An early arcade mainstay and much-ported game, 1942 was prescient in many ways. It preceded a glut of WWII-themed games like Brothers in Duty, Call of Honor II: Brothers Gotta Pull Some Duty Overseas and Medal of 1942: Brothers in Deep Duty.

1942 was an early flight simulator. Though crude, it got the mechanics right: you took off from an aircraft carrier and, if you were lucky, you eventually landed somewhere. Virtual pilots still swear by this method today.

And it also pioneered the art of the defensive backflip, which would come to be a standard move in fighting games.

And don’t forget: the plane you piloted in 1942 shot bullets at enemies. Without bullets fired at high velocities, there would be no first-person shooters. There would be no shooters at all.

So, thank you, 1942. It’s a little early for Memorial Day, but we salute you anyway. Without you, there might not even be video games today.

Or at least, there would never have been a 1943: The Battle of Midway.