1942 is one of those classic arcade shooters that feels simple at first—just you, a tiny plane, and a whole lot of enemy squadrons diving at you. But man, does it get intense fast. You’re dodging bullets, pulling off loop-de-loops (yeah, you can actually flip upside down to avoid fire), and praying your limited ammo holds out.

The whole thing has this weirdly charming, over-the-top WWII vibe—like if someone turned dogfights into a Saturday morning cartoon. The music’s got that old-school Capcom energy too, all bleeps and bloops that somehow stick in your head forever. It’s tough as nails, but in that way where you keep muttering “one more try” at 2 AM.

Fun fact: This was Capcom’s first big hit, and you can see why—it’s pure, unfiltered arcade chaos.