Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Love, Do You Remember?

SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS: LOVE, DO YOU REMEMBER?

T-23403G
Copyright © 1997 Big West
Copyright © 1997 Bandai Visual
Sega Saturn, 1 Player
Action/Shooter
¥6,800
Released June 6, 1997

— by Richard "Pocky" Kim

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the MACROSS series, Bandai has released a new shooter commemorating the movie DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE?
Done in the same style as the original MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM shooter game for the Sega Saturn, the MACROSS game is a side-scrolling shooter with both foreground and background enemies. The game play is very fluid, and the storyline follows that of the movie very closely, including the "Hikaru and Minmay trapped in the SDF-1" sequence.
Between every chapter of the game is a bit of animation taken straight from the movie, cleaned up (again, like the GUNDAM series) and made into "true motion" footage. The entire original cast reprise their roles, including Hase Arihiro as Ichijyo Hikaru, Kamiya Akira as Roy Focker, and Iijima Mari as Lynn Minmay. The characters speak both during the intermittent animation scenes as well as during the gameplay itself. [Due to Hase's passing away last year, the new-animated sequences of Hikaru reuses his dialogue from old footage.]
In addition, there are also several completely re-animated scenes, and some scenes that have been done completely with computer animation, such as the transformation of the SDF-1. These scenes are fluid and clear, with no pixelation or fuzziness, and demonstrate the capabilities of True Motion video over the older methods of including video on Saturn games.
The game play is fairly straightforward, with the player taking the role of Hikaru, piloting his Valkyrie. Throughout the game, you will be able to pilot Hikaru's personal Valkyrie, an Armored Valkyrie, a Trainer Valkyrie, and Hikaru's Strike Valkyrie from the end of the movie. In addition to the traditional gunpod, you also have control over the infamous micromissiles that abound in the MACROSS series. (Note that you have an unlimited supply of ammo for both weapons.) Both the gunpod and the micromissiles can be set to either attack only the enemies in the center of the action, or to lock on to enemies in the background and foreground. The third weapons is a bomb that can be set to destroy either many enemies on the screen or target one specific enemy. As it is a very powerful weapon, you are provided with a fixed number for each phase of the game.
Although there are some differences in the three Valkyrie modes, they are all relatively consistent. Each mode does have advantages and disadvantages, though. Fighter mode is fastest and most agile, but it is unable to turn around and the guns will only shoot straight ahead. Battroid mode is the slowest of the three, and is incapable of true flight while on the planet's surface, but it has the advantage of aimable gunpods. GERWALK is somewhere in between—faster than Battroid, slower than Fighter, but with aimable weapons and medium flight capabilities. Of the three, GERWALK is typically the most useful.
Probably the strongest allure for MACROSS fans is the final mission, taken directly from the movie's climax, where you must fight while Minmay performs "Ai - Oboete Imasu ka?" Defeating the Zentraedi while the movie's signature vocal is heard in the background is something that most MACROSS fans would be eager to try. And most likely they wouldn't be disappointed.
This is a good solid game, and it is not so difficult that it can't be beaten at a normal level. MACROSS fans should definitely check this one out.

Rating: ***1/2 (out of 4)