1943! I loved that game! I was only born in 2000, but there’s a pizza place I grew up going to that had lots of old arcade machines, and that was one of them. I got 1943 on NES as a teenager when I got into retro games. One of the hardest games I ever played; I was always running out of fuel, and always had to forego the cool power ups just to refill the gas tank.
Little bit of pedantry for you: you don’t pilot a jet plane in that game. You have a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a twin-engined, twin-boom, propeller-driven heavy fighter. Fast, long-ranged, rugged, decently maneuverable considering their size, and they pack a very serious punch with four nose-mounted .50 machine guns and 20mm autocannon. Charles Lindbergh was a fan of the plane, and the highest-scoring ace in American history, Dick Bong, flew one until his death.
P-38s were land-based, not carrier-based, so the game itself is unrealistic in depicting them. They were effective long-ranged fighters, but had an underperforming turbocharger, so the USAAF withdrew them from the Pacific and sent them to the much less important North African theater. The Germans were terrified of the Lightning, however, and nicknamed it “the fork-tailed devil.” The photoreconnaissance variant, the F-4 Lightning (back then fighters were labeled P for “Pursuit” and recon planes were F for “[F]otography”, silly as that is) was one of the best recon crafts of the entire war.
There are other jet planes in the game that really are jets in real life, like the Nakajima Kikka, an experimental Japanese jet based off the Germans’ Me 262 Schwalbe. 1943 is actually a real treat for fans of Japanese aviation, as the game is littered with tons of obscure experimental planes that you don’t frequently see elsewhere.
I appreciate the history! Had no idea about the P-38 Lightning. My grandpa flew all sorts of fighter planes for the Air Force in Korea and Vietnam, but unfortunately, while he was alive, I never thought or cared to ask him about his experiences. Regrets, I've had a few.
What a great lineup, really shows the NES hitting its stride. A broad spectrum of titles for all ages from arcade ports to original titles, games based on movies, TV shows and board games. Just a tremendous year for Nintendo and by extension the home video game market.
Ah man, this truly was the golden age of video game box covers! Always had a special place in my heart for Paperboy. And I had a lol when I read your description, great stuff!
1943! I loved that game! I was only born in 2000, but there’s a pizza place I grew up going to that had lots of old arcade machines, and that was one of them. I got 1943 on NES as a teenager when I got into retro games. One of the hardest games I ever played; I was always running out of fuel, and always had to forego the cool power ups just to refill the gas tank.
Little bit of pedantry for you: you don’t pilot a jet plane in that game. You have a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a twin-engined, twin-boom, propeller-driven heavy fighter. Fast, long-ranged, rugged, decently maneuverable considering their size, and they pack a very serious punch with four nose-mounted .50 machine guns and 20mm autocannon. Charles Lindbergh was a fan of the plane, and the highest-scoring ace in American history, Dick Bong, flew one until his death.
P-38s were land-based, not carrier-based, so the game itself is unrealistic in depicting them. They were effective long-ranged fighters, but had an underperforming turbocharger, so the USAAF withdrew them from the Pacific and sent them to the much less important North African theater. The Germans were terrified of the Lightning, however, and nicknamed it “the fork-tailed devil.” The photoreconnaissance variant, the F-4 Lightning (back then fighters were labeled P for “Pursuit” and recon planes were F for “[F]otography”, silly as that is) was one of the best recon crafts of the entire war.
There are other jet planes in the game that really are jets in real life, like the Nakajima Kikka, an experimental Japanese jet based off the Germans’ Me 262 Schwalbe. 1943 is actually a real treat for fans of Japanese aviation, as the game is littered with tons of obscure experimental planes that you don’t frequently see elsewhere.
Yeah 1943 is crazy hard, but really fun for sure.
I appreciate the history! Had no idea about the P-38 Lightning. My grandpa flew all sorts of fighter planes for the Air Force in Korea and Vietnam, but unfortunately, while he was alive, I never thought or cared to ask him about his experiences. Regrets, I've had a few.
Thanks again for the info!
A really informative and well-put together timeline of Nintendo's activities in 1988. Nicely done!
Thanks Charlie!
What a great lineup, really shows the NES hitting its stride. A broad spectrum of titles for all ages from arcade ports to original titles, games based on movies, TV shows and board games. Just a tremendous year for Nintendo and by extension the home video game market.
Yeah, the list really spans the gamut! A little something for everyone for sure!
Ah man, this truly was the golden age of video game box covers! Always had a special place in my heart for Paperboy. And I had a lol when I read your description, great stuff!
Thanks man! Yeah the game covers are all so distinct and varied.
Paperboy is one of my favorites too. Loved playing it on the NES.