and absorb incoming fire. Each escort survives one hit before it is destroyed; losing one does not end your run, but they are your main buffer beyond your own life.
Tips
- Save bombs for dense enemy formations — they clear threats your main gun cannot reach fast enough and give you a moment to breathe.
- Guard your escorts. They disappear if you fly carelessly into enemy fire, and the game gives you no shield otherwise.
- Toaplan games reward pattern recognition over raw reaction speed — after each death, note what killed you and plan for that formation on the next run.
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