Capcom（卡普空）在1980年代推出的經典縱向射擊遊戲《1942》以及後續作品《1943 中途島海戰》，多年來之所以反覆被拿出來討論，甚至在不同時代引發爭議，核心原因其實並不在於遊戲性本身，而是在於它所採用的歷史背景、敘事立場與現代價值觀之間所產生的強烈落差感。

首先最常被提起的，就是「日本公司製作玩家擊敗日軍的遊戲」這件事本身所帶來的矛盾感。《1942》讓玩家駕駛的是美軍P-38閃電式戰機，背景設定在太平洋戰爭中，敵人明確指向大日本帝國的海空軍。這在1980年代初期的日本遊戲市場中相當罕見，因為多數戰爭題材作品要嘛刻意模糊敵我，要嘛完全避開近代真實戰爭。由日本公司主動選擇讓玩家「擊落日軍」，在當時對不少日本玩家而言是一種文化衝擊，也因此被視為一種帶有自我否定色彩的設定。

不過從製作方角度來看，這樣的選擇更多是出於現實而非立場。主導該系列的岡本吉起後來曾多次提到，Capcom當年已經明確將北美市場視為最重要的成長方向。如果讓玩家操作日軍戰機、擊落美軍飛機，幾乎不可能在美國街機市場取得成功。於是製作團隊乾脆採取最直接、也最商業化的做法：站在美軍視角，將戰爭簡化為「正義一方對抗敵軍」，藉此換取全球市場的接受度。《1942》與《1943》因此在歐美大受歡迎，也確立Capcom在國際街機市場的地位。

然而，這種高度服務市場的設計，也為後來的爭議埋下伏筆。為了降低政治敏感度，系列作品在敘事上刻意淡化真實歷史，甚至出現明顯的錯置與荒誕化處理。例如在某些家用機移植版本中，敵方BOSS的命名與背景完全脫離現實，用誇張甚至無厘頭的方式處理戰爭元素，讓整體更像一場抽象化的射擊秀，而非對太平洋戰爭的再現。這種處理方式在當年或許只是為了降低壓力，但在後世回看，反而讓人感到一種刻意迴避歷史責任的疏離感。

進入21世紀後，爭議又出現新的層次。隨著《卡普空街機博物館》等合集在全球平台推出，Capcom必須同時面對日本、歐美與亞洲其他地區玩家的不同歷史記憶與情感立場。在這樣的背景下，官方開始對原作內容進行調整，例如移除或修改涉及二戰軍國主義的符號，尤其是「旭日旗」等在東亞地區高度敏感的象徵。這些修改在部分老玩家眼中被視為「過度政治正確」或「篡改原作」，但對於曾遭受日本侵略的國家與族群而言，這樣的調整反而被認為是遲來的必要修正。

也正因如此，《1942》與《1943》的爭議本質，其實反映的是全球化娛樂產業所面臨的結構性困境。作為一家面向世界的遊戲公司，Capcom必須在尊重歷史、避免傷害民族情感，以及維持商業安全之間反覆權衡。對部分日本右翼玩家而言，這類作品象徵著對自身歷史的不光彩呈現；而對亞洲其他地區的玩家來說，任何未經反省就使用軍國主義符號的內容，又可能被視為對歷史傷痛的漠視。

最終，《1942》系列能夠成為經典，靠的是紮實的玩法與音樂，而非其戰爭敘事本身。但它所引發的討論，恰恰說明老遊戲在現代重新被觀看時，早已不只是「好不好玩」的問題，而是不可避免地被放進歷史、政治與集體記憶的框架中重新審視。這也是為什麼，即便過四十多年，《1942》與《1943》仍然會在不同世代、不同文化之間，持續引發爭議與反思。

The reason Capcom’s classic shooting games 1942 and its sequel 1943: The Battle of Midway have sparked discussion or controversy lies mainly in the sense of “contradiction” between their game settings and historical background, as well as the revisions made to sensitive content in modern re-releases.

First, the game’s basic premise itself caused controversy due to its inherent contradiction. Although developed by a Japanese company, the player pilots an American P-38 Lightning fighter, with the objective of destroying the naval and air forces of the Imperial Japanese military. When the game was released in the 1980s, this idea of “fighting one’s own country’s army” surprised many players. According to then chief planner Yoshiki Okamoto, this decision was driven primarily by market considerations. Capcom was eager to expand into the North American market and believed that allowing players to take the role of Japanese forces shooting down American aircraft would be difficult to sell in Western countries. As a result, the developers deliberately adopted a pro-American perspective in exchange for broader global commercial success.

Second, claims that “Japanese bombing was changed into American bombing” stem largely from the game’s vague handling of historical details and content adjustments in later ports. In some home console versions of 1943, absurd boss names such as “U.S. aircraft group battles Dong Zhuo” appeared, reflecting a deliberate dilution of historical reality and often interpreted as an attempt to avoid political sensitivity. In addition, in Capcom Arcade Stadium, released in 2021, Capcom removed or altered content associated with World War II militarism in order to avoid controversy across both Asian and Western markets. This included deleting or modifying symbols such as the Rising Sun flag, which are closely associated with Japanese militarism.

Finally, these controversies arise from the tension between commercial interests, political correctness, and national sentiment. As a global game company, Capcom must strike a balance between respecting historical context and conforming to contemporary geopolitical sensitivities, such as avoiding accusations of glorifying militarism or provoking anti-Japanese or anti-Chinese sentiment. For some Japanese right-wing players, games like 1942 and 1943 are seen as a betrayal of national pride. Conversely, for players in Asian countries that experienced Japanese aggression during World War II, the appearance of militaristic symbols such as the Rising Sun flag can provoke strong backlash. This clash of perspectives has repeatedly pushed Capcom to revise game content as a form of self-protection in an increasingly sensitive global market.