1944, Capcom(Arcade)

Eighteen


Total Cost to finish Game $4.50


Published 10 years after "1941", "1944: The Loop Master" displays a number of technological and gameplay advancements by Capcom in the shooter genre. This games is pushing large #'s of polygons as opposed to the sprites found in "1941". Screen progression is smooth, with high levels of animation and background detail. Enemies are well animated and tend to fire less than in other shooters. Enemies in "1944" tend to be much harder to kill, even with powered up weapons. Bosses also have a tough constitution and can take a few quarters to defeat each. Level progression consists of short levels with long boss fights. Bombs in this game are much more powerful in "1941" and are equally useful in clearing out pesky enemy concentrations, as well as taking out enemy bosses. Your ship has a life bar, so you can sustain multiple hits. Another feature of Loop master are side fighters. Your ship can pick up two additional escort fighters that nicely boos your firepower. Destroyed escort fighters are replaced if you have collected enough fighter tokens in the gameBoss encounters are grandiose, with enemy bosses that span 1 or 2 screens and fire a dizzying array of weapons. Boss encounters are also tough, one mid-game boss costing me 4 quarters to beat. This game is also fairly long, with 15 separate stages. You also have the choice of 3 aircraft so there is some replay value. Blowing stuff up in "1944" felt a little bit more satisfying than "1941" given the updated weapon effects and explosions. This game is a worthy successor to "1941".