Controls[edit]
- Joystick: Use the joystick to direct the Super Ace in any one of eight directions. You can move throughout a majority of the visible screen.
- Fire: Press the Fire button to shoot bullets from the Super Ace. You begin the game with a double barrel gun, but you can collect power-ups that change your weapon to different kinds of ammunition. Your weapons are capable of attacking both aerial opponents and aquatic ones.
- Mega Crash: By pressing the Mega Crash button, you can consume some energy and generate a supernatural phenomenon to attack every enemy on the screen. Depending on the situation and the relative position with the enemy, you may release thunder, a whirlwind, or a tsunami. This also has the effect of eliminating all enemy projectiles on the screen.
- Loop: Press the Fire and Mega Crash buttons together to perform a vertical 360 degree dive in the air. While executing this maneuver, the Super-Ace is completely invulnerable to enemy fire. You can only perform so many of these, however, and the stock is indicated by the white Rs on the top of the screen.
- 1-2 Players: Press to start a 1 or 2 player game.
Characters[edit]
Super Ace[edit]
You control the Super Ace Lockheed P-38 Lightning, with its distinctive twin booms with forward-mounted engines and a single, central nacelle containing the pilot and armament. It's a very maneuverable craft as you're about to discover. Though small, it contains all the fire power you need to take on the entire Japanese Air Defense fleet. It starts out each mission taking off from the deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier. It possesses a twin guns that fire upward, ahead of the plane's flight, but they can be changed to different weapons by collecting various items (see the items page for more information.) It also possesses a limited capability of performing vertical 360 degree loops through the air, making it impervious to enemy fire and contact while performing.
Unlike the Super Ace's previous outing in 1942, the Super Ace is a little more robust thanks to the energy meter displayed on the bottom of the screen. Energy is consumed very slowly naturally over the course of flying. However, getting hit by enemy aircraft or projectiles will reduce the energy meter by a lot. Additionally, using any Mega Crash attack consumes energy. The Super Ace can sustain attacks and remain in the air as long as there is energy left. Once the meter depletes, if you get hit, the Super Ace will crash and the game will end.
Enemies[edit]
There are three sizes of common enemies:
- Small planes, which fly about in all directions. In later stages, these craft will move more quickly or in more intricate patterns.
- Medium planes, which will fly slowly. Some of these airplanes will fly downward to avoid attacks.
- Large planes, which take many hits to destroy. There are two types in the game: the first you encounter will fall three times before destruction and shoots a fan of bullets. The second is weaker but launches two fighter craft at you.
A formation of red planes will uncover a powerup. This may either be a single weapon, a "Pow" symbol, or an aircraft icon. The Pow symbol may be shot to allow rotating it among the four weapons, while the aircraft will summon two wingmen that protect you from two hits and increase firepower while they are active.
Bosses[edit]
At the end of the stage, you will encounter a boss. These bosses may be one of the following:
- A fleet of ships
- A massive airplane
- A fleet of airplanes.
To complete a boss battle, you need to destroy at least 70% of the designated targets. When you do, you will receive a bonus and your plane will be refueled at the carrier. You are allowed two chances to complete this section of the stage; there is no bonus or refueling if you don't inflict enough damage on either pass.