Macross - Scrambled Valkyrie

System: Super Famicom

Review

Virtually every shooter released for the SNES has been crap, with one very notable exception being Space Megaforce. And while Macross comes nowhere close to competing with that granddaddy of all shooters, it certainly holds its own against the likes of R-Type and Darius. Too bad it was never released here in the States...

Macross is based on the anime series of the same name, though I can't tell how closely it follows the animated version (never seen it). From what I understand the three pilots you can choose to play as are all major characters from the show.

Your ship can transform into 3 different forms, each of which moves at a different speed and has its own weapon. The weapons each pilot uses differs with each form, for a total of 9 weapons in all, and each weapon can be powered up 3 times. You can switch between the 3 forms at will but you have to be careful in doing so; take a hit and the weapon you're using powers down.

Perhaps coolest of all, if you don't fire for a couple seconds a field will form around you, and if any enemy touches this you will take control of their ship, causing them to fly around you like an option and fire at the other enemies. Almost all the enemy types can be captured, and each has their own weapon and moves in a different way. You can only control one enemy at a time, unfortunately.

Some other trivia... I wish the game was a stage or two longer but 7 stages will suffice. Difficulty is selectable so you can play through the game at least two or three times. Music isn't stellar but it doesn't grate on your nerves, either. Sound is average. The graphic effects are pretty good but the artwork is nothing special.

If it weren't for all the variety the powerups and captured enemies provided, I probably wouldn't think much of this game due to its unremarkable looks and sound. But fans of the series definitely will not be disappointed, and those who appreciate a good shooter might want to import it.