Attack on Pearl Harbor (video game)
Encyclopedia
Attack on Pearl Harbor was first demonstrated at the San Diego Comic-con 2007
. It is a semi-realistic flight simulator in which players can have random dogfights or play as either USAAF pilot Douglas Knox or Japanese pilot Zenji Yamada. Like Ace Combat
, it is highly streamlined and skips realism in exchange for gameplay. Aircraft carry unlimited ammunition, limited only by overheating (machine guns) and reloading times (rockets, bombs, and torpedoes) It can be controlled via the mouse, a joystick, or an Xbox 360
controller. The WiiWare
version was released on July 5, 2010 as Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising.
Non-flyable aircraft include the B-25 Mitchell
, seen in the campaign. They are heavily armoured and sport multiple rear gun emplacements, making them difficult targets. There are also various other warships, ranging from aircraft carriers to battleships, destroyers, and landing craft
(not included in Dogfight mode, minus for the freighters in the Philippines, the Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor, and three battleships anchored at Darwin). There are also tanks, warehouses, halftracks, and various other ground targets to destroy. B-25s only appear in the missions Defend Japan (Japanese campaign), Escort B25s to Tokyo (both runs, US campaign), and the Doolittle Raid
.
Dogfight mode is similar to the Skirmish or Instant action modes of play in other games. After selecting a venue, weather conditions (which do not affect controls, only visibility), aircraft type, and difficulty, the computer will endlessly spawn AI craft, always of the opposing nation, at the player. There are three possible victory conditions which the player can choose from:
There are two modes of LAN or Internet play - either a deathmatch in which last plane flying wins, or a team deathmatch in which the last team surviving wins.
indicating mixed or average reviews.
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
. It is a semi-realistic flight simulator in which players can have random dogfights or play as either USAAF pilot Douglas Knox or Japanese pilot Zenji Yamada. Like Ace Combat
Ace Combat
Ace Combat is a hybrid arcade-simulation flight action video game series featuring 12 games, published by the Japanese company Namco Bandai Games...
, it is highly streamlined and skips realism in exchange for gameplay. Aircraft carry unlimited ammunition, limited only by overheating (machine guns) and reloading times (rockets, bombs, and torpedoes) It can be controlled via the mouse, a joystick, or an Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
controller. The WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
version was released on July 5, 2010 as Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising.
Aircraft
Aircraft can be separated into three distinct categories.- Fighters include the A6M ZeroA6M ZeroThe Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
, the P-40 Warhawk, the F4U CorsairF4U CorsairThe Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
, and the Supermarine SeafireSupermarine SeafireThe Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
. They are highly manoeuvrable and sport a single rocket as a secondary weapon. They are best used against less manoeuvrable divebombers and torpedo bombers. They are also the only type of aircraft that do not sport a rear gunner.
- Dive-bombers include the SBD DauntlessSBD DauntlessThe Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
, the Nakajima J1NNakajima J1N-See also:-Bibliography:* Francillon, Réne J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
"Gekko", and the Aichi D3AAichi D3AThe , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
. Carrying a trio of bombs, they are most effective against surface targets and ships. A white targeting pipper on the ground aids the player in placing their bombs. An AI-controlled rear gunner will assist the player in keeping enemy fighters away.
- Torpedo bombers include the TBM Avenger and the Nakajima B5NNakajima B5N|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....
"Kate". Both drop a single torpedo that can travel underwater and strike enemy ships from long range. Unlike dive-bombers, which can attack both sea and land targets, torpedoes have no effect when dropped on anything on the land. A rear gunner will aid the player in making torpedo runs. Dropping a torpedo on the deck of a ship seems to have the same effect.
Non-flyable aircraft include the B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, seen in the campaign. They are heavily armoured and sport multiple rear gun emplacements, making them difficult targets. There are also various other warships, ranging from aircraft carriers to battleships, destroyers, and landing craft
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
(not included in Dogfight mode, minus for the freighters in the Philippines, the Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor, and three battleships anchored at Darwin). There are also tanks, warehouses, halftracks, and various other ground targets to destroy. B-25s only appear in the missions Defend Japan (Japanese campaign), Escort B25s to Tokyo (both runs, US campaign), and the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
.
Play modes
There are four single player campaigns, two for US and two for the Japanese, with cutscenes presented in a comic book-like fashion. Both start at Pearl Harbor and proceed through various battles, such as Wake, Midway, and Coral Sea in chronological order. Unlike most games, it is possible to continue a campaign after failing a mission - however, planes are deducted from the player's reserve, and the campaign ends in defeat once the player runs out of planes. Coming into the end of the first half of the campaign, no new aircraft reinforcements will be added, as is for battles coming into the end of the second campaign, and therefore, the war. This includes pre-Santa Cruz and pre-Okinawa operations for both the US and the Japanese.Dogfight mode is similar to the Skirmish or Instant action modes of play in other games. After selecting a venue, weather conditions (which do not affect controls, only visibility), aircraft type, and difficulty, the computer will endlessly spawn AI craft, always of the opposing nation, at the player. There are three possible victory conditions which the player can choose from:
- Time Attack - the player must survive for a certain time limit (minimum 5 minutes, maximum 20, in increments of 5 minutes) to win.
- King of the Sky - the player must destroy a certain number of enemy craft (minimum 5 enemies, maximum 20, in increments of 5 enemies) to win.
- Fly and Die - the game ends when the player is shot down.
There are two modes of LAN or Internet play - either a deathmatch in which last plane flying wins, or a team deathmatch in which the last team surviving wins.
Reception
The game received a 64 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
indicating mixed or average reviews.