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Carrier Air Wing

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Arcade

This is a side-scrolling shooter with power-ups and special weapons. You can buy the special weapons and things like energy and shields at the beginning of a stage. You gain money by shooting enemies. The 1990s was a decade of great change marked by growing friendships between old enemies and ...

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Developer
Capcom

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

This is a side-scrolling shooter with power-ups and special weapons. You can buy the special weapons and things like energy and shields at the beginning of a stage. You gain money by shooting enemies.

The 1990s was a decade of great change marked by growing friendships between old enemies and never before seen levels of co-operation between powerful nations of the world. However, in 1997, using new weapons designed in secrecy, the Middle Eastern country of Rabu threatened to destroy this fragile peace. Rabu’s proported goal is to purge the world of sin and force a new morality, with her allies. Rabu quickly claimed the Middle East, then spread into both southern Asia and parts of Europe. Their weaponery is terrifyingly eeficient at manufacturing death. They seemed unstoppable. When they gassed Tokyo in 1999, U.S. intervention became unavoidable. If Rabu is allowed to use Japan’s manufacturing facilities, there will be no end to the nightmare. Hoping to protect world peace, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) heads out to the sea.

Carrier Air Wing

Overview & History

Released by Capcom in 1990 for the CPS (Capcom Play System) arcade hardware, Carrier Air Wing (known in Japan as U.S. Navy) is a military-themed, horizontal-scrolling shoot-'up that casts players into the cockpit of advanced strike fighters. Set in an alternate 1990s, the globe-spanning narrative tasks the United States military with single-handedly dismantling the heavily fortified, rogue Rabiah terrorist syndicate, which has seized control of global strategic choke points and massive arsenals of futuristic weaponry. Building upon the success of earlier vertical shmup titles, Capcom infused this release with high-octane jet combat, presenting players with striking sprite scaling, massive boss battles, and a distinct fuel-management system that added a layer of tactical resource tracking rarely seen in standard arcade shooters.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike traditional arcade shooters where players pilot a static ship, Carrier Air Wing lets you choose from three distinct fighter jets: the agile F-14 Tomcat, the versatile F/A-18 Hornet, and the heavy-hitting A-6 Intruder. Each aircraft boasts unique attributes in speed, primary vulcan cannon spread, and devastating special bomb payloads. A defining gameplay mechanic is the inclusion of a fuel gauge; fuel continuously depletes over time and can be replenished by collecting specific power-ups or destroying designated supply carriers. Additionally, players collect enemy currency (money badges) dropped throughout the stages to purchase vital upgrades at mid-level armories, including extra bombs, shield extensions, and upgraded primary weapons. The game features eight intense stages ranging from desert airfields and deep ocean fleets to subterranean missile silos, culminating in an assault on the syndicate's heavily armed orbital fortress.