| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2018.08.15 |
| Goods 06: Macross Related Games 2 |
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The New Standard In Macross Games
"Macross Ace Frontier" is a 3D action game that was released immediately after the end of the "Macross F" TV series' broadcast. It has stages that are based on the successive generations of Macross works, such as "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross", "Macross Plus", and "Macross 7", as well as "Macross F". The game earned a favourable reputation for content that carefully reproduced the appearance of the world in the Macross series; and such things as "campaign mode", where the player boards the Valkyries that appeared in each production. "Macross Ace Frontier" was later made into a series of games. This series -which took pride in a beautiful representation of the mecha in 3DCG and a voluminous stage structure- could be said to have established one standard for the "Macross games in 3DCG" that had started from the beginning of the 2000's.
Related Matter: Console Games In The 2000's
At the beginning of the 2000's, Macross related games were released on such consoles as the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2—the main consoles at the time. The representative of those games is "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross" for the PlayStation 2, which was introduced in 2003 for the 20th anniversary of Macross. In 3D action shooting where the player could operate a Valkyrie at will, this game surely had content that one could say is the royal road for a Macross game: the reproduction of such things as the "Itano Circus" and the "3-stage transformation".
Left: Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
Price: ¥6,800 (not including tax)
Release Date: 23 Oct., 2003
Genre: 3D flight shooting
Platform: PS2
Release: Sega (Sega-AM2)
Sales Agency: Bandai
Caption: The player is able to select the story of either the TV series or the movie version. In the game, the player operates a Valkyrie and clears the missions.
PlayStation Portable
Macross Ace Frontier
Data
Price: ¥4,800 (not including tax)
Release Date: Oct. 2008
Genre: 3D action
Platform: PSP
Sales Agency: Bandai Namco Games
Caption: The player becomes a pilot of the Unified Forces, and tackles stages from the various eras; from 2009 -set in "Macross"- to "Macross F" in 2059.
Caption: It also has scenarios from "Macross F", which was the most recent production at the time. The game also reproduces the gripping hand-to-hand combat between the Vajra and a Battroid [mode Valkyrie].
Caption: One can also board mecha such as the Quadoran-R? by clearing stages. It's also possible to operate the SDF-1 Macross.
Up: Each mecha is carefully reproduced down to the details in 3DCG. With the smooth 3 stage transformation, it's also possible for the player to experience dogfights while repeatedly transforming like the ace pilots.
PlayStation Portable
Macross Ultimate Frontier
Data
Price: Super Dimensional Nyan-nyan Pack: ¥6,980 (not including tax), Normal Edition: ¥4,980 (not including tax)
Release Date: Oct. 2009
Genre: action shooting
Platform: PSP
Sales Agency: Bandai Namco Games
Caption: The mecha that appear in "Flash Back 2012", "Macross II", "Macross VF-X2", and "Macross M3" can be used. One can also play stages that are based on "Macross II", and "Macross VF-X2".
Caption: More than 100 mecha and more than 40 characters appear in the game. There are diverse ways for plasyers to enjoy themselves, such as boarding the VFs of the popular characters, and customizing VFs with one's preferred colours.
Caption: The heroines, like Ranka and Sheryl, give combat support with skills such as increased offensive ability or HP recovery.
Up: VF-9 Cutlass
Up: VF-2SS Valkyrie II
Left: More than 130 minutes of special UMD video -such as clean versions of the openings and endings of the successive generations of Macross shows, and a collection of theatrical trailers- were included in the "Super Dimensional Nyan-nyan Pack"; which was produced for a limited time.
Caption: In addition to the Tornado Pack equipped VF-25 that appeared in the newly produced "The False Diva" film, close to 140 kinds of mecha appear in the game. Players can also board rare mecha, such as the SNN Valkyrie and the Quadoran-Kiruka.
Caption: It's possible to replace the equipment that appeared in the original works -Tornado Packs, Super Packs, Sound Boosters, and so on- and sortie. Mecha unique to the game also appear, such as (Ozuma's) Tornado Pack equipped VF-25S.
Caption: The "False Diva Pack", which was produced for a limited time, collected together UMD videos of such things as "Macross F The Movie ~The False Diva~" and bonus footage that was limited to this pack only.
Academy Mode
The "Academy Mode" was added to this game, where you experience the Macross F world while living an academic life as a student who has entered the Mihoshi Academy. While raising your own personal pilot through this mode, various events occur where you can increase your pilot's degree of friendship with Aruto, Sheryl, and the others.
Caption: The player character that you cultivate in the "Academy Mode" can be used in the "Campaign Mode". You can train the kind of pilot that you prefer.
Caption: Various events occur in the school and on the way home from school. Through the events, you can also become familiar with Sheryl, Ranka, and the others.
Right: In the "Academy Mode", you can expect events with Aruto and the others, such as spending Christmas together or going out to swim in the sea.
Related Matter: The Hybrid Packs
PS3 exclusive games that were set in the respective movie for each pack were included as perks on the Blu-ay Discs in the "Theatrical Macross F ~The False Diva~ Hybrid Pack", "Theatrical Macross F ~The Wings Of Goodbye~ Hybrid Pack", and the "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross ~Do You Remember Love?~ Hybrid Pack". All three sets were released by Bandai Namco. These games were produced by Artdink -who developed the "Frontier" series of games- and made it possible to play the games with a sensation like the past ["Frontier"] series (also, as they are software for the PS3, the games have a High-definition video image quality.)
Caption: Each included game clears missions that align with the story of the movie. Action that overflows with a feeling of exhilaration is going strong in the games, such as simultaneous missile salvos.
Caption: Each pack is fully loaded with rare bonus footage, such as the times when Shōji Kawamori appeared as a guest on "Weekly Toro Station".
Down: Theatrical Macross F ~The False Diva~ Hybrid Pack (contains "Macross Trial Frontier")
Price: ¥6,800 (not including tax)
Release Date: Oct. 2010
Sales Agency: Bandai Namco Games
Caption: A raw film frame was included as an enclosed perk -in the limited initially produced set- in the full-colour 48-page booklet in the box specially illustrated by Risa Ebata.
Down: Theatrical Macross F ~The Wings Of Goodbye~ Hybrid Pack (contains "Macross Last Frontier")
Price: Super Dimensional Special Edition: ¥10,000 (not including tax) / Normal Edition ¥6,800 (not including tax)
Release Date: Oct. 2011
Sales Agency: Bandai Namco Games
Caption: Such things as a specially drawn box and a booklet were included in the pack. Also, the "Super Dimensional Special Edition", with additional splendid perks such as a mini key-frame reproduction collection, was also released.
Down: Super Dimensional Fortress Macross ~Do You Remember Love?~ Hybrid Pack (contains "My Boyfriend's A Pilot 2012")
Price: Limited Edition: ¥13,143 (not including tax) / Normal Edition ¥6,800 (not including tax)
Release Date: Jul. 2012
Sales Agency: Bandai Namco Games
Caption: The movie was a new high-definition remaster from scanning the film [master], with newly recorded 5.1 channel voices. The pack's jacket was also specially drawn by Haruhiko Mikimoto.
Caption: The limited edition "30th Anniversary Box" was fully loaded with perks, such as books that reprinted articles in anime magazines at the time [of the original release], a raw film frame, and a full-colour booklet.
Caption: One could vicariously experience the world of "Do You Remember Love?" in High-definition in the included "My Boyfriend's A Pilot 2012" game.