For detailed information about this series, see: Acepedia
Ace Combat, formerly known as Air Combat, is a series of flight simulation videogames created by Namco, including both realistic and futuristic settings. Most games take place in a world called Strangereal. This name was originally unofficial, but was used by the creators to promote Ace Combat 7 in 2015.
Video Games[]
- Air Combat (1992) for Arcade. Arguably considered a predecessor and not an actual part of the series, it takes place in the year 200X.
- Air Combat 22 (May 1995) for Arcade. A sequel to the original game, it's named after Namco System 22, the arcade system board used to play the game.
- Ace Combat (June 30th, 1995) for PlayStation and Mobile Phones. Known as Air Combat outside Japan, it started as a port of the arcade game, but due to hardware limitations was instead created as an original successor. It's set in the year 1995, but supposedly ignores the plot of the two arcade games.
- Ace Combat 2 (May 30th, 1997) for PlayStation. Set in the year 1997.
- Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (May 27th, 1999) for PlayStation. Set in the year 2040, it's choronologically the latest one so far.
- Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies (October 23rd, 2001) for PlayStation 2. Known in Europe as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder. Set in the year 2004.
- Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (October 21st, 2004) for PlayStation 2. Known in Europe as Ace Combat: Squadron Leader. Set in the year 2010.
- Ace Combat Advance (February 22nd, 2005) for Game Boy Advance. Only released in North America and Europe. Set in the year 2032.
- Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (March 23rd, 2006) for PlayStation 2. Titled Ace Combat: The Belkan War in Europe. Set in the year 1995.
- Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (October 24th, 2006) for PlayStation Portable. Set in the year 2020.
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (October 23rd, 2007) for Xbox 360. Set in the year 2015.
- Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion (December 3rd, 2009) for iOS. Serving as a prequel to Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
- Ace Combat: Joint Assault (August 26th, 2010) for PlayStation Portable. Known in Japan as Ace Combat X²: Joint Assault. Set in the 21th century, it's not in the Strangereal continuity.
- Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Trigger Finger (December 17th, 2010) for iOS. A minor game based on Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
- Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (October 11th, 2011) for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Ouya. Set in the year 2015, but in a different continuity than the Strangereal games or Joint Assault.
- Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy (November 15th, 2011) for Nintendo 3DS. A remake of Ace Combat 2, known in Japan as Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble.
- Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + (January 25th, 2015) for Nintendo 3DS. Titled Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble + in Japan, it's an updated version of Assault Horizon Legacy adding features specifically for the New Nintendo 3DS console.
- Ace Combat: Northern Wings (December 2011) for Mobile Phones. Set between Ace Combat 04 and Ace Combat 6.
- Ace Combat: Infinity (May 20th, 2014) for PlayStation 3. Set in 2019, in a different continuity than previous games.
- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (January 18th, 2019) for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Set a few years after Ace Combat 6.
Publications[]
- Ace Combat: Ikaros in the Sky (March 28th, 2012), a novel released only in Japan. Based in the Assault Horizon universe and set in 2002.
Links to Other Series[]
Note: if a series unrelated to Ace Combat is revealed to take place in the same continuity in the official UGSF timeline, it's still not included here, since no direct link between them ever happened. See UGSF Timeline to know what games take place in its continuity.
Commercial Link: ADF-11F Raven drones from Ace Combat appear in the "It's Time to Play" commercial for PlayStation 4.
