1943: The Battle of Midway is the direct continuation Capcom released in 1987 following the success of 1942, once again set in the Pacific War but with the lead plane able to temporarily transform into a special fighter and build up an energy bar recharged by collecting items, instead of relying only on separate lives. The structure follows the classic vertical shoot 'em up formula: waves of Japanese fighters, battleships as boss fights, and power-ups that multiply firepower.
Today it's remembered as one of the most polished shmups of the late 80s, a middle step between Capcom's pure arcade era and the genre explosion that Toaplan and company would bring in the 90s. Worth playing today for that balance of fair difficulty and steady pace, without the bullet avalanche that would define the following generation.
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