U.N. Squadron | SNES | Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Tactical Aerial Combat in Area 88

U.N. Squadron, known as Area 88 in Japan, is a side-scrolling arcade-style shoot-'em-up developed and published by Capcom Co., Ltd. and distributed in North America by Capcom U.S.A., Inc. Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on a physical cartridge in September 1991, this single-player 2D scrolling action title tasks players with defending allied airspace around Area 88 from encroaching hostile armies across military aircraft-based scenarios.

Choose Your Mercenary Pilot

At the outset of the campaign, you select one of three distinct pilots: Shin Kazama, Micky Schymon, or Greg Gates. Each aviator brings unique personal aptitudes to the cockpit, differing across flying skill, weapon handling, and damage repair capabilities. These pilot traits actively shape your combat survivability and offensive rhythm during intense aerial dogfights, demanding that players weigh pilot strengths against their personal flying style.

Hangar Progression and Aircraft Loadouts

Your combat tour begins behind the controls of the F8E Crusader, the weakest plane in the hangar equipped only with very basic range weapons. By destroying enemy targets and completing challenging missions, you raise combat cash to invest between sorties. That earned money allows you to purchase higher-quality aircraft from the hangar.

Acquiring superior planes substantially improves your combat effectiveness. Upgraded fighters are more agile, possess a greater range of fire, and feature improved resilience to incoming damage. Furthermore, these advanced warplanes can be outfitted with formidable special weapons, including devastating payloads like napalm to clear stubborn defensive ground emplacements and dense enemy swarms.

Challenging Sorties and Formidable Threats

The campaign delivers varied tactical operations across contested terrain. Missions challenge pilots to execute assaults on fortified sand bases, destroy hostile enemy supply camps, and neutralize the massive nuclear submarine known as 'Seavet'. Between primary assault runs, you must also see off swarming groups of airborne 'bandits' attempting to breach allied airspace around Area 88.

With plentiful adversaries and a frantic gameplay pace, survival requires lightning-fast gamepad reflexes and deliberate strategic spending. Choosing the right pilot, investing hard-earned bounties into upgraded aircraft, and matching special ordnance to tactical objectives form the backbone of this classic Capcom SNES shooter.