1943: The Battle of Midway

Capcom's seminal vertical-scrolling shooter simulating the pivotal WWII Pacific naval battle. Players pilot a P-38 Lightning against the Japanese fleet, featuring fuel management and power-up systems that defined the shoot-'em-up genre.

Platform

arcade

Year

1987

Genre

Vertical Scrolling Shooter

Developer

Capcom

Controls

JoystickAircraft Movement

Button 1Machine Gun (Continuous Fire)

Button 2Special Weapon (Consumes Energy)

Button 3Loop (Aileron Roll Evasion)

P1+P2 ButtonsDual Control Mode (Co-op)

About This Game

The sequel to 1942 introduced revolutionary mechanics: a health bar replacing one-hit deaths, energy-based weapon systems, and mid-air refueling. The game spans 16 stages across the Pacific theater.

Notable for its strategic depth with 8 selectable special weapons (including the iconic 'Lightning Strike') and destructible enemy bases. The first shooter to implement battery-saving 'loop stages'.

Used Capcom's CPS-1 hardware to deliver detailed sprite scaling effects of warships. The soundtrack's militaristic brass arrangements became genre benchmarks.

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