On 28 February 1997 Playstation owners were finally allowed to purchase this long-awaited game. Were the numerous delays worth it? This single-disc game has a lot riding on it and, unfortunately, doesn't appear to be the immaculate Valkyrie simulator that MACROSS fans would sell their souls for. But after a reality dose and some compromising, VF-X turns out to be a very capable game.

Two versions are available, one for Japan and one for the rest of Asia. The Asian release manual is entirely in English with grayscale pictures and backgrounds; the Japanese manual is in full color and entirely in Japanese. Despite the external differences, the contents of the manuals are identical. The basic premise of the game starts with the capture of the hugely popular idol group, the Milky Dolls, by a mysterious Zentradi force. As a UN Spacy pilot, it's up to you to rescue them. Staging off of the assault cruiser Valhalla III, you must launch and finish 9 stages of Zentradi-filled mayhem. Initially, you start off with the aged but beloved VF-1X (from the SUPER DIMENSIONAL FORTRESS: MACROSS television series). As you complete more Valkyries become available. The 3-D modeling of the Valkyries is gorgeous. Intricate detail and careful attention are given to the look and motion of all the fighters in each of their three modes: fighter, GERWALK, and battroid.

But when there's so much attention given to one area, others can sometimes be neglected. In this case the enemy units suffer, some more than others. The Regult pods, the major stock of any respectable Zentradi invasion force, are anemic and monochromatic (the regular Regults are red and the stronger Regult Specials are green). The Glaug officer pods are more detailed, though, and sport the familiar red canopy on white chassis look.
Gameplay immediately shows that the folks at UNiT tried to find the middle ground between pure arcade shooter and complicated flight simulator. In most cases they succeed, although the game leans more toward an arcade shooter. Here's where reality first hits; if you are looking for a 'pure' flight sim, go buy a PC.

Control of the Valkyrie is quite detailed. Instead of one generic control for all three modes, each has a seperate set of commands and maneuvers. Players are given the option of operating from within the cockpit or an exterior view. For playing VF-X, Sony's analog twin joystick setup is highly recommended by this reviewer. Otherwise the precision maneuvering of a Valkyrie in either fighter or GERWALK mode is quite uncontrollable, especially in heavy action stages and in space. Also, some analog joystick options, such as using the coolie hat to add limited vertical maneuverability while in battroid mode, simply aren't available to a player using the standard control pad.
The 3-D environment is impressive. The wastelands and canyons are texture mapped for the feel of dirt and grass. And the cities--here's what the die-hard MACROSS fans have been waiting for all their lives: engaging Zentradi forces within the confines of a metropolis, reminiscent of the first two episodes of MACROSS.

All this does come at a price and pop-up is a major drawback. Enemy units sometimes aren't visible until they're right on top of you, and at times you can see the enemy but not the building that's between you and him. Also, within the mountain ranges and sometimes even the flat plains, clipping of vertical surfaces proves to be annoying.
One of the touted aspects of VF-X, the swarm of missiles known as the "Itano Circus" is incorporated and the visual effect is a treat. While the missile streak representations look more like the computer generated effects from MACROSS PLUS instead of actual white smoke, the end result is still good. Flying around space, dodging scads of missile salvos, and shooting down Regult pods will have any player humming the dramatic background music from the original series...

...which you'll need to do, because the actual background music for the gameplay is quite a disappointment. Lackluster and boring, the soundtrack almost plays like a lullaby instead of the exciting anthem this game needs. Two Milky Dolls songs, part of the almost-ending and credits sequence are a nice addition to the Macross vaults of j-pop music.
What this product does offer is a valiant attempt to please everyone that will delight die-hard Macross fans and evoke yawns from die-hard video gamers. If you're a little of both, this game should prove entertaining.

Rating:

**1/2 stars