History VideoGame / AceCombat

Part of ''Ace Combat'' 's appeal is that games, starting from ''Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies'', features real-life planes and experimental fighter jets, often working with many aerospace manufacturers in the world such as [[https://www.lockheedmartin.com/ Lockheed Martin]], [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Aircraft Fairchild Aircraft]] and [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman Northrop Grumman]] to achieve the amount of authenticity and realism seen with the planes of real-life military.

''Ace Combat'' is a series of arcade-style combat flight games, involving [[SimulationGame flight sim]] levels of graphical detail but without all the fiddly realistic controls; the play style is something between {{Shoot Em Up}}s and the ActionGame. Developed and published by Creator/BandaiNamcoGames under the ''Project Aces'' production team, the games are semi-realistic, featuring real-life aircraft and such things as planes stalling if they slow down too much, but combined with aircraft that carry [[HyperspaceArsenal hundreds of missiles at once]] and [[BottomlessFuelTanks unlimited]] [[EasyLogistics fuel]]. Most of the games take place in a FictionalEarth named Strangereal, one similar to and yet very different from our own.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ace-combat-wallpaper2_832.jpg]][[caption-width-right:350: That kind of pilot, they call the Demon Lord. That kind of plane, they call GodModeSue.]]

''Ace Combat'' is a series of arcade-style combat flight games, involving [[SimulationGame flight sim]] levels of graphical detail but without all the fiddly realistic controls; the play style is something between {{Shoot Em Up}}s and the ActionGame. The games are semi-realistic, featuring real-life aircraft and such things as planes stalling if they slow down too much, but combined with aircraft that carry [[HyperspaceArsenal hundreds of missiles at once]] and [[BottomlessFuelTanks unlimited]] [[EasyLogistics fuel]]. Most of the games take place in a FictionalEarth named Strangereal, one similar to and yet very different from our own.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' (''Squadron Leader'' in the EU) - In 2010, a series of mysterious recon activities leads to a war between the Union of Yuktobanian Republics and the Osean Federation. However, the real cause of the war is not as straightforward as it first appears.

%% commenting out UsefulNotes, they do not belong in trope example lists * UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars: After being a Platform/PlayStation and Platform/PlayStation2 exclusive for its entire run (with the exception of ''VideoGame/AceCombatAdvance''), when the series made the leap to UsefulNotes/{{the seventh generation|OfConsoleVideoGames}}, what platform did it land on? The Platform/XBox360. Its handheld outings would remain exclusive to the Platform/PlayStationPortable until ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' and its UpdatedRerelease ''Assault Horizon Legacy+'' came out for the [[Platform/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] , however, while ''Assault Horizon'' also came out for Platform/PlayStation3 alongside the 360 and ''Infinity'' is a [=PS3=] exclusive.
%% commenting out UsefulNotes, they do not belong in trope example lists ** UsefulNotes/PCVsConsole: ''Assault Horizon'' [[http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/ace-combat-assault-horizon-maneuvers-onto-pc-in-europe-q1-2013/ now has a PC port]], marking the series' PC debut.

%% commenting out UsefulNotes, they do not belong in trope example lists * UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars: After being a UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 exclusive for its entire run (with the exception of ''VideoGame/AceCombatAdvance''), when the series made the leap to UsefulNotes/{{the seventh generation|OfConsoleVideoGames}}, what platform did it land on? The UsefulNotes/XBox360. Its handheld outings would remain exclusive to the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable until ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' and its UpdatedRerelease ''Assault Horizon Legacy+'' came out for the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] , however, while ''Assault Horizon'' also came out for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 alongside the 360 and ''Infinity'' is a [=PS3=] exclusive.

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation2:

* [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]]:

* UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance:

* UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}}:

* Xbox 360, UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, PC:

* UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, PC:

Also worth mentioning is ''Anime/TheSkyCrawlers: Innocent Aces'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoWii, a LicensedGame of the ''Sky Crawlers'' anime. Though it has no direct ties with the ''Ace Combat'' universe, it was created by the same team and features the same arcade-sim air combat feel; as a result, many fans see it as a SpiritualAdaptation.

* Interquel: With the {{Retcon}} of ''Air Combat'' being the very first game of the Strangereal timeline, every game after ''Electrosphere'' (currently the ''last'' game of the timeline) retroactively becomes this.

