1942: The Pacific Air War
Encyclopedia
1942: The Pacific Air War was a DOS
-based combat flight simulation released by MicroProse
in 1994. It followed the U.S. and Japanese World War II
conflict from 1942 to 1945.
. The popularity of this game influenced the creation of European Air War
, a sequel.
. A player could fight a single battle in mission mode or follow the war in tour of duty mode.
In tour of duty mode, a player managed his fleets and air bases on a strategic campaign map. When aircraft engaged in battle, the player could choose to "jump" into the cockpit of any aircraft in combat.
The game also featured a fairly advanced recording and editing tool allowing the player to film a mission after its completion. The player could use any number of cameras and place them anywhere in the scene. One could also scrub the timeline back and forth and make edits as one saw fit. This often overlooked tool, rare at the time, was a very popular feature and allowed users to share combat sequences with other players using a special format.
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
-based combat flight simulation released by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in 1994. It followed the U.S. and Japanese World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
conflict from 1942 to 1945.
Game overview
This simulation featured aerial combat, ground attack, and naval engagements in the Pacific Theater of OperationsPacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. The popularity of this game influenced the creation of European Air War
European Air War
European Air War is a combat flight simulation released by MicroProse in 1998. European Air War is the sequel to 1942: The Pacific Air War by Microprose. The stock standard version simulates the Battle of Britain, and the Allied Air offensives in Western Europe during the Second World War in 1943-45...
, a sequel.
Game play
1942: Pacific Air War could be played as a flight simulator or a wargameWargame (video games)
Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map, as well as historical accuracy.-History:The genre of wargame video games is derived from earlier forms of wargames...
. A player could fight a single battle in mission mode or follow the war in tour of duty mode.
In tour of duty mode, a player managed his fleets and air bases on a strategic campaign map. When aircraft engaged in battle, the player could choose to "jump" into the cockpit of any aircraft in combat.
The game also featured a fairly advanced recording and editing tool allowing the player to film a mission after its completion. The player could use any number of cameras and place them anywhere in the scene. One could also scrub the timeline back and forth and make edits as one saw fit. This often overlooked tool, rare at the time, was a very popular feature and allowed users to share combat sequences with other players using a special format.