<s>
1942	B-Application
is	O
a	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
game	O
made	O
by	O
Capcom	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
arcades	O
in	O
1984	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designed	O
by	O
Yoshiki	O
Okamoto	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
194X	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
1943	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
of	I-Application
Midway	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Pacific	O
Theater	O
of	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
loosely	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Battle	O
of	O
Midway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
in	O
arcades	O
,	O
becoming	O
Japan	O
's	O
fifth	O
highest-grossing	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
and	O
one	O
of	O
top	O
five	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
conversion	O
kits	O
that	O
year	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
NES	B-Language
,	O
selling	O
over	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
other	O
home	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
was	O
also	O
the	O
first	O
Capcom	O
game	O
designed	O
with	O
Western	O
markets	O
in	O
mind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
,	O
NEC	B-Device
PC-8801	I-Device
,	O
FM-7	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Sharp	B-Device
X1	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Famicom	O
version	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Micronics	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
version	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
May	O
2000	O
and	O
the	O
PAL	O
region	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
games	O
publisher	O
Elite	O
Systems	O
later	O
released	O
versions	O
for	O
the	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
,	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Commodore	O
64	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
1942	B-Application
on	O
their	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
1985	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
fourth	O
most-popular	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
for	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
Japan	O
's	O
seventh	O
highest-grossing	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
during	O
the	O
first	O
half	O
of	O
1986	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
overall	O
fifth	O
highest-grossing	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
five	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
conversion	O
kits	O
of	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
top-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
on	O
the	O
Euromax	O
arcade	B-Application
charts	O
for	O
five	O
months	O
in	O
1987	O
,	O
from	O
July	O
through	O
November	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NES	B-Language
version	O
sold	O
over	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
was	O
Capcom	O
's	O
breakaway	O
hit	O
,	O
eclipsing	O
in	O
popularity	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
preceding	O
three	O
titles	O
:	O
Vulgus	B-Device
,	O
Sonson	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Pirate	B-Application
Ship	I-Application
Higemaru	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mike	O
Roberts	O
reviewed	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
in	O
the	O
May	O
1985	O
issue	O
of	O
British	O
magazine	O
Computer	O
Gamer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
noting	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
scenario	O
was	O
"	O
an	O
odd	O
subject	O
for	O
a	O
Japanese	O
arcade	B-Application
manufacturer	O
"	O
to	O
take	O
up	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
it	O
has	O
"	O
very	O
nice	O
graphics	O
"	O
especially	O
the	O
"	O
graphically	O
excellent	O
loops	O
"	O
and	O
had	O
an	O
"	O
original	O
"	O
gameplay	O
feature	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
percentage	O
high	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
Capcom	O
title	O
to	O
spawn	O
a	O
successful	O
series	O
of	O
sequels	O
,	O
with	O
five	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
194X	O
line	O
released	O
from	O
1987	O
to	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
Capcom	O
's	O
other	O
vertical	O
shooters	O
featured	O
very	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Varth	B-Application
:	I-Application
Operation	I-Application
Thunderstorm	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
in	O
Capcom	O
Generations	O
1	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
Capcom	B-Application
Classics	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Capcom	B-Application
Classics	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
:	I-Application
Reloaded	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
December	O
21	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
the	O
PAL	O
and	O
North	O
American	O
regions	O
in	O
January	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
:	I-Application
Joint	I-Application
Strike	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	O
Arcade	B-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1942	B-Application
:	O
First	O
Strike	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
