History YMMV / AceCombat

* AwardSnub: The ''Ace Combat'' fandom was utterly ''incensed'' when it was announced that ''7'''s phenomenal soundtrack wouldn't even be among the nominees for best music for the 2019 edition of The Game Awards, being passed over by less outstanding choices like ''VideoGame/DeathStranding''. Some even declared that they wouldn't watch the show because it's become nothing more than a popularity contest with no quality control on it.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' had an intricate wingman interaction system and a TechTree that unlocked more advanced versions of the starter planes. While both mechanics were slightly refined in ''ACZ'' and ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception ACX]]'', respectively, they have since been completely dropped, though AC7 did introduce a similar airplane tree to the Tech Tree.
** ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' revolved around a KarmaMeter named "Ace Style", which dynamically determined the enemies you'd face and their dialogue depending on your conduct at the battlefield. It has never been used again. This game also introduced the idea of missions consisting of multiple operations. It was similar to the Operations System of AC6 (See below), except you chose which operation you wanted to do in a menu prior to the mission, then did just that operation, with the implication that certain operations happen before others, and you are merely choosing which strike team you wanted to be part of. This too did not return in future installments.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' had an intricate wingman interaction system and a TechTree that unlocked more advanced versions of the starter planes. While both mechanics were slightly refined in ''ACZ'' and ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception ACX]]'', respectively, they have since been completely dropped.
** ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' revolved around a KarmaMeter named "Ace Style", which dynamically determined the enemies you'd face and their dialogue depending on your conduct at the battlefield. It has never been used again.

* HilariousInHindsight: Consider who plays [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch P.J.]] and [[Creator/YuriLowenthal Pixy]] in ''Ace Combat Zero''. Watch ''Anime/CodeGeass''.
* {{HSQ}}: Rises dramatically once you see the second trailer for ''Assault Horizon''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MNYruNnBzc Just watch]].

* GoddamnedBats: Normal mook planes and [=SAMs=] when fighting aces at the same time. The ballistic missiles in Ace Combat 04 are just '''really''' annoying to shoot down. If you watch the flight path replay at the debriefing, you'll notice they goes side to side and up and down in a sawtooth pattern. Even the GameBreaker QAAM missiles have a hard time with this one.

** Strangereal: Has peace for 5 minutes Belka:COWABUNGA IT IS!!In reference to the endless wars and conflicts that have plagued Strangereal for 2 decades now all because of the country of Belka

** Strangereal: Has peace for 5 minutes Belka:COWABUNGA IT IS!! [[note]] In reference to the endless wars and conflicts that have plagued Strangereal for 2 decades now all because of the country of Belka

** Strangereal: Has peace for 5 minutes Belka:COWABUNGA IT IS!![[note]]In reference to the endless wars and conflicts that have plagued Strangereal for 2 decades now all because of the country of Belka

** Strangereal: Has peace for 5 minutes Belka:COWABUNGA IT IS!!In reference to the endless wars and conflicts that have plagued Strangereal for 2 decades now all because of the country of Belka

** Strangereal: Has peace for 5 minutes Belka:COWABUNGA IT IS!!
In reference to the endless wars and conflicts that have plagued Strangereal for 2 decades now all because of the country of Belka

** Sulejmani from ''Joint Assault''. For most of the battle he has a rear mounted machine gun forcing you to use the machine gun and once it's destroyed, you're still better off using the gun because he moves so erratically that most of your missiles would miss anyway. All the while you're trying to avoid his missiles, which sometimes are being launched at point blank range.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The WTC shows up in the Japanese release of ''Electrosphere''.

* CreatorsPet: Not a character, but a plane. The F-22 Raptor is the most common "canon plane" in the Ace Combat series, being associated with [[VideoGame/AirCombat Phoenix]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies Mobius 1]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception Gryphus One]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault Antares One]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon William Bishop]], and [[VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown Trigger]].

** Most AA Guns aren't a huge threat. In certain cases, however, they're far more accurate than the standard ones and make it a challenge to destroy them without taking some damage yourself. Notable examples are the guns on the [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar Hrimfaxi]], on [[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation Chandlier]], and pretty much all AA Guns in ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'', likely due to the lock-on range of standard missiles being a bit shorter than future installments.

** Forget "Grand Flight", there's a mission in Ace Combat X that is even worse: '''''TIME LIMIT'''''. The mission in question is similar to Ace Combat 5's "Reprisal" in the sense you must stop the use of chemical weapons with a neutralizing agent. However, there's a nasty twist in this mission: go too fast or turn too hard, and you'll explode the agent. You basically have to watch yourself with the speed and angles while being hounded by enemy fighters, which is considered to be the most frustrating mission in the game if not the entire series.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation'' had the Operations System, where almost every mission consisted of several simultaneous sub-operations and you won if [[FractionalWinningCondition the majority of them were completed]]. No later game reused the same system.

