23. 1943: The Battle at Midway (1987)
How bizarre is it that a game produced in Japan (that is loosely based on the Battle of Midway) tasks the player with destroying Japanese aircraft en route to sinking a Japanese warship? That’s super weird right? Anyway…
As a sequel, 1943 improved on 1942 in nearly every way. Two players can now play simultaneously, the action is faster, there are more upgrades, more items, more variety in enemies. The controls are as tight as ever, and the series’ signature “loop” button that temporarily takes the player off of the 2D plane of action is a brilliant way to simulate World War II dogfights.
You’re more likely to see 1942 in a retro arcade, but 1943 is where it’s at.
Image Source: alphacoders