Ace Combat/Awesome

Ace Combat 3

 * Keith doing perhaps the most awesome heroic sacrifice ever done in a jet, or any vehicle for that matter. I won't spoil it for you.
 * Tunnel Vision. By far the hardest tunnel mission ever in the Ace Combat series. Nothing quite felt so good as finishing this mission on full afterburners and with no damage.

Ace Combat 04
"Ally: A Yellow's hit and trailing smoke. Whose kill was that? Yellow 13: Who was it that shot me?! See who's responsible for that shot! unnamed Yellow: It's the ribbon!"
 * Ace Combat 04. Mobius One starts as a simple rookie, rushed into a last stand to fend off bombers going after the last remaining allied air base near the occupied mainland, on the other side. By the conclusion of the game, the pilot has a squadron to his name, has destroyed the rail cannon network that had facilitated the enemy invasion, shot down almost every elite Erusean pilot, flown into the guts of a massive ICBM launcher and pulled it apart, liberated two cities, and in the arcade mode of Ace Combat 5, his tactical skill and effectiveness are equal to that of an entire squadron. Repeat: Mobius 1 makes up an entire fighter squadron... by himself.
 * This troper has seen a fanfic that was a "realistic" rewrite of Ace Combat 04, done as an post-war, in-universe review; while there would be a Mobius Squadron from the beginning, Mobius One still performed the "balloon popping" mission solo, and still did the Megalith "tunnel run" personally.
 * The Battle of Shattered Skies (the mission being to defend a satellite launch from aerial attack) may be described as a giant air-to-air brawl with missiles.
 * The best part is that this is your first real chance to hit a member of Yellow Squadron and shoot down a squadron of stealth bombers!

"Sky Eye: "Sky Eye here. All Mobius aircraft report in." Allies: "Mobius Two on standby." "Mobius Three through Seven on standby." "Mobius Eight on standby." Sky Eye: "Preparations are complete, ready for battle. All aircraft, follow Mobius One.""
 * The first time you shoot down a member of Yellow Squadron while attacking the huge cannon system that has killed countless buddies. Then the game throws it in your face that the plane had a faulty engine! And it was still tough to take them down for many gamers.
 * Somewhat balanced out by the fact that in a first playthrough, the player won't really have a plane comparable to Yellow Squadron's Su-37 Terminators in the first place, and gameplay-wise there's no actual difference between the Yellows -- whichever you shoot down first is story-wise considered to have been.
 * Then stepped up during the battle for San Salvacion, where a few Yellows are over different parts of the city; each one shot down is worth far more points than any normal target, but there is no in-story note if you kill any of them beyond Sky Eye shouting "Got a Yellow!" when it happens.
 * Then outdone by Mission 17, Siege of Farbanti -- capping off the attack on the Erusean capital and the decapitating of their military is the honest-to-Crystal Dragon Jesus splashing of Yellow 13 and his last four wingmen, no Worf Had the Flu excuse to defend them here!
 * The sequence leading up to, and the stage "Emancipation," always gives goosebumps. While not the start of ISAF's offensive (that was Operation: Bunker Shot), it marks the point where ISAF has gained the decisive advantage and the war's outcome sealed.
 * Yellow Squadron is in the air with you during this mission. If you seek them out, you can shoot them down here, too.
 * Moment of Awesome for players here: In the mission 'Lifeline', your squad takes down an oilrig and a refinery to cut off supplies for an invading force.
 * The start of the final mission is a excellent example. Throughout the game, you are the only Mobius aircraft in theatre, causing so much damage that the mere sight of your plane terrifies the enemy ("There's a ribbon on that plane! It's the Grim Reaper.") Because of this, when you enter the mission Megalith and are greeted with Mobius Squadron you really get the feeling that, this is really the last chance, it's win or die here.
 * The start of the final mission is a excellent example. Throughout the game, you are the only Mobius aircraft in theatre, causing so much damage that the mere sight of your plane terrifies the enemy ("There's a ribbon on that plane! It's the Grim Reaper.") Because of this, when you enter the mission Megalith and are greeted with Mobius Squadron you really get the feeling that, this is really the last chance, it's win or die here.


 * Also, it's worth to mention the reaction of the enemy planes: "You're not gonna believe this, Jean-Louis! All of them have ribbon insignias!"

