If you were to tell me that Strike Force Foxx, a new 3DS eShop game from Big John Games, was a remake of a classic arcade game, I wouldn't doubt you. That's because, in a way, it kind of is, as this game is essentially a fresh take on Choplifter, an early '80s Apple II game that made the jump to arcades and other platforms (and even got an HD remake a few years ago). Strike Force Foxx takes that formula, where you control a helicopter in a side-scrolling environment to shoot down enemies and rescue hostages, and constructs a fun, action-heavy eShop game out of it.

The gameplay is pure arcade action as you guide the helicopter with the Circle Pad through side-scrolling 2D environments firing at foes and saving friendlies. The shoulder buttons direct where your copter is facing and aiming, and holding one of them down is also how you fire your basic gun in that direction. It's a little awkward at first, but that's about as complicated as it gets. Upgrades and other abilities are unlocked as you progress, even adding missiles and bombs to your supply. The downside is that unless you're a savant acing every level early on, the more interesting upgrades take a long time to show up. The action is still frantic and fun, but it would be nice to have the bombs and missiles earlier, especially since the difficulty ramps up fast.

The basics don't change much along the way, but Strike Force Foxx keeps the gameplay fresh by giving you new objectives and vehicles. A mid-game section puts you in control of a weaker medical helicopter – changing the focus to just rescuing hostages. Other segments just have you blowing stuff up without worrying about saving anyone. Though the game focuses on only two concepts, the final result works well by being a delightful mixture of wanton destruction and artful rescuing.

Broken up into more than 30 stages, Strike Force Foxx tells a cheesy Saturday-morning-cartoon-meets-Top-Gun story about Raymond Foxx, a devil-may-care maverick renegade of a pilot who is trying to defeat the villainous Doctor Synchros. While the presentation of the story is just a bland series of static images, some of the dialog is amusing, especially when it hits romantic and tragic tropes with a wink and a nod.

The variety and balance between saving people and blowing stuff up results in gameplay that never wears very thin over its 3-4 hour runtime. It's nothing more complicated than some good old-fashioned arcade-driven action, so if you're looking for a fun and challenging action game on your 3DS this summer, Strike Force Foxx is something to keep an eye on.