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1941: Counter Attack

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The prequel to 1942, like the other games in the 19XX series, is a top down shooter set in WWII. One or two players control a P-38 (for player 1) or a Mosquito (for player 2), shooting enemy airplanes and ships. As in the previous games, one button shoots the airplane's weapon (which is upgrad...

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Developer
Capcom

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The prequel to 1942, like the other games in the 19XX series, is a top down shooter set in WWII.

One or two players control a P-38 (for player 1) or a Mosquito (for player 2), shooting enemy airplanes and ships. As in the previous games, one button shoots the airplane’s weapon (which is upgradeable by collecting power ups left by enemies) and the other makes the airplane loop, destroying everything on screen (or causing extra damage to bosses, fought at the end of each level). The regular ammo is infinite, while the upgraded weapons have limited ammo. When the weapon button is held down, a bar at the bottom of the screen is charged and a special shot can be released, which varies in effect from weapon to weapon.

The airplane has a life bar which starts with three points. Each hit taken or loop used will consume one life point. The player will earn new life points at the end of levels or by collecting proper power ups. Other power ups available are auxiliary side and ghost airplanes. Three continues can be used, and one point is added to the score when one of them is used (a feature first introduced by this game and then copied by other shoot-em-ups).

1941: Counter Attack

Overview & History

Released by Capcom in 1991 for the CP System hardware, 1941: Counter Attack serves as the third chronological entry in Capcom's legendary vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up lineage, following 1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway. Moving away from the Pacific theater of World War II, this title imagines an alternate-history European front where the Allied forces launch a desperate, last-ditch aerial assault directly against the capital of a fictionalized Axis super-empire. Unlike its predecessors, 1941 trades the vintage prop-plane aesthetic for sleek, heavily armored mid-century jet-prop prototypes. The game is celebrated for its stunning, pseudo-3D sprite scaling, lush European-cityscape backgrounds, and a departure from the traditional energy-bar system in favor of classic power-ups and weapon stacking. Though it never achieved the ubiquitous mainstream saturation of Street Fighter II released the same year, it remains a cult-classic coin-op masterpiece beloved by hardcore shmup enthusiasts for its tactical depth, unforgiving difficulty curve, and magnificent orchestral FM soundtrack.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

1941: Counter Attack introduces several mechanical innovations to the arcade shooter genre. Players choose between two distinct aircraft: the nimble Lockheed P-38-inspired Super Lightning or the heavily armed De Havilland-style Mosquito. Each fighter possesses unique standard cannons and distinct bomb types that clear the screen of enemy fire. A standout mechanic is the dynamic weapon upgrade system, allowing players to collect 'P' icons to cycle through spread shots, lasers, and piercing rounds. Furthermore, pilots can execute a high-risk, high-reward 'Charge Shot' by holding down the attack button to unleash a devastating barrage, or perform a specialized evasive loop-de-loop that grants temporary invincibility, cleverly dodging dense bullet hell patterns. The game also features a dual-player cooperative mode, enabling wingmen to combine firepower to obliterate massive, multi-tiered boss contraptions like armored trains, zeppelins, and dreadnoughts.