PSP World

Import Review: Macross Ace Frontier

Fans of the Macross anime series will know this sensation: Imagine being able to take off towards the stars on an endless journey into space and beyond within your VF-25 Messiah. Suddenly, the thrill ends when a galactic alien group invades your home world hell bent on either destroying the world or just taking it over. This is your chance to choose between being a coward or being the hero -- and it is a choice you face in this PSP version of one of the greatest space fighter anime series ever. Welcome pilots to Macross Ace Frontier for the Playstation Portable.

This Macross portable game deals with different Macross storylines which are Macross (1982), Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984), Macross Plus (1994), Macross Seven (1994), and most recently Macross Frontier (2007). You have the choice of picking which Macross storyline to follow and there will be a seperate character to use depending on which story arc you select. Your assigned character will be an all-new creation that did not exist in any of the anime plotlines. My personal favorite is Macross Frontier since the VF aircraft look very impressive.

Since this game is only available in Japan at the moment, do not expect everything to be in English, however this will not halt you from getting into the game modes. You can choose either "Single Player" or "Network Battle", however we are going to talk about single player for now since that is where the "Campaign" mode is. Once you are in the campaign of the Macross game story you have chosen the player will have to choose either male or female roles and of course their operator. For now you will get a default VF aircraft and have the option of starting a mission or going through the tutorials. It is not that hard to figure out but getting familiar with special commands and prompts would be a great suggestion. There will be live feed through the game from your co-pilot and the operator feeding you information on the battle you are involved in, however it is in Japanese so you will not understand much. Hearing the great voice acting in Japanese makes us want an English localized version even more.

The game runs on the Gundam engine which is a great idea since the gundam games keep the Mech battles at a face pace especially when you do aerial combat. The best thing that sets Macross different against other Mech games is the fact of the transformation with your VF fighter jet. Picture this flying in a dog fight and a bogey is on your tail; so far now option to shake him as they are closing in for a kill. Then all of a sudden you hit either left, right or down on the analog stick then "BOOM" your plane transforms into a robot giving you a 360 degree look around so you can aim your weapon any direction you wish. Yes this game options up options like that in any battle situation to keep the game flowing and fast action at all times when you are engaged with another opponent. Macross can deliver what no other robot battle game can do, not even Amored core that came out earlier on the PSP. When talking about the transformation it changes the whole game play because at first you are playing just a regular flying game then it turns into a "Mech Fighter" game and that changes your whole strategy.

Once you are done with each mission you are of course graded according to your performance and time, and with those stats you can upgrade your team's VF aircraft. This is where the customization comes into play -- each area of the aircraft can be upgraded from the repair upgrades to the weapon upgrades. There are certain about of sots where you can max out your fighter to be the best in the game. Keep in mind that upgrading your partner's fighter is crucial in succeeding in each mission; besides they are the ones watching your back! You also have the option of changing the color of the robot to fit the style you are accustomed to.

The stories all follow the anime series very well especially the critical situation when you have to save comrades from death situations. During the course of the missions you will unlock other fighters or "Mech Bots" so you can switch up even the option of changing the pilot so you can either play as one of the main characters or switch your partner to be one of the main characters to make the story much more interesting. However a tip would be to stick with the plane you have so you can max it out then go back through the story mode and max out another plane. In terms of unlocking items you will be able to open up as in "BGM" (background music) Pictures, robots and of course checking out the replays of your battles. Yes the replay feature is a nice addition which gives you a full look at your epic battles, however the replay feature is very limited so do not expect too much.

One feature I enjoyed is the music soundtrack that accompanies each Macross story. These tracks fit very well with each battle that you go into including the new Macross Frontier which feels like a music video each time you play since the main singer is an Idol. If you are a fan of the anime series you will likely also appreciate the attention to detail in the sound effects and music.

The game aslo has some replayability in the form of multiplayer networked battle. On ad hoc you can add up to four players including yourself for great fast battles. That means whatever VF fighter or enemy robot you unlocked you can use in the battles for a custom powerful fight, which kicks up the challenge to a whole new level making you go back and choose which robot will best suit you in the vs. matches.

The only drawback with Macross is the communication since it remains a Japanese-only import title. So if you do end up with the game you might not find anyone else in the states playing unless you find other means to get the ad hoc to work over the web. To break this down you have high flying intense battles with numerous customization and smart A.I. opponents with the addition of being able to take the battles towards other human combatants in a free for all vs. match and with one drawback being only in Japanese. Honestly I am still sold and would suggest others to give this import a shot, because you never know they might just bring it to the United States. I give Macross Ace Frontier 3.5 transformations out of 5.