1942 is a vertically-scrolling bullet hell shooter from Capcom, first released into arcades in 1984. The game is loosely based on the Battle of Midway of WWII and sees you piloting an American P-38 Lightning, fighting against Japanese forces.

1942 was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto, and was created to be easy to play, but difficult to beat, as well as having some innovative features, like the P-38 being able to do a special roll, that takes it out of the firezone for a few seconds (effectively giving you a ‘dodge’ button if the action gets too hot). You can also collect “POW” power-ups to add wingmen to your sides, giving you more firepower.

On the downside: 1942 is a little sparse and repetitive, playing the game now, but you have to remember that this game came out in 1984, which was over forty years ago, and was innovative for the time.

1942 was followed by 1943: The Battle of Midway, released by Capcom in 1987.

More: 1942 (video game) on Wikipedia