Retro classic Choplifter is receiving a revival on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, developer inXile announced today. Not a mere conversion, Choplifter HD is a full-on makeover of the Atari original, promising to “redefine the helicopter rescue mission for the modern era.” Quite the undertaking, there.

Players assume the role of a novice turned elite rescue pilot, commandeering aircraft of various types across “more than 20 different missions,” ranging from military POW extraction to containing viral outbreaks.

“First playing and loving the original Choplifter on my Apple II, then watching the franchise expand into arcades and the early console systems helped seed my passion for building lasting, quality gameplay experiences,” said inXile President and CEO Brian Fargo. “The feedback on creating a fresh take on Choplifter has been incredibly positive. We all have so many fond memories of playing the first game and the fun of rescuing people in hostile situations is timeless.”

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