| Direction | Series | Date | Description | Type
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Pac-Man | 1992 | Ace Combat features images of Pac-Man on billboards, while Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed after Pac-Man; Ace Combat 2, Ace Combat 5, Ace Combat 6 and Infinity also feature minor references. |
2 |
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Ridge Racer | May 30, 1997 | Ace Combat 2 features the sister of Reiko Nagase as a selectable pilot, and she also returns in later episodes, while organizations from Ace Combat 3 appear as sponsors in Ridge Racer V and Ridge Racer 6; there also are other minor references between the two series. | 1 |
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Almighty Human Project | May 30, 1997 | Ace Combat 2 advertising for Almighty Human Project on billboards. | 2 |
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Segagaga | March 29, 2001 | A parody of Ace Combat 2 called "Ace Wombat 2" is featured within Segagaga. | 2.5 |
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Xenosaga | February 28, 2002 | In Xenosaga Episode 1 the player can receive an e-mail advertising Ace Combat 4. | 2 |
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Smash Court Tennis | May 28, 2004 | Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 features organizations from the Ace Combat series as sponsors. | 1 |
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New Space Order | August 26, 2004 | The beta of New Space Order featured organizations from Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. | 1 |
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NamCollection | July 21, 2005 | Ace Combat 2 is included in NamCollection. | 2 |
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Rally-X | March 23, 2006 | The Special Flag from Rally-X appears as an item in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. | 2 |
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New Space Order | February 2007 | The setting of the United Galaxy faction in New Space Order featured organizations from Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. | 1 |
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Gears of War | October 23, 2007 | Ace Combat 6 features a reference to Gears of War. | 3 |
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THE iDOLM@STER | October 23, 2007 | Ace Combat 6, Assault Horizon, and Infinity feature aircraft paints based on THE iDOLM@STER. The third game expanded the collaboration by including emblems and nicknames based on THE iDOLM@STER characters and songs. | 2 |
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Dragon Buster | October 23, 2007 | The "Dragon Busters" Squadron from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is named after Dragon Buster. | 3 |
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Steel Gunner | October 23, 2007 | The "Steel Gunners" Battalion from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is named after Steel Gunner. | 3 |
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The Sky Crawlers | October 16, 2008 | The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces features gameplay elements from the Ace Combat series as Project Aces, the developer of Ace Combat, co-handled development with Access Games. | 3 |
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Tekken | December 18, 2008 | The fictional CFA-44 Nosferatu multirole fighter aircraft from the Ace Combat series can be found in the scenario campaign mode of Tekken 6, while various aircraft from the series appear in the Twilight Conflict stage in Tekken 7; additionally Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and Infinity feature aircraft paints based on Tekken; the latter also included emblems and nicknames. | 1 |
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Taiko no Tatsujin | August 18, 2010 | Taiko no Tatsujin: Portable 2 and later games in the series feature music tracks from the Ace Combat series, while Ace Combat Infinity featured emblems from the Taiko no Tatsujin series for a limited period of time. |
2 |
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Family Stadium | March 31, 2011 | Pro Baseball Famista 2011 features the XFA-27 from Ace Combat (here called "Ace-con") as a guest player; Kei Nagase and the X-02 Wyvern (called "Ace") were also added in January 2016 in Famista Dream Match; additionally Famista 3 and its sequels include players called "Air-con", "Ace Combat" or other variations. | 1 |
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Battlefield | November 22, 2013 | A map of the Ace Combat world is featured in the Battlefield 4: Second Assault map Operation Métro. | 2 |
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Mach Storm | December 2013 | Mach Storm features gameplay elements from the Ace Combat series, also including many of the same non-fictional aircraft as well as the fictional CVN-30 aircraft carrier. | 1 |
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Mappy | May 20, 2014 | Camilla from Ace Combat Infinity humes the main theme of Mappy during a mission; the game also features nicknames and emblems based on the series. | 2 |
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Xevious | June 2014 | Bacuras from Xevious started appearing in the Co-Op Mission "Tokyo Martial Law" from Ace Combat Infinity as part of a collaboration event, with Xevious-themed emblems being handed out at a later date; while city structures in Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere resemble the Andor Genesis from Xevious. | 1 |
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Sword Art Online | July 05, 2014 | The Sword Art Online II anime features references to Ace Combat. Ace Combat Infinity fetures emblems and nicknames based on Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Babylonian Castle Saga | December 03, 2014 | The "Quox Armored Battalion" from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is named after an enemy from The Tower of Druaga, while Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on The Tower of Druaga obtained through Speical Supply tickets. | 2 |
