Metal Hawk

About Metal Hawk

Metal Hawk (1988) is Namco's motion-cabinet helicopter shooter, a cross between Assault and Thunder Blade, in which the player races the clock to score enough points in each level.

Metal Hawk in Depth

Flying the titular attack helicopter, the player must score a set number of points in each level before a countdown runs out, shooting enemies while avoiding their fire and the ground. A machine gun handles airborne enemies and air-to-surface missiles ground targets, and a throttle lever on the cabinet raises or lowers the helicopter to attack each kind. An arrow points to the nearest enemy, and, as in Assault, the map rotates around the helicopter, which stays at the centre of the screen.

It was one of the first games from Namco's new research and development division, set up after hits such as The Tower of Druaga, Pac-Land, Metro-Cross and Rolling Thunder, and the team aimed for a game that was fun and exhilarating while showing off powerful hardware, especially its motion simulator cabinet. Shinji Hosoe composed the soundtrack with Kazuo Noguchi; early versions had extra sound and instrument channels with a more upbeat feel, removed for lack of space. Voice actress Maya Okamoto voices the operator who comments during levels. The Games Machine called it a "remarkable flight sensation", and many reviewers compared it favourably with Thunder Blade.

Making Metal Hawk

Namco developed and published it for arcades in 1988. Despite a low production run it was a commercial success, Game Machine listing it as Japan's sixth most successful cockpit/sit-down arcade unit of the year, and critics praised its fast pace, impressive graphics and immersive cabinet.