* InTheStyleOf:
** Directly comparing the "Megalith ~Agnus Dei~" with the standard rendition, or "Zero" with "Unsung War", the differences in rendering make it difficult to tell that they are meant to have the same lyrics.
** "First Flight" from ''5'' is listed in the OST as an arranged version of "Blockade" from ''04'', but there's really not much similarity between the two unless you can slow the latter down massively. Operation Katina also has a remix of "Elemental Particle" from ''2''.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' - In the 2040s, the world is ruled by [[MegaCorp corporations]] who fight over territorial disputes. The rumours of a new SuperPrototype threaten to upset the balance of power. Released outside of Japan as a BadExportForYou, lacking StoryBranching, the cutscenes or anything that made the game iconic.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombatAdvance'' - In 2032, [[MegaCorp Corporations]] begin to dominate the world and [[OneNationUnderCopyright corpocracies]] now control as much of the world as independent democracies. One corporation, General Resource, creates the Air Strike Force to help take over the remaining independent countries and use them to gain more resources. As a pilot of the United Air Defense, you are the last hope for the remaining independent republics as you stop General Resource from taking over the world. [[NoExportForYou The first game in the series not to see a Japanese release.]]

* WeDoTheImpossible: The player's reputation.

''Ace Combat'' is a series of arcade-style combat flight games, involving [[SimulationGame flight sim]] levels of graphical detail but without all the fiddly realistic controls; the play style is something between {{Shoot Em Up}}s and the ActionGame. The games are semi-realistic, featuring real-life aircraft and such things as planes stalling if they slow down too much, but combined with aircraft that carry [[HyperspaceArsenal hundreds of missiles at once]] and [[BottomlessFuelTanks unlimited]] [[EasyLogistics fuel]]. Most of the games take place in an FictionalEarth named Strangereal, one similar to and yet very different from our own.

* HighSpeedMissileDodge: Without countermeasures it's the only defense against enemy missiles. Yes, despite what some people claim, [[AluminumChristmasTrees this is a basic tactic taught and used in Real Life]]. It just [[RealityIsUnrealistic doesn't look the same]] as it does in (most) fiction because fictional missiles usually lack proximity fuses.

* NamesTheSame: InUniverse. Thanks to changes in ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' and the later arrival of ''Ace Combat 7'', there are now '''three''' conflicts in the series that go by the name of "Usean Continental War". Worse, most sources agree to only officially call two of the three by that name, but can't decide on ''which'' two - the war from ''04'', the original one release-wise, is both the First and the Second Continental War depending on whether your source counts the Usean Rebellion from ''AHL'' as the first one or the Lighthouse War of ''7'' as the second.

* SpeedRun: Taking the fastest plane available through the enclosed-area {{Scrappy Level}}s at maximum power, such as taking "Greased Lightning" from ''2'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3NPNSsj52w in the X-29]] or "Aces" from ''5'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmDlA8AM0s in the MiG-31]].

In 2011, the Strangereal series, specifically the third installment ''Electrosphere'', seems to have been {{retcon}}ned into the ''[[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/United_Galaxy_Space_Force United Galaxy Space Force]]'' series, also tentatively known as [[TheVerse Namcoverse]]. Said series seems to unite many of the futuristic games previously released by Namco, where the Strangereal games are the chronologically earliest installments.

* AnimalThemeNaming: The Yellow Squadron's ''official'' designation is "Aquila" (Latin and Italian for "Eagle"). Over two dozen [[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_aces_in_Ace_Combat_Zero Belkan aces]] are named after various birds ([[BilingualBonus in German]]), and another dozen, after animals (ditto). Aurelia's air force likewise have bird genera for squadron names, as do the individual pilots of Emmeria's 15th squadron.

* LethalJokeCharacter: ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' includes the sub-sonic propeller-driven UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-era F6F-5 Hellcat and [=A6M5=] Zero. They lack the speed necessary to chase after a critical target in a later mission in the story and cannot use missiles, and aren't meant to be taken seriously in general. However, they have extremely powerful guns to make up for it, the Hellcat has a higher mobility potential than every other plane in the game except for the XFA-27.

* LightningBruiser: Most of the late-/end-game planes can tank more hits than earlier ones while still being faster, more agile, and carrying more ammo. ''Especially'' the superfighters.

* MassOhCrap: Usually signalled by [[TheDreaded the arrival of your squadron]].
** ''Zero'' has a spectacular one when [[SuperweaponSurprise Excalibur makes its debut]]. One second, all the pilots in the operation relax after having cleared the airspace from enemy fighters, Cipher and Pixy form up with a flight of five cargo planes for what looks like an EscortMission... then suddenly a laser beam sweeps down from the sky and instakills three cargo planes with zero warning. Cue everyone still alive screaming over each other in confusion and panic as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvUsZZgjAws this]] kicks in - including resident wisecracker Pixy, who for the first time in the game sounds more than a little nervous.

