1942 Air Combat
This is a 2D dogfighting game by Lemonquest which mixes a traditional shooter with a touch of real time strategy. You have to carry out various missions in a Second World War setting which involve defending a base, attacking barrage balloons, stopping columns of tanks etc. (Not to be confused with the Capcom game 1942 which has totally different gameplay.)
How To Get It:
You can download 1942 Air Combat from Ovi Store by selecting your phone's Ovi Store icon, or by going to store.ovi.mobi on your phone's web browser.
Alternatively you can go to store.ovi.com on your computer's browser.
If you can't see the game displayed on Ovi Store, it probably isn't compatible with your phone model.
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Ovi Gaming Review:
Phone Used For Review - Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (games may be different on different phone models)
Gameplay - The gameplay of 1942 Air Combat has absolutely no connection whatsoever to the Capcom game 1942. 1942AC centres around plane-to-plane dogfighting, bombing runs, tank interception and other surprisingly playable World War Two missions. It's not a simulation by any means, but the World War Two setting meshes with the gameplay quite naturally as you take up the various roles that aircraft played in the conflict, covering Europe, Africa and Asia.
Your plane is steered clockwise and anticlockwise, with throttle control for speed, guns that overheat when used too much and a very limited number of bombs. To avoid enemy fire you can do barrel rolls and loop the loop. This is definitely not a mindless shoot-em-up, this actually plays more like an action/strategy game, especially the segments where you have to stop enemy forces taking over your territory. The gameplay all takes place within a relatively small fixed playing area with mission objectives laid out clearly in advance with maps to show how the battle will progress.
Graphics - The graphics are 2D but smoothly animated and full of wonderful details such as flocks of birds, airmen bailing out with their parachutes as planes are shot down, or a handlebar moustachioed RAF officer congratulating you on a successful mission. The interface works really well as it indicates the direction and type of each enemy or target with a colour code and arrow (with arrows getting bigger the nearer you are to whatever they point at). There are also high quality pieces of artwork on the still screens between missions.
Sound - Some okay MIDI tunes with a military feel, and nice digital effects with a 1940s feel such as the plane's guns or the typewriter on the mission briefings.
Multiplayer & Online - None.
Overall - A surprisingly enjoyable game with lots of varied gameplay. Because of its name this reviewer was expecting a no-brain clone of Capcom's shoot-em-up 1942, but 1942AC is actually much more intelligent, as the fuel limit and enemy fire force you to concentrate on what you're doing in order to get the mission done. The interface suits a button phone much more than a touchscreen one, but you can still play the game on a touchscreen phone once you get used to the controls (and that's easy to do because the campaign mode starts with an interactive tutorial). Well done Lemonquest.
Score - 80% (or 70% if you're on a touchscreen phone)
Ovi Gaming Video:
Ovi Gaming Screenshots (taken on a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic):