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Galaxian | December 03, 2014 | Ace Combat Infinity features nicknames and emblems based on Galaxian, Galaga and Gaplus gained through Special Supply tickets, while music from the unrelesead Galaxian Heroes was featured in the compilation soundtrack Ace Combat Infinity & Series Music Best. | 2 |
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Dig Dug | December 03, 2014 | Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation features a building's lights in the shape of a Pooka from Dig Dug in Mission 14, while Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Dig Dug. | 2 |
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Soul (Series) | September 18, 2014 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems based on characters from Soulcalibur Lost Swords as part of a collaboration event. | 2 |
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Area 88 | October 04, 2014 | Ace Combat Infinity features modified aircrafts named and colored after characters from Area 88, as well as nicknames and emblems, as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Space Battleship Yamato | December 05, 2014 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems based on Space Battleship Yamato 2199 as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Mario | January 29, 2015 | Question Blocks and Power Stars from the Mario series appear in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy +, and are used to unlock aircraft themed after Nintendo characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser. |
1a |
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Donkey Kong | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed after Donkey Kong. |
2 |
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Super Smash Bros. | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features compatibility with the Super Smash Bros. amiibo. |
3 |
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Zelda | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed after Link from Skyward Sword and Zelda from Twilight Princess. |
2 |
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Metroid | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed after Samus from Metroid: Other M. |
2 |
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Star Fox | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed after Fox from Star Fox 64 3D. |
2 |
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F-Zero | January 29, 2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + features unlockable aircraft themed Captain Falcon from F-Zero X. |
2 |
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God Eater | February 20, 2015 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems based on God Eater 2 Rage Burst and God Eater Resurrection as part of two limited collaboration events. | 2 |
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Gamers! | March 20, 2015 | A parody video game version of Ace Combat titled "Base Combat" appears in Episode 1 of Gamers!. | 2.5 |
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Godzilla | July 16, 2015 | As part of a limited collaboration event in Ace Combat Infinity for the release of Godzilla-VS, Godzilla and Mechagodzilla would appear in the Tokyo Martial Law Co-Op mission, the event also handed out emblems and nicknames based on the game. | 1 |
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Pikmin | July 17, 2015 | Scanning Olimar's amiibo unlocks a Pikmin-themed aircraft in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy +. |
2 |
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Baraduke | August 31, 2015 | Ace Combat Infinity features an emblem based on the main character sprite from Baraduke as a Special Supply ticket reward. | 2 |
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Pixels | September 08, 2015 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Pixels as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Doko Demo Issyo | December 07, 2015 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Doko Demo Issyo as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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No Game No Life | December 25, 2015 | There's a minor reference to Ace Combat's Belka country in the 8th volume of No Game No Life. | 2 |
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Sky Kid | February 16, 2016 | The Red Baron and Blue Max aircrafts from Sky Kid were unlockable Special Aircrafts during a limited time tournament event in Ace Combat Infinity, there are several other minor references to the series in Ace Combat 04, 5, 6 and Infinity. | 1 |
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Gate Brave Scramble | February 29, 2016 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Gate Brave Scramble as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Sumon Night | March 10, 2016 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Summon Night 6 LostBorders as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Digimon | March 17, 2016 | Ace Combat Infinity features emblems and nicknames based on Digimon World -next 0rder- as part of a limited collaboration event. | 2 |
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Astro Bot | November 12, 2020 | The R-C01 from the cover of Air Combat appears in Astro's Playroom. A costume based on a pilot from Ace Combat can be found in Astro Bot. | 1 |
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Top Gun | May 26, 2022 | Planes from Top Gun: Maverick appears in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown as DLC. | 1 |