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: All of the optional [[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_aces_in_Ace_Combat_04 Erusean aces]] are named after famous astronomers.

** ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' nerfed the tactical laser system from a near instant-kill beam of death (as in ''Ace Combat 5'' and ''Zero'') to a wiffle bat that needs several seconds on target to score a kill. It was also nerfed in ''Infinity'' and ''7'' for multiplayer balance reasons. ''7'' in particular is a case of in-universe UniquenessDecay as a weaker mass-produced version was added to common planes while the original overpowered versions remained on the FALKEN and Morgan.

* OneNationUnderCopyright: ''Electrosphere'', where corporations have long superceded governments in economic and political control.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: The real-life planes are almost always outdone statistically by the game-original superfighters. [[BoringYetPractical Of course, unlocking them is also easier, making them more frequently used anyway]]. [[InfinityMinusOneSword Besides, the fifth gen fighters certainly aren't lacking at all]].

** AA guns usually aren't much threat on lower difficulties, much less able to take down your missiles and bombs, such that when "high-performance" triple-A that '''can''' show up in ''X: Skies of Deception'', the briefing and AWACS guy feel a need to emphasise it. Also, [[spoiler: Sulejmani's Varcolac]] from ''Joint Assault'' mounts a rear-facing anti-missile gatling.

* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: [[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Ace_Combat_Zero:_The_Belkan_War#Cultural_references Lots of it]] in ''ACZ''. Also, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinfaxi Scinfaxi, Hrimfaxi]], ''[[Literature/TheBible Ark]]''bird, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graback#Prose_Edda Grabacr, and Ofnir]] in ''[=AC5=]''.

* TheDreaded: A staple of the franchise. Due to how impossibly good your characters are, enemies crap their pants in fear at THE VERY POSSIBILITY of your presence. A few enemy squadrons also have the same reputation, until they're shot down by you.

* WeaponOfChoice: Though you can choose any plane available in the game and are encouraged to choose different planes for different missions, each game generally has the main pilot have a "canon" plane they preferred, which is featured on the boxart.
** Mobius One and his Raptor, even though it's only available from the penultimate mission of ''Shattered Skies''. It later returns in ''Ace Combat 5'' as his plane for [[GaidenGame Operation Katina]]. The F-22 is also the "canon" plane of Gryphus One in ''X'', William Bishop/Warwolf One in ''Assault Horizon'', and Reaper in ''Infinity''.
** Almost all of the promotional material for ''Zero'' shows Cipher and Pixy in [=F-15Cs=]. This gets to the point that you can't even tell Pixy to fly anything else, unlike the squadmates in ''5'' or ''6''.
** The official planes of the Wardog/Razgriz squadron are F-14A Tomcats. Unlike other examples, this is actually justified in the game's story. After a certain mission you're immediately given four F-14As for free and are required to play that specific plane for the next mission because you're limited to carrier based aircraft [[spoiler: due to being labeled as traitors by your country]]. This later gets a MidSeasonUpgrade into the F-14D Super Tomcat, which then becomes Blaze's official plane in all future appearances.
** Phoenix from the first two games has had three canonical planes. In the original release he used the Su-35E Flanker. In the remake, it was changed to the F-22 Raptor. In either game, it's "canon" that Scarface Squadron gets a MidSeasonUpgrade to the fictional [=XFA-27=] towards the last missions of the game.
** Talisman from ''6'' is shown with the F-15E Strike Eagle, whereas his wingmate Shamrock (plus most of the Emmerian Air Force) is shown with the F-16C Fighting Falcon, both excellent multirole aircraft. This matches with the game's [[FractionalWinningCondition mission operations]], as every mission in the game has you going around the map and supporting all your allies with many different objectives.

* IconicOutfit: When appearing in other games as cameos, the protagonists (and when applicable, their famous rivals) always appear with their [[WeaponOfChoice signature plane]] and their NoseArt. Lacking either one, and it definitely isn't them.

** In ''5'', the 8492nd Squadron flies the [[RareVehicles F-15 S/MTD]] up until the final mission, where they fly Su-[=47s=] instead. Your squadron's official plane is the F-14A Tomcat.

