Macross Ace Frontier

Any Macross game is by definition an exercise in fan service, so it must have certain elements to be successful. The storylines. The characters. The music. The mecha. And missiles: lots and lots of missiles.

The folks at Namco Bandai and artdink apparently understand this, because Macross Ace Frontier is every fan's dream come true.

The Japan-only title is a straightforward flight simulator and action-arcade shooting game for the PSP. The game's campaign mode lets players relive storylines from Superdimensional Fortress Macross, Macross Plus, Macross 7 and Macross Frontier. Mecha from each era in the Macross saga are available for use, as are many of the iconic characters from the anime, often as unlockable rewards for completing campaigns or meeting certain conditions while clearing missions. Playing through the game's missions, successfully or otherwise, allows gamers to acquire experience points used to the enhance the abilities of their pilot(s) and mecha. Completing all campaigns together with the special missions unlocked at the end delivers what can only be described as Macross nirvana: the ability to use any mecha and any pilot for any mission regardless of storyline.

To be fair, Ace Frontier is a game whose charm will certainly be lost upon the non-Macross faithful. At best, it's a serviceable flight simulator with observable flaws. For instance, there is no way to lock the camera view behind one's ship, making for occasionally disorienting and frustrating gameplay. While fans will certainly appreciate the ability to transform between Valkyrie, Gerwalk and Battloid modes, it's a feature that adds very little to the gameplay experience, considering that one can probably get by without it. Also, there really isn't much skill involved in playing the game: all that's required to succeed are basic reflexes and the common sense to keep firing one's infinite payload of missiles at any and all targets. Finally, there appears to be limited use to the game's head-to-head versus mode via ad-hoc WiFi, considering how few people probably own the game outside of Japan.

But to fans of the series, the game pushes all the right buttons. The graphics are gorgeous for the PSP and really bring the different mecha to life. The breadth and depth of characters and mecha in the game make for a Macross experience unlike any other. Fly Skull Leader Roy Fokker's VF-1S or Isamu Dyson's YF-19? That's a fangasm waiting to happen right there. In fact, even the game's sensibilities are spot on: Max Jenius is arguably the hardest pilot to take down in a straight-up dogfight, bar none.

Overall, Macross Ace Frontier is a game that's been long overdue, if only for the fan service. While a sequel -- Macross Ultimate Frontier -- featuring more of the same is already available, all a fan really needs is already here. The storylines. The music. The mecha. And yes, enough missiles -- lots and lots of them -- to prove one's mettle as an ace pilot in the Macross universe.