1943: The Battle of Midway

Capcom

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	May 30, 1979 (1979-05-30) in Osaka, Japan
Founder	Kenzo Tsujimoto
Headquarters	Osaka , Japan
Products	Video games, including 1943: Midway Kaisen
Website	www.capcom.com

is a 1987 vertically scrolling shooter video game created and distributed by Capcom for arcade platforms. Serving as the inaugural sequel to Capcom's 1942, the game centers on American military forces assaulting the Japanese aerial fleet, designed primarily for Western audiences. Its title alludes to the June 1942 Battle of Midway.

Gameplay

Set during the Pacific theater of World War II, players assume the role of a U.S. Navy ace pilot who confronts the Japanese naval air units over 16 levels. The goal is to annihilate all Japanese air and naval forces, culminating in a showdown against the battleship Yamato, which serves as the final adversary. Among these stages, eleven involve combined air-to-sea combat featuring battleships or aircraft carriers as bosses, while five focus solely on aerial engagements against bomber formations that require precise targeting.

Players control a P-38 Lightning aircraft, utilizing button 1 for primary weaponry and button 2 to execute special lightning attacks or perform a defensive loop maneuver. Unlike its predecessor, this installment employs a single "fuel" gauge representing the player's health, which diminishes over time but can be replenished through power-ups. In two-player mode, overlapping the planes enables energy transfer between participants. Successfully eliminating entire formations of red enemy planes grants power-ups such as health restoration or weapon enhancements.

Each stage includes cheat codes that activate fully upgraded weapons via specific button or joystick commands.

Attacks and Items

Weapons

The game features six distinct weapons, beginning with a basic machine gun. Collecting power-ups dropped by red plane formations grants access to special armaments that can be switched by shooting the power-up:

• Standard Machine Gun: Fires two shots simultaneously.
• Shotgun: Emits a broad, short-range blast capable of destroying enemy projectiles; double power-ups enhance its potency.
• Three-way MG: Shoots diagonally to cover a wider area.
• Auto: Discharges eight bullets per shot.
• Shell (Super Shell): Launches powerful single-line shells demanding accuracy; continuous firing is possible.
• Laser: A rare piercing laser obtained by collecting the flashing maneki-neko item.

Special Attacks

There are three special attacks that consume energy but cannot cause player death; however, they become unavailable when energy runs low:

• Lightning Attack: Eliminates small aerial targets during flying sections.
• Tsunami Attack: Inflicts damage on ships and pauses scrolling during surface-level assaults.
• Cyclone: Clears all incoming enemy fire.

Items

Five different items assist players during gameplay:

• POW: Restores 8 energy points.
• Energy Tank: Replenishes 24 energy points.
• Yashichi: Fully restores energy.
• Star: Resets the special weapon timer and awards 5,000 points.
• Side Fighters: Adds two auxiliary fighters that increase firepower but are vulnerable to damage.

Bonus Items

Six bonus items offer additional point bonuses:

• Bamboo Shoots: Appear when flying over clouds; yield up to 2,700 points.
• Strawberry: Activated by shooting specific battleships; worth 10,000 points.
• Barrels: Located near water by hitting hidden spots; worth 10,000 points.
• Dragonfly: Rarely appears under certain conditions; awards 10,000 points.
• Cow: Uncovered by shooting secret locations; grants 20,000 points.
• Mobi-chan: Released from destroyed battleship bridges; each piece shot gives 10,000 points. The character from Hyper Dyne Side Arms may appear and can be destroyed for a 100,000-point bonus.

Ports

Capcom created its own adaptation for the NES, alongside additional versions for platforms such as the Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and Amiga. In 1998, the game was re-released under the title Capcom Generation 1 for both Sega Saturn and PlayStation. It reappeared in 2005 on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 as part of the Capcom Classics Collection, and later featured in the Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for the PlayStation Portable. Furthermore, it served as the lead title in Capcom Arcade Cabinet, a digital compilation launched in February 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, where games could be purchased individually or in bundles. The title was also included free of charge in Capcom Arcade Stadium, with additional games offered as paid downloads.

NES

The NES edition of 1943 arrived exactly one year following its arcade release and introduced lasting enhancements that boosted the aircraft’s attack power, defense, fuel reserves, and duration of special weapons. These modifications shifted the game’s dynamics, demanding fresh tactics for players to advance. Initially, weapons were limited but could be upgraded by spending points on "special weapons ability" through power-ups. The packaging identified the game as "The Battle of Valhalla" in Japan and "The Battle of Midway" in North America.

Kai

Developed concurrently with the Family Computer version, 1943 Kai represents an alternate arcade iteration released solely in Japan in 1987. In 1991, it was ported to the PC Engine under the name 1943 Kai, featuring new stages and an original soundtrack. Although this arcade version remained exclusive to Japan, it was included in the 1998 Capcom Generations collection for Sega Saturn and PlayStation, as well as in the 2005 Capcom Classics Collection for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Reception

In July 1987, Japan’s Game Machine ranked 1943: Midway Kaisen as the leading arcade game. That year, it became the second highest-grossing table arcade title in Japan and ranked tenth among arcade conversion kits in 1988. Additionally, Game Machine listed 1943 Kai: Midway Kaisen as the sixteenth most popular arcade game in August 1988.

Producer Yoshiki Okamoto disclosed on his YouTube channel that Japanese right-wing factions protested against the game due to players controlling American planes attacking Imperial Japanese Navy vessels—an action they considered disrespectful to soldiers commemorated at Yasukuni Shrine. Okamoto recognized their viewpoint and explained that the setting was selected to engage players by placing them on the side of the war’s victors. He also noted that historical accuracy was sacrificed, combining Army and Navy aircraft and including battleships like Yamato at Midway despite its absence there. Consequently, the NES adaptation replaced real warship and battlefield names with fictional alternatives.