Ace Combat 5
"This is the Yuktobanian 172nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron. We love that song too."
 * Grimm, despite having no combat experience yet, jumps into an extra plane during the raid on Sand Island knowing full well he's risking enemy attack while on the runway.
 * Also when Genette, the embedded reporter, throws it in with the blackballed Wardogs in the unarmed training planes after being held at gunpoint Sure, he'd been  with the actual pilots, but he's still with them every step of the way without so much as a complaint, even after  The mechanic's dog rides along with them. Even if that one level was the most fun level ever.
 * Ace Combat 5 also gets another one during the Mission "Sea of Chaos". After spending the latter part of the game branded as traitors, several ships from the enemy's fleet finally realizes that you were right all along and decide to defect in an inspiring cut scene ("This is missile destroyer Gumrak of the GLORIOUS Yuktobanian Navy. We cannot follow a fleet commander willing to sink one his own ships. All of you who believe in peace, follow me!"). You then get to fight two entire battle fleets, both from two completely different countries that are already at war with each other, to protect your new allies. As you utterly annihilate the enemy ships, the game's main theme song (an anti-war song no less!) plays in the background, while the sailors below react with terror (your enemies), with inspiration (your allies), or with disbelief (your old allies meeting your new comrades). Beautiful.
 * And then the next mission? You're catapulted off your aircraft carrier for the last time as it starts to sink (complete with a cut scene where the surviving crew salutes the sinking carrier, complete with inspiring music), are allowed to finally use your full selection of aircraft (instead of just the naval aircraft such as the F/A-18 family) thanks to a last-minute retrofit of your aircraft's nose gear to mate with the catapult after the carrier kill, and then just have about every squadron on both sides of the war join you for the final mission to save the world.
 * The cutscene of the last mission is pretty inspiring. The planes sent to intercept you? They form up with you instead. More planes appear? They're coming to join you. From both Osea and Yuktobonia, from every theatre of the war, they rally around YOU.
 * Kei Nagase, the extremely pacifist borderline-Granola Girl, gets shot down in enemy territory during a blizzard. One mission later, you see her rescue right before rescue in a cutscene: Holding the enemy soldiers sent to capture her at gunpoint, while the narrator comments on her courage and skill. only if you win that mission and no matter how much time it takes to find her
 * The look on her face cements that moment, because you KNOW you don't want to mess with her.
 * Part II of the White Bird missions. When it turns out the Arkbird has been hijacked by terrorists and needs to be shot down, almost anything you do feels amazing whether it be dodging lasers, slowly taking the ship apart and even when it refuses to lay down and die. The music for the stage "White Bird (Part II)" fits perfectly and depending on how you do with the UAV Remote Planes, you may find yourself just about to fail the mission only to succeed at the very end just as the music starts to slowly die down as the Arkbird crashes into the ocean. Definitely one of the best missions in the game.
 * How has MISSION 18+ : 8492, not been mentioned yet? This troper remembers that the first time he played it, right after those bone chilling lines "The 8492nd squadron doesn't exist!" and the airspace in front of you is FILLED with enemy fighters, he had a most literal jaw drop. Then, later, when you go back and take on the squadron of dozens of planes, AND WIN? Unbelievably awesome.
 * In Journey Home, Chopper earns his Moment of Awesome when
 * Remember that the mission begins as a ceremonial flight, before an attack is launched. The 8492 keeps reinforcements from arriving, before stealth bombers are sent.
 * The scene immediately after this is both a CMOA and a Tear Jerker. Edge and Archer are crying, but they and you seem to be shooting down the enemy with ease. Over the radio, the enemy muses that they must really be fighting the Demons of Razgriz, the demons having taken over the pilot's bodies. All round, good guy and bad guy freak out before the enemy retreats.
 * Operation Katina; it's great to be Mobius 1 again, and the set-up is just awesome. A large force of ex-Eurusean military have decided to return to duty and attempt to start an insurrection. ISAF decides that the situation can be handled by Mobius 1 alone.
 * Screaming towards the SOLG in a F-22 on Ace difficulty, you're intercepted by the Ofnir and Grabacr squadrons. Fire off four XLAA missiles and jink hard right, then reacquire and kill the rest of them. If you're good it takes all of five seconds. In fact you can break the game somewhat here as there is about thirty seconds of canned battle speech, and over two minutes of sappy natter from your pilots after downing the two squadrons. You have three minutes to wait, so I guess you could make up Blaze's thoughts and feelings after everyone else had aired theirs.
 * And the final scene, when you have to shoot down the SOLG, is awesome in the unique, anti-climatically serene way. Speeding towards the rising sun with your wingmen, destroying the final derelict of the past war (which isn't even hard but takes just enough time to savor the moment), while the triumphant Latin main theme starts to play -- it's not quite a Tear Jerker but more like a heartfelt goodbye to the characters and the game world.
 * No mention of the final tunnel in Sudnetor in Mission 27? One of the toughest if not THE toughest tunnel in the series, ridiculously long, with an enemy plane chasing you and trying to shoot you down, having to speed out after destroying the core while dodging obstacles and with gates closing in front of you, shooting down enemy planes coming head-on, all set to one of the most triumphant tracks the game has to offer (in a game with a lot of them!). Especially for a newbie, it's hard not to celebrate after successfully tackling that gauntlet.
 * The Aces mission, with your fellow pilots singing "The Journey Home" as you approach the base. Then there's the, as they add their quite off key voices to the song, the tune growing louder and much more beautiful as more and more aces join you in the final battle. Check at 8:13 of this video and see for youself.