* JustPlaneWrong: Averted for the most part, although it does indulge in RareVehicles quite a bit. Also subverted as some implausibly cool-looking superfighters have been successfully modelled as airworthy under the limitations of early 21st century flight technology.
** Except of course, the Neucom's R-series (at least the more advanced ones). The R-211 Orcinus and R-102/3 shouldn't be able to fly with what we currently know about aerodynamics.

* RareVehicles: Many (real-world) flyable aircraft are either prototypes, technology demonstrators, or canceled projects that never made it into mass production.
** Most JustForFun/{{egregious}} is the Aurora and ''every boss plane''. Not to mention "normally" (on any difficulty regardless of performance) flyable top-tier/endgame planes such as the "S-37A" (''04'')/"S-32" (''5'')/Su-47 Berkut (''Zero'' and ''6'').
*** The Su-47 and F-15 ACTIVE have it the worst in ''04'' - Erusea has enough of them that they're letting the RedshirtArmy fly them in the penultimate mission, when only ''one'' of each currently exists in the real world.
*** Subverted in a sort of weird way in ''Zero'': Gelb Squadron is the only encounter in the game where you're guaranteed to fight Su-[=37s=]. There are two of them in the squad, the same number built in real life. There are, however, two more named Su-37 pilots later in the game, but they only appear on Ace difficulty, and one of them (who may or may not be the future leader of the Yellow Squadron), only in the Knight Style.
** Another offender is the F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006, with a few planes going to museums and the rest getting scrapped. Although most of the AC games were made before the retirement, ''Assault Horizon'' is a particularly egregious offender since the game was made in 2011, is set in the near future, and one of the trailers shows an entire squadron of operational F-14s. Another possible offense in the same game is the PAK FA, which at the time of the game's release was still in the testing phase, and only a few prototypes exist. Even after its supposed introduction to service in 2015, the year before ''Assault Horizon'' takes place, problems meant that the PAK FA was still relegated to testing until now.
** ''Assault Horizon'' gets a similar subversion to the example from ''Zero'' with the Su-47 - although you can use it to your heart's content once you have access to it, there is not a single enemy anywhere in the campaign that is flying it.
* RealLife: ''Joint Assault'' for the PSP, ''Assault Horizon'' for the 360, [=PS3=] and PC, and ''Infinity'' for [=PS3=] all take place in real-world locations, though Infinity takes elements from the entire series.

''Ace Combat'' is a series of arcade-style combat flight games, involving [[SimulationGame flight sim]] levels of graphical detail but without all the fiddly realistic controls; the play style is something between {{Shoot Em Up}}s and the ActionGame. The games are semi-realistic, featuring real-life aircraft and such things as planes stalling if they slow down too much, but combined with aircraft that carry [[HyperspaceArsenal hundreds of missiles at once]] and [[EasyLogistics unlimited fuel]]. Most of the games take place in an FictionalEarth named Strangereal, one similar to and yet very different from our own.

** ''VideoGame/AirCombat'' (''Ace Combat'' in Japan) - A country is invaded by a terrorist group and, to minimize losses, an elite mercenary squadron has been hired to end the war.

* IconicLogo: In a series where nearly every protagonist is a FeaturelessProtagonist, the only things identifying each game's hero is their squadrons' [[NoseArt unique logo]].
** IconicOutfit: When appearing in other games as cameos, the protagonists (and when applicable, their famous rivals) always appear with their [[WeaponOfChoice signature plane]] and their NoseArt. Lacking either one, and it definitely isn't them.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The overpowered-ness of the [=QAAMs=] can be interpreted as what happens when you put a nigh-undefeatable real-world heater from the modern day in a world where the standard missiles are overfed tabbies that can be shaken off without countermeasures simply by making a gentle turn.

# ''Ace Combat 2'' and its remake ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizonLegacy Assault Horizon Legacy]]'': Usean Rebellion/First Usean Continental War (1997/1998)

** ''VideoGame/AceCombatInfinity'' - A downloadable title for the [=PS3=], with a higher focus on multiplayer. Set in the real world around the year of 2019, 20 years after an asteroid impact. [[MythologyGag Aircraft and several superweapons from the older ''Ace Combat'' games make appearances]].

** ''VideoGame/AceCombatInfinity'' - A downloadable title for the [=PS3=], with a higher focus on multiplayer. Set in the real world around the year of 2019, 20 years after an asteroid impact. [[MythologyGag Aircraft and several superweapons from the older Ace Combat games make appearances]].

** Also, ''Electrosphere'' gives the airplanes slightly different names as part of the game's futuristic feel, such as the Eurofighter [=2000E=] Typhoon II and the [=XFA-36A=] ([=McDonnell=] Douglas X-36).