US AAF Mustang
Encyclopedia
USAAF Mustang is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game
originally developed by NMK, and published by UPL in 1990. It was ported a year later to the Sega Mega Drive
by Taito while being renamed Fire Mustang. NMK Co. Ltd. also developed the Sega Mega Drive
version.
The game is a very standard horizontal scrolling shoot em' up with only one type of available weapon and a bomb weapon. Players took on a fictional campaign in a World War II
setting as a USAAF fighter pilot in a titular P-51 Mustang
against the Nazi Luftwaffe
and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
.
and Asia
against either of the two featured Axis powers
. Every level was filled with a wide variety of different fighter craft and ground forces that all preceded the end-level boss (generally a large aircraft).
Players had a typical vulcan weapon that could be upgraded three times in order for the shot pattern to widen. Players also had an unlimited amount of ground force bombs that would increase in firing speed with the vulcan. The player's bomb weapon was a weapon called "The Forcer" that fired a large fireball straight forward.
While the arcade original featured a second player to join in, the 2 player addition was removed from the Mega Drive port.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
originally developed by NMK, and published by UPL in 1990. It was ported a year later to the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
by Taito while being renamed Fire Mustang. NMK Co. Ltd. also developed the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
version.
The game is a very standard horizontal scrolling shoot em' up with only one type of available weapon and a bomb weapon. Players took on a fictional campaign in a 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...
setting as a USAAF fighter pilot in a titular P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
against the Nazi Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.It was controlled by the Navy Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy and...
.
Gameplay
Players were sent around stages in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
against either of the two featured Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. Every level was filled with a wide variety of different fighter craft and ground forces that all preceded the end-level boss (generally a large aircraft).
Players had a typical vulcan weapon that could be upgraded three times in order for the shot pattern to widen. Players also had an unlimited amount of ground force bombs that would increase in firing speed with the vulcan. The player's bomb weapon was a weapon called "The Forcer" that fired a large fireball straight forward.
While the arcade original featured a second player to join in, the 2 player addition was removed from the Mega Drive port.
Historical Inaccuracies
Despite the game's setting, certain liberties are taken from real life as well as anachronisms.- The first mission takes place in 1940, near SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but Spain was a neutral country and never joined the AxisAxis PowersThe Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
and the United States had not joined World War II until December 1941.
- P-51 Mustangs were not available until late 1943 and neither were the Dornier Do 335Dornier Do 335The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil was a World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. The two-seater trainer version was also called Ameisenbär . The Pfeils performance was much better than other twin-engine designs due to its unique "push-pull" layout and the much lower drag of the in-line...
fighter planes first encountered in the first level (flying in a rectangular formation) which was not issued or used by the Luftwaffe until mid-1944.
- The most obvious, but more excusable, inaccuracies include the Vulcan and Forcer weapons as well as the enemy ground force's use of homing missiles; most of which were used for the sake of arcade game challenge and presentation.