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 1942:
Joint Strike (Playstation Network/Xbox Live)
Players looking for a frenetic dose of neo-classic gaming should find
Capcom's 1942: Joint Stroke offers exactly what they're looking for in an
easily digestible downloadable form on Playstation Store - a similar
edition is also available via Xbox Live, with both versions sporting
nearly identical features. As veteran players might have guessed, Joint
Strike is an update of the long-running vertically scrolling 194X shooter
series, the newest installment offers new co-operative play and joint
attacks, sleek HD visuals and the classic gameplay mechanics players have
come to expect from the series. With it's low price, immediate appeal and
addictive play, 1942: Joint Strike is an excellent shooting title that
effectively brings the series' legacy forward.
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 From
a gameplay standpoint, it should come as no surprise that the new game
stays true to its 2D roots, with everything in the game taking place on a
single plane, with some occasional bimb runs to break things up. However,
this remains an arcade title at its heart, so players will find much of
the traditional thumb-candy they've come to expect. The gameplay is
classic 194X series through and through. As in the previous titles, Joint
Strike takes place in an alternative reality World War II and offers
players the opportunity to blast through many levels of intense shooting
action with classic airplanes and weapons. You'll face off against waves
of enemies attacking in formation, along with boss battles and more. As
you shoot down enemies, you'll also find health, weapons and score
power-ups, which appear on screen. When collected, they'll automatically
upgrade your arsenal with new weapons or increase their firepower. Which
ones you get depend on your timing, since they cycle through different
weapons types as you play through the game. One of the new elements this
time around comes with the chains. When you shoot down a certain number of
opponent ships, you'll earn special attacks which you can use to clear out
the screen of enemies. These take the form of auto-missiles which target
the opponents and the series' trademark dive attacks, which unleash a
devastating bomb attack. In addition to the standard shots, players can
also fire a stronger attack by holding down the fire button and charging a
super shot. Another new element comes when you're playing co-operatively.
You can work together to work together to form special attack chains, the
Joint Strikes, which players can use to make an even more devastating
power up. These elements combine to add several new layers of strategy to
the gameplay and make Joint Strike a much deeper shooter than the previous
installments.
While there are new features and
impressive visuals, Joint Strike hasn't lost the intuitive, easy to learn
gameplay of the original. Most players should be able to learn the basics
and get up to speed almost instantly, and the intuitive controls and
power-up system makes the game simple to understand. The levels are
structured in a straightforward manner with standard attacks punctuated by
end-stage boss battles. The twist here is that after you've defeated the
bosses, you need to escape them as they chase you. It's not as simple as
it sounds, since you have to avoid waves of kamikaze planes that inflict
damage on you if you contact them. However, they damage the boss ship
further when you strike them. Adding to the fun of these mini-stages are
the numerous medal points awards that you can collect while making your
escape. The game's overall approach stays faithful to most conventions of
the original, and Joint Strike's classic feel is probably it's strongest
point. It offers a range of difficulty levels - most players should be
able to breeze through the lowest settings but the harder ones should
challenge even 194X veterans. It's a well balanced game, with some fairly
intimidating bosses mitigated by its excellent selection of power-ups.
There are many areas where you're dodging screens full of bullets, but
figuring out the enemy attack patterns, finding safe areas and exploiting
their weaknesses is part of the challenge of any good shooter.
 While
the game's retro feel is great, 1942's sleek HD visuals look state of the
art, with beautifully rendered backgrounds, excellent ship modeling and
animations giving the game a contemporary feel. Capcom hasn't gone
overboard, and you won't find screens full of colorful, light sourced
weapons, but the game does deliver some cool special effects. At certain
points, the action switches to cinematic sequences and the action is shown
in sepia-toned slightly scratchy footage, evoking an old film reel. Sound
effects such as explosions and gunfire are appropriately loud, and help to
bring some thunder to the audio. Fans of the original will also be pleased
to hear the original soundtrack remixed in orchestrated form, which gives
the gameplay added drama. While many remakes mistakenly add too much to
the action, 1942: Joint Strike makes a smart compromise with upgraded
visuals, several new attack techniques and weapons, plus solid online and
co-op modes that add to the fun. However, these have been added slowly so
that the classic gameplay mechanics are never overwhelmed, making for an
excellent retro title that delivers the solid shooting action players
crave without compromising the series' integrity. For a low-priced
downloadable game, 1942: Joint Strike offers a superb experience that
offers plenty of challenge and excitement in an accessible, yet
challenging package.
- Michael Palisano
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