1942 is set in the Pacific theater of World War II. The goal is to reach Tokyo and destroy the entire Japanese air fleet. The players pilot planes dubbed the "Super Ace" series (but its appearance is clearly that of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning). The players have to shoot down enemy planes; to avoid enemy fire, the players can perform a roll or "loop-the-loop". During the game the player may collect a series of power-ups, one of them allowing the plane to be escorted by two other smaller fighters in a Tip Tow formation.
