1942 is set in the Asian theater of World War II. The goal is to reach Tokyo and destroy the entire Japanese air fleet. The player (the American ‘Super Ace’) pilots a plane, and must survive wave after wave of Japanese air fleets, shooting down as many enemy planes as possible.
1942 can be played in either one or two player mode. In two player mode, players alternate turns, each receiving a separate score. Under standard settings players start with three planes. An extra plane is awarded at 20,000 points, 80,000 points, and thenceforth at each following multiple of 80,000 points. The number of remaining planes is indicated by the pale blue plane silhouettes at the bottom left of the screen.
In 1942 the player receives an unlimited number of shots, without having to replenish this in any way, other than reaching the end of the stage. Standard fire-power consists of the plane firing two bullets per shot, which always travel straight ahead of the plane; up to three sets of bullets can be on the screen at a time. A player gets three rolls per plane, reset at the end of each stage – the number of remaining rolls are designated by the red uppercase “R”s at the bottom right of the screen.
The player controls a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, dubbed the “Super Ace”
The Super Ace can fly throughout most of the visible screen, constantly scrolling vertically upwards
The Super Ace can fire a gun with unlimited ammo up towards the top of the screen, and has a limited supply of loop maneuvers that allows him to completely avoid enemy bullets
The Super Ace will lose one life if it is ever hit with an enemy bullet, or it collides with an enemy plane
When a series of red planes appear, a power-up icon will appear if all of the planes are successfully destroyed
Larger planes will appear from time to time which take more shots to shoot down
A stage boss will appear at the end of four different stages which takes substantially more shots to destroy