1942

"The arcade shooter that just goes on forever and ever..."

Although this game is widely considered a classic, you've really gotta ask why. What's the deal? Didn't anybody notice how every level looked exactly the same as the last one? Did people see how even the trees were positioned exactly the same for nearly every single stage? Oh, wait... the last few have cities. Excuse my nitpicking.
Read one of those lame jokes on Popsicle sticks over and over about three hundred times and you'll have a small inkling of what it's like to play 1942. You shoot small planes, then you shoot some big ones. Again. And again. And again. But that's not bad, since the game can be fun. What's bad is the sluggish gameplay, which makes retirement home bingo seem fast-paced and exciting in comparison.
Apparently some guy spilled coffee on a magazine and decided to make it into the main level design for this game, because every stage looks like somebody threw random buckets of paint on a wall. Slowdown and image breakup are abudant here, too. But unlike any other graphic flaws, this isn't cool. Plenty of other NES games of this type don't do that nearly as much. Less enemies should be on the screen at once. This way makes it much harder to concentrate.
There is a grand total of one music track in this game, and here's a real shocker: it's the most annoying thing in the world. Turn the volume down very, very low while you're playing, or you'll be likely to rip the cart out of the system and smash it on the nearest countertop. The usual assortment of NES sound effects aren't good listening choices, either.
Although you're airborne in a plane, the control makes it feel like you're trying to run through mud. Super Ace moves so slowly that you can almost see people on the land below passing you by. The shooting is very unresponsive, as well. A turbo controller doesn't help much at all. Busting into a roll with the A button can lead to disastrous consequences, since your vulnerability seems to return for a second in mid-flip. On the whole, though, it functions, which I suppose is all that really matters.
If you find this lurking in the closet, it can be quite enjoyable if played minimally. If you're intent on beating it, though, bring a Game Genie and some Jolt, because it'll be a long, long trip.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/30/00, Updated 02/22/01