Ace Combat is a Simulator, but not of Reality - A Retrospective

this twisted video is too long, buddy

Pixel art (F/A-18 used in Part 03) by the super talented:

special thank you to the Swedish Air Force Museum for welcoming us into their incredible exhibits

correction note: it was the Federation of Central Usea that spearheaded the construction of Stonehenge.

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References:

Computer and Video Games - Issue 190 (1997-09)(EMAP Images)(GB) (1997, September 1).

Zhao, X., Koda, K., Miyahara, T., Fukazawa, T., & Hirabayashi, T. (ca. 2019). Aces at War: A History 2019 (S. Katabuchi, H. Yoshizaki, & Y. Aoki, Interviewers; A. Mitsumata & K. Seki, Eds.; 2019th, January 18th issue ed.). BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

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thank you.

parts:
00:00 INTRO
03:07 PART 01: The Fledgling Fighter (AC/AC2/AC3)
13:30 PART 02: Of Peak Performance (AC04/AC5/AC0)
39:45 PART 03: Gracemeria, Grace (AC6/Handhelds/ACAH/ACI)
01:02:54 PART 04: The Comeback Kid (AC7)

[assassino]

"Not to capture the reality of aerial combat, but to understand the fantasy of it."
Genius dude, I literally could not have put it better myself. Ace Combat isn't about simulating real-world combat scenarios, what Ace Combat does is make you remember what it felt like running around with your toy planes in the back yard, and bringing THOSE scenarios to life.
One of my earliest memories, at age 4, was me sitting in the livingroom with my dad and eating my supper and watching him play Air Combat. After he finished a mission, he passed me the controller and said "Want to try?" and I played a mission and I was hooked from then on. I still remember how he explained how to play and how to shoot down enemy planes. He's gone now, but even though he's gone, Ace Combat is still here, so he sorta is too. I grew up with this franchise, and I fully intend to pass it onto my children. I'm gonna make playing Ace Combat a family tradition.

Anyway, that's what I've come to believe, and I think that's enough.

[dragonfluf]

How fitting that such a long video opens with an alternate phrasing of "do you love the color of the sky"

[MFDraws]

To hear the Air Bases invited them with Open Arms and they are fans of Ace combat got me tearing up, I hope the developers know that how many people they inspired their love for aviation

[mtlfpv]

Holy crap this feels like a high budget documentary. amazing.

[coptericecream]

This isn't just documentary, this is love letter to Ace Combat.

Thank you Timmm :D

[larsen]

genuinely shed a tear at that daredevil part, you’ve outdone yourself my man

[SoloWing]

For those in the wondering, a group of Devs that worked on Ace Combat 3 would later become part of the Team that worked on the Drakengard games and later Nier. Thus letting newer faces have the skies to shatter with Ace 4

Though you can still see Ace Combat 3 DNA in those series, to the point that Drakengard's production name "Dragonsphere" comes from Ace Combat 3's "Electrosphere"

[Master_Matoya]

What I loved about Pixy's dialogue in the duel is that it's not only talking about your character but on how the conflict is resolved. A head to head joust where the two pilots. "When we face each other, we can finally see our true selves." and "There may be a resemblance, but we never face the same direction." which I thought was real clever.

[ekopradja]

As a 15 years old kid the death of chopper hit me like a thousand bricks, he was like my friend we fought through battle along with Nagase and Archer like a true brother and sister seeing him gone like that is hard, May you rest in peace 2nd Lt Alvin Davenport

[arit]

The amount of effort put into this is insane, you truly deserve more recognition

[Gadlight]

Ace Combat Zero's final battle with Pixy is just pure Art. Everything is perfect.

[funkycord]

With how much effort and dedication you put to this video. I think this can be offically called the Ace Combat Manifesto.

[Boyo_the_Bear]

It's always been so hard to explain to people why this series had such an impact on me growing up. AC5 is solidly in my top 5 games but impossible to convey why lol. Great vid Tim, you had done our funny little plane game justice.

[smollestkev]

This, Made me cry at so many points. This series holds a special place in my heart. AC7s appearance was a blessing.

[commissarthorne]

I remember getting into my first dogfight with my first "Enemy Ace", i was so sure i was hot shit but then this guy came through and downed one of my squadmates, and it was of a character I had actually really grown to like. I was genuinely driven by rage to take this guy out, and with the music, the raging storm above us and the stomach churning bends and twists of the canyon below us, we flew and we fought. It was exhilarating, it felt like the worlds deadliest dance in the middle of a hurricane.

[lizard]

To this day "Near The Border" and Pixy's famous: "Yo Buddy, still alive? and thanks friend... See You Again." will always give me goosebumps, Zero was such am influential game to me growing up that I remember picking up any and all flight sims and arcade flight sims i could get my hands on. but none will ever reach me like Zero did.

[TheMoonShepard]

Ace Combat 7 was my introduction to the franchise, Top Gun Maverick came out, and I wanted find a game with Jets in it, bought it on sale.

And thus truly began my Aviation enthusiast arc, it even became my first YouTube Playthrough, and the among the only times I actually engage in the online content.

[rtasva]

This is legitimately, without hyperbole, my favorite video essay I've ever watched.

[darmansbar]

What is even more amazing about "Daredevil" is that it was so good and it fit so well with Ace Combat that they abused the hell of it during marketing

And YET It hit like an AIM-120 when it was dropped in game, a testament to what this song means to Ace Combat and to us, the Aces who dare to challange the True Skies

[Biotear]

Ace Combat is proof that substance in writing isn't a must.

Sometimes you just need to be cool as fuck.