Introduction
Robotech, one of the biggest animes of the eighties, fans have been clamoring for some new games featuring their favorite transforming robot pilots. Robotech: The Macross Saga satisfies that need to play in the Robotech universe while on the go. The game is basically a side-perspective classic shooter with one twist that sets it apart from other Galaxian clones: transformation. Once you choose from one from the several different pilots from the series, each with their own pros and cons, you are off at the default “jet” mode in which you are basically something similar to an F-14. The gist is that you can switch into two other modes: a giant walking robot, and a cross between the robot and the plane (the plane with legs and arms). Whether this feature saves this game or not, is to be determined.

Gameplay
Despite these fallbacks, Robotech is definitely a fun game to play, and rather addictive. Fans of the Robotech series will also find this a fun diversion, especially if they have been begging for a Robotech game. So unless you are looking for a big time title on top of an old genre, I suggest either renting this game, or borrowing from a friend.

Story
Robotech, to tell the truth, is a basic side scrolling shooter. It looks as if they decided to slap the numerous animations from the cartoon on top of default enemy templates. One of the key aspect, as I mentioned earlier, is the transformation of your mech. I found that the plane is entirely too fast and it takes damage when you fly at the bottom of the screen (the ground, which makes sense). With the touch of a button, I changed to the semi-robot mode and found that it moves at a good speed and can fly at the bottom of the screen without sustaining damage. Finally, the fully robotic mode does not force you forward, but it extremely hard to dodge anything, even with the jetpack. Essentially, the game reverts to a one-ship game. Another gripe I had with this game was that the power-ups you can pick up only last a limited amount of time, meaning you have to go through each level with your basic weapon, which leads me to another point. This game is hard. I may not be very experienced with these type of games, but I struggled while playing this game. The first level goes from light enemy fire to masses of enemies with no hope of dodging them, even with the health power-ups.