Robotech: The Macross Saga
| Robotech: The Macross Saga | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Lucky Chicken Games |
| Publisher(s) | TDK Mediactive |
| Director(s) |
Jamie Ottilie Jon Hilliard James Ryman Matt Saia |
| Designer(s) | Matt Saia |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Robotech: The Macross Saga is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up for the Game Boy Advance handheld system, developed by Lucky Chicken Games and published by TDK Mediactive. This title was released during a renaissance of Robotech video games, where struggling projects were no longer cancelled and actually made it to market.
Gameplay
The game centers on the piloting of Veritech Fighters, the transformable mecha that are a notable feature of the Robotech series. This manifests itself in gameplay as the ability to adopt different modes offers unique advantages and vulnerabilities. Fighter mode has the fastest movement, but can't touch the ground. Battloid mode offers much better aim, but mobility is greatly diminished. While the hybrid Guardian mode splits the difference by combining and averaging these features.
The player can choose from their favorite Macross Saga characters (as seen on Masterpiece Collection toys released at the time). Each character offers varying levels of Power (Quantity of missiles), Stamina (Life energy), Strength (Strength of attacks), Piloting (Speed of movement) and Speed (Speed of Battloid).
After every few side-scrolling missions, the player gets a Destroid mission. Destroids are non-transformable Battloids that serve a similar role as a walking tank. The player can choose from a number of Destroids favoring different abilities. Ironically, the Destroids served as the basis for some of the early Battlemechs of Battletech fame, and the Destroid missions adopt an isometric view very similar to the MechWarrior 3050 game for the SNES.
In an effort to increase replay value, the game also included a number of unlockable characters who like the main characters have different power levels, but many also fly entirely different vehicles with their own quirks, some of the vehicles are not transformable thur to the wackiness of the Lucky Chicken. Each main character you complete the game with unlocks their secret counterpart.
Link cables allowed for up to four players.
Additional Notes
- Unlike Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie produced for the Super Famicom, Robotech: The Macross Saga favors a more super deformed art style.
- A super deformed Max Sterling VF-1A figurine by Toynami was included as an exclusive bonus with the North American release of the game .