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Metal Hawk

Arcade

Arcade

The player must take control of a helicopter (which is the eponymous "Metal Hawk"), and fight various enemies based on the land, in the air, and in the sea, in order to score a certain number of points for each area within a set time limit; the game employs a perspective similar to that of Namco'...

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Developer
Namco

Released on
1988

Size
1 Player

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The player must take control of a helicopter (which is the eponymous “Metal Hawk”), and fight various enemies based on the land, in the air, and in the sea, in order to score a certain number of points for each area within a set time limit; the game employs a perspective similar to that of Namco’s own Assault (which also runs upon their System 2 hardware), in which Metal Hawk stays in the center of the screen, while the play-field rotates around it. At the start of each area, Metal Hawk will fly up to its highest altitude of 400 metres – however, instead of rising up from the ground, the play-field seems to come down away from it, and when an area gets cleared, Metal Hawk will again fly up to its highest altitude and off the top of the screen. These methods of entering and leaving again reinforce the playercentric approach of the game, which also features voice samples (in Japanese).

Metal Hawk

Overview & History

Released by Namco in 1988, Metal Hawk is a pioneering futuristic arcade helicopter simulation that operated on Namco's specialized System 2 hardware. Unlike standard side-scrolling shooters of the era, this title dropped players into an immersive, scalable 3D pseudo-isometric battlefield, tasking them with piloting an advanced combat chopper named the Metal Hawk to suppress global insurrections and neutralize heavily fortified enemy installations across four distinct sectors.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Players navigate their agile gunship through sprawling, vertically-scrolling maps filled with rogue tanks, missile turrets, battleships, and heavily defended enemy bases. The core objective of each mission is to hunt down and eliminate designated high-priority targets within a strict time limit while managing a limited fuel supply that constantly drains, though it can be replenished by rescuing stranded POWs or destroying specific supply depots. Combat utilizes a dual-weapon system: a rapid-fire machine gun for clearing out agile air and ground units, and devastating lock-on missiles capable of obliterating hardened structures. Altitude management is crucial, as players must actively dodge incoming anti-air fire, navigate hazardous narrow canyons, and carefully time their descents to land and rescue friendly units without crashing the fragile airframe.