Ace Combat Zero
""Ring the bell! The Bell of Freedom!""
 * The first mission to the Round Table (Mission 3) was also a great experience for this troper. After shooting down numerous planes, a squadron of enemy aces suddenly shows up and puts up one of the most difficulty fights in the entire game (especially if you're still using the default F-5 Fighter). If you manage to survive the hard encounter, Pixy then poignantly says "Yo, buddy. Still alive?"
 * This troper's love of the Ace Combat series was forever cemented when he played the mission 'Diapason' from Ace Combat Zero. After five missions of relatively minor battles against the enemy army, it comes time to liberate the player's capital city of Directus from the occupying Belkan army. It starts out awesome right from the get-go, with inspiring battle music underscoring the fight. The Moment of Awesome begins when the citizens of Directus decide they've had enough and rise up and fight the Belkan Army, who up to this point had crushed your nation's army with no difficulty whatsoever. Through the radio conversations, you can hear shouts of "The Belkans are running!" and "Get the hell out of our city!" Soon, the citizens of Directus more or less take back the entire city by themselves. For that final bit of awesome, they then take control of the anti-air guns and start helping you shoot down Belkan fighters. It remains this troper's favorite mission.


 * Another crowning moment is mission 10, the second visit to the Round Table; it's right after you've destroyed Excalibur, and as such the Belkans have begun to fear your abilities, not to mention that you essentially turn the battle around on your own. To top it all off? This is mission where you first become the Demon Lord.
 * "Galm's not fighting alone! Let's show 'em what the Osean Air Force can do!"
 * The absolute crowning Moment of Awesome of the game is the final mission, Zero. just watch and see for yourself. Also, "Demon Lord of the Round Table" is an MOA for the player.
 * At first you were merely Galm 1, according to AWACS Eagle Eye, then you were Cipher. In the final mission? "Demon Lord of the Round Table, I pray for your success."
 * It's just a tiny little detail, but this troper also loves how the usual "MISSION START" doesn't appear until after that line.
 * EITHER Solo Wing Pixy OR "The Demon Lord of the Round Table". FULL! FREAKING! STOP!

Ace Combat X

 * Gryphus One establishes his badass cred early on by dodging the shockwave from a SWBM that wipes out almost everyone else in his squadron. He proceeds to lead the retaking of Aurelia, takes down the Gleipnir airborne fortress that helped Leasath almost completely conquer Aurelia in ten days, helps to retake Griswall despite the Leasathian Frickin' Laser Beams, defeats Leasath's elite Alect Squadron and the Fenrir superfighters. If you make the right choices, he does the last two at the same time!
 * It gets better. If you're REALLY good and know the general placement of the fighters early on, you can shoot down the Alect planes WHILE CLOAKED. The mission briefing states quite clearly that doing that is too dangerous to approach head on which is why you need to destroy the mechanism that's providing the cloak with energy. If you can down all four of them, the game sometimes has trouble accepting that you could actually do that and skip to the last phase of the mission.

Ace Combat 6

 * In Ace Combat 6, there is one moment that also qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.
 * Also, in Ace Combat 6: "We're going to take back Gracemaria today!"
 * And then
 * Pasternak:
 * And he becomes That One Boss doing it. Especially if you're dumb enough to fight him with anything but QAAM's.
 * The final mission, where Talisman takes down the Chandelier railgun singlehandedly by flying straight down its barrel.