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Macross
Reviewed
by Aurang M. Shah-Stone (Disco Stu !)
Before
I start this attempt to objectively review a NES game, be forewarned
that I'm not trying to compare this game with the graphically stunning
super shooters of the Sega Saturn! I am rather going to review this
game against the graphics potential of the NES.
With that said and ˝ of shmup visitors asleep, lets begin. Macross
(NES) isn't for the faint of heart, this game is at least as hard
as Flying Shark on its easiest settings in the arcade, not to mention
the NES port, Skyshark. Its easy to hate this game for its substandard
graphics by today's standards and its less than stellar music tracks,
but you have to love it on a purely Nintendo basis.
This game did a lot of things that were very revolutionary by yesterdays
standards. It was the one of the first games to feature a variable
aircraft (an aircraft that changes modes and shapes) and place different
limitations on its various modes.
Gameplay
10 out of 10
This game introduced some spectacular new elements of gameplay to
the gaming industry. You will have to pilot your VF-1s Super Valkyrie
against a fleet of Zentreandi vessels, sounds simple enough, right?
Well its not, Even though you fly a variable fighter with more missiles
than the Russians put on their cruisers after Reagans "evil empire"
speech, you will be treated to hoards of enemy fighterpods and battlepods.
Also in your arsenal is a 3-barreled 55-mm auto-cannon the size
of a Mack truck! Each mode you fly in has its own strengths and
weaknesses.
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Mode/Configuration
F
Fighter Mode:
Dead Stick Mode is more like it. You go faster than a bat out
of hell but you can hardly move, let alone shoot at any decent
rate.
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Mode/Configuration
G
Gerwalk Mode:
Like in all macross games, you spend the most time in this mode,
it's a lot more maneuverable than Fighter Mode and your firing
rate is higher. Unfortunately your speed decreases a lot due
to the loss of main engine thrust.
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Mode/Configuration
B
Battroid Mode:
I use this mode even less than I use dead stick mode. The main
reason is the ridiculously large surface area in which you can
get hit and your maneuverability is way to high. Unfortunately
you have now lost the thrust from your primary booster packs
and now are essentially drifting in space. An upside of this
mode is that you have a much higher firing rate. |
Enemy planes
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Tactical
Battlepod:
Light mecha, armed with a particle cannon…its very maneuverable.
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Light
Artillery Battlepod:
Light mecha, armed with a single missile launcher and a particle
cannon, mildly maneuverable. |
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Heavy
Artillery Battlepod:
Light mecha armed with a dual missile launcher, sort of maneuverable. |
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Recon
Scout Battlepod:
Light mecha, armed with a particle cannon, mildly maneuverable. |
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Fighterpod:
Light fighter, armed with a particle cannon and occasional a
laser cannon. It's a very fast aircraft. |
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Officers
Battlepod:
Medium mecha, armed with a particle cannon and a laser cannon,
mildly maneuverable. |
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Female
Powered Armor:
Harbinger of doom to your Valkyrie, avoid at all costs, destroy
it before it destroys your. It's a Heavy mecha that's very maneuverable
and is extremely fast. It has a 3 shot particle cannon and a
load of missiles comparable to your own! |
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Male
Powered Armor:
Heavy mecha, armed with a gun similar to yours. It's armed with
a repeating particle/laser cannon. This mecha is also mildly
maneuverable, but not as maneuverable as you are. |
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Ship
Turret:
Dual lasers cannons |
Powerups
| (M) |
Macross
missile burst increase |
| (P) |
Energy
Powerup |
| (?) |
There
is another powerup in the game, I don't know what it does and
I can't remember what it looks like, anybody know? |
Graphics
10 out of 10
Ok so maybe 8-bit is out of style these days, but I think that we
can forgive a game that's older than most of the cars people drive
(void in Mexico). The game makes the best out of the color palette
it had available at the time!
Sound
8 out of 10
This game has a total of 3 sound effects, but we can forgive it because
it is a Nintendo game and because most game for the Sega Genesis and
Super NES had no more than double that amount. Sound 1: Gong sound/Blowing
up enemy ship Sound 2: Gun firing Sound 3: Enemy fighter blowing up/you
blowing up
Music
8 out of 10
1 BGM track and 3 misc. tracks can get on your nerves, but it is an
NES game and I can not in good conscience give it less than an 8.
Saio Pi Long, Saio Pi Long, catchy huh…I tends to get kind of old,
but what the hell so does 1942 and that was a damn good shooter for
the NES! Raise your hand and give your self-a good ol' job well done
if you beat that game (I did).
Overall
9 out of 10
Though I don't recommend this game for anyone but the most serious
SHMUPS fan…It's a wild ride. Macross will keep you up late at night
wondering why the Universe invented this infernal game! If you think
I'm blowing smoke up your ass, just try to get past level 9, bet you
can't do it SUCKA! I sure as hell didn't!
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Macross
- (from Universe)