* CreatorsPet: Not a character, but a plane. The F-22 Raptor is the most common "canon plane" in the Ace Combat series, being associated with [[VideoGame/AirCombat Phoenix]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies Mobius 1]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception Gryphus One]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault Antares One]], and [[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon William Bishop]]. Though it's arguably downplayed considering Phoenix is also associated with the Su-35.

*** Also, in the previous mission, [[spoiler:you know how Yellow 13 felt when he lost Yellow 4? Now it happens to ''you'', as Mihaly ambushes and shoots down [[KillTheCutie Brownie]], a young lady pilot who was flying back to base after her plane was damaged in the battle. It doesn't help that Brownie gradually undergoes an emotional breakdown as she realizes she's going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it from happening.]]

* CreatorsPet: Not a character, but a plane. The F-22 Raptor is the most common "canon plane" in the Ace Combat series, being associated with [[VideoGame/AirCombat Phoenix]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies Mobius 1]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception Gryphus One]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault Antares One]], and [[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon William Bishop]]. Though it's arguably downplayed considering Phoenix and Antares One are also associated with the Su-35 and Su-37, respectively.

** Most AA Guns aren't a huge threat In certain cases, however, they're far more accurate than the standard ones and make it a challenge to destroy them without taking some damage yourself. Notable examples are the guns on the [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar Hrimfaxi]], on [[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation Chandlier]], and pretty much all AA Guns in ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'', likely due to the lock-on range of standard missiles being a bit shorter than future installments.

** The Arkibrd. It launches UAV drones that constantly spam missiles and you have to destroy targets on the large ship that are underneath it. Except one of the targets is located on the front of the plane where its fuselage gives it a great deal of cover. Oh, and you're under a strict time limit, you have to basically destroy most of the Arkbird before it leaves the map (and it starts close to half way across).

** Forget "Grand Flight", there's a mission in Ace Combat X that is [[UpToEleven even worse]]: '''''TIME LIMIT'''''. The mission in question is similar to Ace Combat 5's "Reprisal" in the sense you must stop the use of chemical weapons with a neutralizing agent. However, there's a nasty twist in this mission: go too fast or turn too hard, and you'll explode the agent. You basically have to watch yourself with the speed and angles while being hounded by enemy fighters, which is considered to be the most frustrating mission in the game if not the entire series.

* HilariousInHindsight: Consider who plays [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch P.J.]] and [[Creator/YuriLowenthal Pixy]] in ''Ace Combat Zero''. Watch ''Anime/CodeGeass''.

*** The Arkibrd. It launches UAV drones that constantly spam missiles and you have to destroy targets on the large ship that are underneath it. Except one of the targets is located on the front of the plane where its fuselage gives it a great deal of cover. Oh, and you're under a strict time limit, you have to basically destroy most of the Arkbird before it leaves the map (and it starts close to half way across).
** Ofnir from the same game, primarily since you're forced to stay in the canyon, while they can go as high as they want.

** "[[http://i.imgur.com/UNxWOVD.png Please understand.]]", usually accompanied by an image of Kazutoki Kono 'wryly smiling', became a minor meme in player's community after the series producer apologized for no-show of upcoming ''VideoGame/AceCombat7'' at E3 2016.

** "[[http://i.imgur.com/UNxWOVD.png Please understand.]]", usually accompanied by an image of Kazutoki Kono 'wryly smiling', became a minor meme in player's community after the series producer apologized for no-show of upcoming ''Ace Combat 7'' at E3 2016.

** You think "Four Horsemen" is bad? Play Ace Combat X2's "Grand Flight". Let's see, you're flying an airliner in a canyon loaded to the teeth with defenses, and you have no escort whatsoever or any means of fighting back. If you make it through ''that'', then you have to survive an ambush. This one mission alone is worse than every other example in the Ace Combat series ''combined''.
** Forget "Grand Flight", there's a mission in Ace Combat X that is [[UpToEleven even worse]]: '''''TIME LIMIT'''''. The mission in question is similar to Ace Combat 5's "Reprisal" in the sense you must stop the use of chemical weapons with a neutralizing agent. However, there's a nasty twist in this mission: go too fast or turn too hard, and you'll explode the agent. You basically have to watch yourself with the speed and angles while being hounded by enemy fighters, which is considered to be the most frustrating mission in the game if not the entire series.

* JumpScare: In the three UsefulNotes/PS1 games at least, the explosion of your plane when you crash or get shot down is EXTREMELY loud and can happen any second that you muck up, so it wouldn't be too surprising if it crapped you up at least once, especially since crashing in particular is usually [[OneHitKill deadly]].