1941: Counter Attack

1941: Counter Attack is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game by Capcom, released in February 1990. It was the second sequel to 1942, and the third game in the 19XX series. It was ported to the SuperGrafx in 1991 and to GameTap. Later it was released on Capcom Classics Collection Remixed for the PlayStation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It was followed by 19XX: The War Against Destiny in 1996.

1941: Counter Attack
Developer(s)Capcom[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Arcade
SuperGrafx
  • JP: Hudson Soft
Director(s)Yoshiki Okamoto
Designer(s)Akira Nishitani
Noritaka Funamizu[2]
Toshihiko Uda
Programmer(s)Yoshihiro Shindome
Artist(s)Akemi Kurihara
Akira Yasuda
Sadaki Matsumoto
Composer(s)Hiromitsu Takaoka
Series194X
Platform(s)Arcade, SuperGrafx
ReleaseArcade
SuperGrafx
  • JP: 23 August 1991
Genre(s)Vertically scrolling shooter
Mode(s)
CabinetUpright
Arcade systemCP System

Gameplay
Arcade version screenshot.

The goal is to shoot down enemy airplanes and collect weapon power-ups (POW).[4] The game uses a vitality system instead of life system in which if the player is hit, it loses one point of vitality and the player is destroyed if hit with 0 vitality then the player is given the option to continue. Lightning attacks can be used by pressing the B button which sacrifices a portion of life energy. One is only able to perform three loops per level and a bonus is awarded at the end of the level for unused loops. Player 1 uses a P-38 Lightning and Player 2 uses a new plane: DH.98 Mosquito. The game shifts from the original Pacific Front setting with that of the Western Front, in the north Atlantic Ocean.

It was the first shoot 'em up to add +1 to the score when a continue is used.[4]

Development

Release

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame(Arcade) [5]
Famitsu(SG) 28/40[6]
Consoles +(SG) 83%[7]
Gekkan PC Engine(SG) 82/100[8]
Génération 4(SG) 86%[9]
Joypad(SG) 83%[10]
Joystick(SG) 88%[11]
Marukatsu PC Engine(SG) 30/40[12]
PC Engine Fan(SG) 19.44/30[13]
Player One(SG) 85%[14]
Award
PublicationAward
Gamest Mook (1998)Best Shooting Award 5th
Annual Hit Game 20th (Arcade)[15]

In Japan, Game Machine listed 1941: Counter Attack on their March 15, 1990 issue as being the third most-successful table arcade unit of the year, outperforming titles such as Tetris by Sega and Air Buster.[16] The game garnered positive reception from reviewers and awards from Gamest magazine.[15][17] However, the original arcade version was met with mixed reception from western publications.[1][18] In contrast, the SuperGrafx conversion was met with mostly very positive reception from Japanese and western critics.

Notes
  1. Ported to SuperGrafx by Hudson Soft

References
  1. Hogg, Robin (March 1990). "Arcades - Electrocoin". Zzap!64. No. 59. Newsfield Publications. p. 40.
  2. blackoak. "Capcom 1991 Retrospective with Yoshiki Okamoto, Noritaka Funamizu, and Akira Nishitani". shmuplations.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  3. Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). カプコン Capcom; Capcom USA (Capcom Coin-Op); Number. アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 24, 113, 145. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  4. Zverloff, Nick (August 17, 2011). "1941: Counter Attack". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  5. Baize, Anthony (1998). "1941: Counter Attack [European] (Arcade) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  6. "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 1941 Counter Attack". Famitsu (in Japanese). ASCII Corporation. 1991. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  7. Loulou; Wilkie (October 1991). "Supergrafx Review - 1941: Counter Attack". Consoles + (in French). No. 2. M.E.R.7. pp. 36–38.
  8. "1941: Counter Attack". Gekkan PC Engine (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1991.
  9. Ladoire, Frank (October 1991). "Console Test: 1941 – Supergrafx". Génération 4 (in French). No. 37. Computec Media France. p. 154.
  10. Huyghues-Lacour, Alain; Demoly, Jean-Marc (October 1991). "NEC | Tests: 1941". Joypad (in French). No. 1. Yellow Media. pp. 88–89.
  11. Demoly, Jean-François (October 1991). "Consoles News: Supergrafx - 1941". Joystick (in French). No. 20. Sipress. p. 155.
  12. "1941: Counter Attack". Marukatsu PC Engine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. 1991.
  13. "PC Engine All Catalog '93 10月号特別付録 - 1941: Counter Attack". PC Engine Fan (in Japanese). Vol. 6 no. 10. Tokuma Shoten. October 1, 1993. p. 70.
  14. Scamps, Olivier (October 1991). "Tests De Jeux – Super G. — 1941: Counter Attack". Player One (in French). No. 13. Média Système Édition. p. 75.
  15. ザ・ベストゲーム2 - アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史: ゲーメスト大賞11年史. Gamest Mook (in Japanese). 5 (4th ed.). Shinseisha. 17 January 1998. pp. 18–19. ISBN 9784881994290.
  16. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 376. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 March 1990. p. 25.
  17. "極楽VGブラザーズ: 1941 (カプコン)". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 6. SoftBank Creative. March 1990. p. 97.
  18. Locker, Anatol; Gaksch, Martin (July 1990). "Power Tests Automatenspiele — Fang' den Hut". Power Play (in German). No. 28. Future Verlag. p. 133.
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