1942 is a 1984 vertically scrolling shooter arcade game by Capcom.
Quick Facts
| Title | 1942 |
| Year | 1984 |
| Manufacturer | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Yoshiki Okamoto |
| Genre | Vertically scrolling shooter |
| Hardware | Capcom Z80 and PlayChoice-10 arcade systems |
| Ports | 10 ports, including NES, MSX, and Commodore 64 — see Ports section |
History
Capcom released 1942 into Japanese arcades in December 1984, with designer Yoshiki Okamoto steering the project toward a World War II setting specifically to make it approachable for Western players. The team put the player in the cockpit of an American P-38 Lightning, the “Super Ace,” a deliberate choice meant to appeal to US and European operators even though the game was built entirely by a Japanese studio. Capcom has described it as effectively its first release designed with Western arcades in mind, and the strategy paid off: the game reached Europe by mid-1985 and North America soon after.
1942 quickly became Capcom’s breakaway hit, outperforming the three arcade titles the company had released just before it. By 1986 it stood as Japan’s fifth highest-grossing table arcade game and one of the top five highest-grossing conversion kits in the United States that year. Its Zilog Z80-based board, running the main and sound processors in tandem with a pair of General Instrument AY8910 sound chips, was inexpensive enough that operators readily converted existing cabinets to run it. The game’s commercial success established the 194X label as an ongoing Capcom franchise, eventually growing into eight titles released through 2010 that together sold roughly 1.4 million units worldwide by December 2019, making 194X Capcom’s 18th best-selling franchise overall.
Gameplay
Players take command of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter as it climbs through an endless formation of enemy aircraft in a vertically scrolling sky. The objective is straightforward survival and scoring: shoot down waves of fighters and bombers while dodging their return fire and collisions, pushing as far through the mission as possible before losing all lives. What sets 1942 apart from earlier scrolling shooters is a dedicated roll button, letting the plane briefly barrel-roll to dodge incoming bullets and clear the screen of enemy shots at the cost of temporary invincibility rather than firepower. The game also tracks a separate percentage score alongside the standard high score, rewarding players who down a high ratio of the enemies they encounter rather than simply racking up total kills. A joystick handles movement in all directions, paired with separate fire and roll buttons.
- Vertical scrolling combat against waves of enemy aircraft
- Dedicated roll button for temporary invincibility and screen-clearing evasion
- Power-up escort fighters that fly in formation with the player’s plane
- Separate percentage-based scoring tracking enemy kill ratio alongside the standard score
Cabinet & Hardware
1942 runs on Capcom’s Z80-based arcade hardware, also used in the PlayChoice-10 arcade cabinet format; the main CPU is a Z80 running at 4 MHz alongside a second Z80 handling sound at 3 MHz, backed by a pair of General Instrument AY8910 sound chips. The game was distributed largely as a conversion kit rather than a dedicated cabinet design, letting arcade operators install the 1942 board set into cabinets that had previously run other titles, which helped it spread quickly through arcades already stocked with compatible hardware.
Ports & Re-releases
| Platform | Year |
|---|---|
| NES | 1985 |
| NES North America | 1986 |
| MSX | 1986 |
| PC-88 | 1986 |
| FM-7 | 1986 |
| Commodore 64 | 1986 |
| Amstrad CPC | 1986 |
| ZX Spectrum | 1986 |
| Sharp X1 | 1987 |
| Game Boy Color | 2000 |
The Japanese NES version arrived first in 1985, with a North American NES release following in 1986 alongside a wave of home-computer ports for MSX, PC-88, FM-7, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum owners; the NES version alone sold over a million copies worldwide and helped establish Capcom’s presence on Nintendo’s console. Check the NES platform page for details on that specific port.
Where to Play Legally Today
- Official compilation releases such as the Capcom Arcade Stadium and Capcom Arcade Cabinet collections on current-generation consoles and PC
- MAME, run only with legally owned ROM dumps from a cabinet or licensed source you own
- Arcade museums and retro arcade venues that keep a working 1942 cabinet or conversion kit on their floor
Collector Value
Because 1942 was distributed largely as a conversion kit rather than in a purpose-built cabinet, original dedicated 1942 cabinets are scarce, and most surviving examples on the collector market are conversions housed in generic upright shells of the era, which can make provenance and originality harder to verify than with dedicated-cabinet classics. Standalone 1942 PCBs circulate more readily among collectors who already own a compatible cabinet shell and want to swap boards. Home ports on cartridge and cassette-based systems like the NES and Commodore 64 are widely available and inexpensive, offering a low-cost way to own a piece of the franchise without pursuing arcade hardware.
FAQs
Who made 1942?
1942 was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto and manufactured for arcades by Capcom, released in 1984.
What year did 1942 come out?
1942 came out in 1984, first in Japanese arcades before reaching Europe and North America the following year.
What genre is 1942?
1942 is a vertically scrolling shooter, in which the player pilots a fighter plane through waves of enemy aircraft.
What hardware did 1942 run on?
1942 ran on Capcom’s Z80-based arcade hardware, also used in the PlayChoice-10 arcade system.
Has 1942 been ported to home consoles?
Yes, 1942 has been ported to at least ten platforms since 1985, including the NES, MSX, PC-88, FM-7, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Sharp X1, and Game Boy Color.
See also the related Gyruss arcade page, also designed by Yoshiki Okamoto, the Xevious arcade page for another classic scrolling shooter, and browse the Golden Age of Arcade Games hub for more titles from the era.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.