Aces of the Pacific took the gameplay that made Red Baron a masterpiece and placed it in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. From the attack on Pearl Harbor, to the final air battles over the Pacific, you can fly a multitude of planes for either Japan or the United States. The 1946 expansion pack even adds a few aircraft to both sides, including some high performing prop planes and jet fighters.

Most of the familiar options from Red Baron appear in Aces of the Pacific. There are historic missions that can be flown to show important events of the war. There is a large assortment of single missions that will allow you to practice your gunnery, or ground attacks. Aces of the Pacific also includes a mission recorder, which allows you to replay your missions after you have flown them. You can even take control of the plane and finish the mission from any point in the recording. The campaign mode allows you to fly for the Japanese Air Force or Navy, or the American Army Air Force, Marine Corps, or Navy. Here you will progress through the war going on various missions. You will earn promotions and medals based on the outcome of your missions, and be able to fly the latest aircraft as they become available.

One of the new features in Aces of the Pacific is the addition of carrier landings. If you join the Japanese or US Navy, you will have the pleasure of taking off from and landing on a carrier. Carrier landings can be tricky as the carrier is constantly moving and the aircraft's engine may obscure a good view of the desk. But you don't have to worry much because you will have a Landing Signal Officer giving you signals to help you land safely.

Aces of the Pacific has a wide range of realism options. You can make your plane invulnerable to eveything, or selectively turn on realism options for things such as limited amunition, blackouts, and engine stalls to name a few. Realism options can be changed at any time during your mission. Of course turning down the realism level will negatively affect your score at the end of the mission.

The flight and damage model of Aces of the Pacific fit in the game nicely. Each aircraft displays it's own unique flight characteristics, which can make it difficult to master each different plane in the game. As your plane is riddled by enemy tracers, you will visibly see bullet holes appear on your wings and plexiglass canopy. Your gauges might become damaged, leaving you without valuable information. If you are in a plane that has a gunner, he will automatically fire at the enemy. Make sure you listen to him if he tells you to break left or right, becuase it means an enemy is closing in on you. If your gunner gets hit by enemy fire, he will become unconscious and you will be on your own. If you take enough damage your engine might fail leaving you to glide your plane down, or your plane may spiral out of control toward the ground forcing you to bail out.

Aces of the Pacific is a great addition to the Aces Series by Dynamix. This is one sim that stands out above the rest.