It’s time to look at an airplane fighter that I’ve had on the Wii for a very long time. I tend to enjoy airplane gameplay well enough like in Starfox but I prefer fictional plots so this game never rose that high. We are approaching Christmas though which means an onslaught of games is fast approaching and I needed a short title to see if I could beat it in time. This one was quick enough so I went through and conquered it. It’s definitely a well made game and one that you will have fun with as you master the controls but hold your controller real steady or the motion controls will mess you up.
The game takes place during World War II as you would probably expect. There are 3 campaigns to choose from. You’ve got Germany, Great Britain, and a third one where I didn’t recognize the flag. It appeared to be Russia. Each campaign takes you through 24 missions as you fight through iconic battles. It’s time for you to almost single handily win the war. Are you up for this?
To an extent this game can feel like a beat em up with how many enemies are on screen. There’s one mission where you have to take down over 30 fighters on your own. It’s always a satisfying feeling since you pretty much feel like a champ. Make no mistake though, this game is not very forgiving and you will have to stay on your toes at all times. The game really throws you into the action and doesn’t cover the important controls.
To describe the gameplay a bit more, you are in a plane at all times. Each level will give you an objective such as blowing up all planes or protecting ally ships. There is always a lot happening in each level so be careful not to focus too much on the mission or you’ll get blasted from behind. You have an unlimited machine gun but always let go of the trigger between targets so you don’t overheat the weapon. You also have unlimited bombs which are incredibly handy for attacking ground forces. It does take a few seconds for the bombs to reload but you have so many that it is rarely a factor.
There is one move that the game doesn’t tell you about though and it is a very useful one. In fact, it is the most useful element in the game and without it beating the levels is next to impossible. Holding down the B button slows down time and allows you to really fight the enemy ships. You are slowed down as well, but this helps fight off the motion controls. I basically had it on nonstop during every fight in the game. As soon as a ship would appear I’d activate it. I think the tutorial should have covered such a useful move….
I really don’t see how you could stand up to the legions of planes attacking you without this. They are very fast so you have to turn a lot and if you miss the shots you’ll be wrecked by another ship behind you. Since you are incredibly outnumbered you can expect a ton of sneak attacks from the back. Another handy move is to do a barrel roll. I wasn’t using fancy tricks like that for most of the game but in the final two levels it is something you will want to do.
The toughest confrontations to have in this game are when a fleet of 5-6 planes are heading towards you. If you run or fly at them you’re gonna take a lot of damage. The best thing to do is fly towards them at an angle and barrel roll out of their line of fire. You can then snipe at least 2-3 of them as you head back. Their ships are almost as fast as yours so be sure to slow down at times to aim a bit better.
The graphics are very good. Each ship is pretty detailed and the game brings in different models for each country. There is a lot of good attention to detail here. You can see objects clearly even from a good distance away so there was good effort out here. Then you have the music which is surprisingly sound. The main theme sounds a lot like Final Fantasy music. I’m still pretty surprised at that to be honest. It’s just not what I would have expected to see here but it was a pleasant surprise. It makes the game feel a little grander in scope.
There’s definitely a good amount of replay value here. The 24 missions won’t take you very long at all, but beating them with all factions will help buy some time. Additionally the game is very difficult. It’s one of the harder games I’ve played as of late and as there is no level up system here the only way to conquer the level is simply to get good. There are no shortcuts to success here so you will just have to fight your way to the top no matter how difficult that may seem. Just keep on trying and eventually you will ace the level. If something’s not working I recommend just trying to beat the game from another angle.
Overall, WWII Aces is a solid game that is hampered by the Wii’s signature motion controls. It’s quite challenging so you always have to stay sharp. Aerial combat games often give me a tough time so I was glad that the levels are so short. At least this way I did not have to replay large sections of the game. If you still have a Wii and don’t have this game yet I’d recommend picking it up. I got it for around 2 bucks and that is certainly a steal. You’ll be glad you got it.
Overall 6/10
Stats time!
Total Campaign Score 164303
Now this might have been the toughest list I’ve ever had to write here. Food is difficult to make a top 10 of because there are so many variations. How deep do you go? For example, there are hundreds of different pizza flavors. If I went that far into detail it would take up all 10 slots. Then you’ve got things that are really similar like Cheese fries with normal French Fries, Macaroni Cheese vs Fettuccini Alfredo, etc. I did my best to just capture the 10 types of foods I enjoy the most without going into the specifics. I’m also thinking of it in terms of averages. For example, Chef Boyarde makes the greatest Spagetti and Meatballs I’ve ever eaten. It would be enough to put that dish in my top 10, but otherwise it wouldn’t even be close. So I’m putting the top 10 that are typically great no matter where I have it. That seemed like the best way to go about this. So without further ado lets take a look at what we got here!
10. French Fries
This is definitely an old standby. You just can’t go wrong with a good French Fry. First off, they go well with almost any condiment. Cheese sauce, Honey Mustard, Ketchup, Blue Cheese, BBQ, etc. Naturally they taste great by themselves as well. Another thing that really helps them rank up here is how they are so versatile. You can put them in a sandwich or on a pizza and you’ll be all good. It’s the perfect option to kick off the top 10.
