Control a WWII-style plane over 32 vertically scrolling sea and landscapes. Shoot various types of enemy planes. Collect a variety of weapon power-ups.

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 player pilots a plane dubbed the "Super Ace" (but its appearance is clearly that of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning). The player has to shoot down enemy planes; to avoid enemy fire, the player can perform a roll or "loop-the-loop".