Air Combat (arcade game)

Air Combat (エアーコンバット Eā Konbatto) is a 1992 combat flight simulator arcade game developed by Namco.[2] It runs on Namco System 21, made specifically for processing 3D polygonal graphics. Air Combat 22 (エアーコンバット 22, Eā Konbatto 22) is the arcade sequel to Air Combat released by Namco in 1995. Its name comes from it running on Namco's Super System 22 hardware. The games are considered to be predecessors for the Ace Combat series.

This article is about the arcade game. For the PlayStation game, see Air Combat. For the use of aircraft in war, see Aerial warfare.
Air Combat
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)Namco
Platform(s)Arcade
Release
  • JP: December 1992 (Air Combat)
  • JP: May 1995 (22)
Genre(s)Combat flight simulator
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemAir Combat
Namco System 21 "Polygonizer"
Air Combat 22
Namco Super System 22
CPUAir Combat
2x Motorola 68000 @ 12.288 MHz,
1x Motorola M6809 @ 3.072 MHz,
1x Hitachi HD63705 @ 2.048 MHz
Air Combat 22
1x Motorola 68020 @ 24.576 MHz,
2× Texas Instruments TMS32025 @ 41.952 MHz
SoundAir Combat
1x Yamaha YM2151 @ 3.57958 MHz,
1x C140 @ 21.39 kHz[1]
Air Combat 22
1× C352 @ 16.384 MHz
DisplayAir Combat 22
Horizontal orientation, raster, 640 × 480 resolution, 32768 palette colors

Gameplay
Air Combat 22 screenshot

The player is given the task of eliminating all 6 enemy aircraft within a minute. The only enemies in the game are bombers and fighter jets. Bombers are slower, and fighter jets are faster. The player is also given three options for difficulty: Cadet, Captain, and Ace. The differences between the modes are as follows:

  • In Cadet mode, the player has to eliminate 3 bombers and 3 fighter jets
  • In Captain mode, the player has to eliminate 2 bombers and 4 fighter jets
  • In Ace mode, all of the enemy aircraft are fighter jets

In addition, Ace difficulty requires the player to only shoot down the enemy aircraft with their machine gun, as the aircraft will use countermeasures against missiles. Once all of the aircraft are gone, the player has the opportunity to land on an aircraft carrier. Should they do so, the player can access an extra stage, where they will have to destroy one flanker, that is extra quick. The game then repeats until the player gets a game over.[3]

Gameplay in Air Combat 22 is similar to the original Air Combat game, with the addition of longer, different, and more varied missions, also being able to choose between one of three aircraft, namely the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Sukhoi Su-27 and the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. It was available as either a conversion kit for the original Namco System 21 Air Combat cabinet, or a dedicated deluxe cabinet (measuring 78" high, 43" wide and 111" deep).

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Air Combat on their August 15, 1993 issue as being the most-successful upright arcade game of the year.[4] Game Machine also listed Air Combat 22 on their June 15, 1995 issue as being the seventh most-successful dedicated arcade game of the year.[5] Next Generation reviewed Air Combat 22, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "As it is, Air Combat 22 is just a good facelift."[6]

References
  1. "Namco System 21 information". giantbomb.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  2. "Air Combat information". arcade-history.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. "Air Combat gameplay". arcade-history.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 455. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 August 1993. p. 25.
  5. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 497. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 June 1995. p. 21.
  6. "Finals". Next Generation. No. 8. Imagine Media. August 1995. p. 79.
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