9. Potatoes au Gratin
This one’s a more obscure option, but a fantastic one nonetheless. Few items go together as well as potatoes and cheese. Most of the recipes I have made over the years use both for that reason. A good Au Gratin should be extremely cheesy and filled with the diced potatoes. It’s an amazing combo and it a good substitute for Lasagna if you aren’t able to eat pasta. Tomato sauce is optional for this dish but it definitely does work out quite well.
8. Cheeseburger
This is another classic dish. I typically like to have my Cheeseburgers with bacon but just about anything works out really well. My favorite burger place of all time is McDonalds, but just about any will do. My preferred way to cook them is well done to really get that flavor in. I really enjoy all of the special burgers the various chains have been coming out with lately like the Breakfast burger that usually has a fried egg in it, any with fried onions, triple cheese, etc. Burgers are just amazing and I could eat them all day. It goes without saying but any item in the top 10 is one I could go for on just about any given day.
7. Cheese Calzone
A Cheese Calzone is really just a pizza without sauce. If you’ve got some marinara cups on hand then this essentially is a pizza. I really enjoy Calzones and the only reason I don’t have them more often is because I’m typically enjoying a pizza instead. A good Calzone should have a lot of ricotta cheese and ingeneral will be stuffed with flavor. I also enjoy the Ham and Cheese version of the one with Pepperoni in it. It’s pretty similar to a Stromboli to be honest so you could interchange them. A Cheese Calzone is usually a side item for me, but you could use it as a main one as well.
6. Mashed Potatoes
This is one of the gold standards of food. Not only is it an amazing dish, but it is absolutely mandatory for events such as Thanksgiving. Potatoes are one of the greatest foods out there and as a base ingredient, it may only be behind pasta and cheese. Good mashed potatoes only need some butter and you are absolutely set for action. You can also add some other items though, I once had a really good Mashed Potatoes with bits of bacon thrown in. It goes without saying that cheese and other meats go well too. Almost every fast food place has this as a side order for good reason. There’s not much to say about Mash because everyone already knows how good it is.
5. General Tso’s Chicken
It’s time for a sweet addition. General Tso’s Chicken is pretty nostalgic as I still remember the first time I had it in the Manhattan Mall. To date that was the best version of it I’ve ever had. People make this dish in a variety of ways. My personal favorite is to have a very thick sauce accompanying the chicken. It should be sweet, but have a good impact that you won’t soon forget. The only counter side here is that I can’t eat a sweet dish for too long without getting full so I need a lot of white rice with it. That’s why this is the perfect accompaniment. It’s not uncommon to have it with pizza or Mashed potatoes. One of my personal favorite combos is to put it with Macaroni and Cheese. Part of why this one is ranked so high is because the taste is so amazing and unique. You can’t really find anything quite like this.
4. Boulders of Justice
There is no official name for this that I know of so I coined the phrase. I think the closest thing to a name would be calling this Cheese Balls. It’s effectively Mashed Potatoes with Cheese chunks embedded into it. You roll the potato into a ball, puncture a hole in it and then fill it with cheese. You cover it with more potato, wrap in breading and bake/fry til done. It’s my personal favorite recipe and it took a lot of tweaking until it was just right. Now it’s something I could eat all day every day. On my best day I’ve eaten around 20 of these at once. It mixes all of my favorite tastes together into a wonderful dish of bliss. I highly recommend messing around with potato and cheese until you find a balance that works for you as well.
3. Lasagna
Now we’re heading into the big 3 and these guys are in a class of their own. I’ve literally eaten so much Lasagna that I got sick for a very long time. (Ate almost a full tub of Lasagna) It’s definitely a dish that is dangerously addicting with how good it is. The best part is that it’s super easy to make and it will taste great. I add as much as cheese as possible going up to almost a full pound. I could still eat a full tub of it but I like to think I’d show more restraint in the future. This is one dish that is never a side order, it’s definitely the main star of the party at all times.
2. Macaroni and Cheese
This was actually number 1 for me for many years. I think Pizza only passed it maybe 2 years ago. Macaroni and Cheese is just sacred. It’s pasta and cheese which may sound simple, but the flavor is quite complex. Whether it’s from the box or from the tin this is great. I find that it’s impossible to mess this one up. So long as there is cheese this dish will always be amazing. I even got to taste a sugar Macaroni and Cheese once which I had never heard of before, but was eager to try. It was actually really good which really supported my theory that it will always taste amazing. Naturally the more cheese the better, but this dish goes well al dente or soft and mushy. I’ve experimented in so many ways with this dish and had a blast doing it.
1. Pizza
This is the ultimate dish. You simply can’t beat a good pizza. I could eat this every day all day and not get tired of it. I once went a whole summer to Mike’s $1 pizza. Literally every week day I went there and got my slice while still having pizza on the weekends. Pizza is the epitome of perfection and I doubt we will ever be able to create a dish that comes close. There are limitless amazing flavors like Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese, Steak, etc. I may do a top 10 Pizza varieties or pizza shops at some point. As we speak I am getting hungry for more pizza. Frozen, Store bought, homemade, I don’t care which I just want some good pizza!
So those are my top 10 foods. All 10 are naturally amazing. The top 3 certainly do break away from the other 7 quite a bit, but all of them are dynamite 10/10 dishes. I’ve never gotten to try having all 10 at once and even for me that would be difficult, but it is something to think about someday. On my Birthday I usually have at least 4 out of 10 so that’s a start.
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