#1942 JOINT STRIKE PC PLUS#

I definitely intend of spending more time playing this with my friends and seeing how far I can get and trying to get myself higher on that scoreboard over Xbox Live. Speaking of points, the main aim of the game is all about getting lots of them some enemies even drop medals you can pick up for extra points (it's all about the high score baby!). For 800 Microsoft Points this is definitely a good choice to add to your XBLA library. It does a fantastic job of being familiar (and nostalgic), yet somehow feel new at the same time. It looks great and plays great (especially with a friend). 1942 is another fine example of how a classic game should be brought to XBLA. The controls are smooth and easy, as you would expect. The trend I have noticed with progressing levels is that not only do enemies become more varied and tougher, but there is also an increase in tougher yet less mobile ground troops (tanks, turrets etc). I'm not actually sure how many levels there are because to be honest I haven't managed to finish it yet (its hard, ok? Sure, easier than some other 2D shooters but still, they've never been my strongest skill!). Only downside I've noticed is I cannot find a way to continue a game from a certain stage and have been forced to start at the first stage every time.

#1942 JOINT STRIKE PC PLUS#

You do get quite a few lives in each game plus a reasonable amount of health per life. They simply test your skill in order to overcome then. The boss fights, these are a blast! They are very challenging (as any decent boss fight should be) but not impossible. The music can really heighten the tension, especially during the boss fights. The sound of the battle as well as the planes is crisp, and fits perfectly with the game. You also have a few 'kill everything' bombs that you can drop when things get a bit too overwhelming.

The downside is if you accidentally pick up the weapon bonus when it's a different type to what you currently have equipped, you loose what you have and start at level one of whatever you just picked up. Each of these upgrades has two levels that increase the spread of fire. The options here are weak but more widespread bullets, an almost thick wall of powerful bullets or thin, yet powerful, lasers. There are three different types of weapon upgrades that will occasionally float around. Equally impressive are the visual effects of certain powers and attacks (both yours and some of your enemies). The environments you get to play in and enemies you fight all look great with lots of neat little details and variety. If you are playing two-player co-op (either on one machine or via Xbox Live) you also get to choose a special co-op power to use. So there is a bit of strategy to which plane you will go with. You start off by choosing which plane you want to pilot, there are three to choose from with various amounts of health, fire power and speed.

It seems to play identically to the original arcade game (at least as far as I can remember, I can't say I've played it in quite a few years). This is not just a basic port however, oh no, this version has been pimped out with a fresh coat of paint. The newest addition to the list is the classic 2D shooter 1942: Joint Strike. Xbox Live Arcade is having a hell of a good time lately with a lot of really quality titles being released over the past few weeks.

1942 joint strike pc