| Macross Ace Frontier | |
|---|---|
 Japanese box art ofMacross Ace Frontier. | |
| Developer(s) | Artdink |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco |
| Series | Macross |
| Engine | Gundam Battle engine |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Shooting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer |
Macross Ace Frontier (マクロス エース フロンティア,Makurosu Ēsu Furontia) is ashooting game developed byArtdink for thePlayStation Portable. The game is based onStudio Nue's popularMacross series, one of which is known in the West as the first generation ofRobotech. It features original elements as well as characters, mechanics, episode plots and BGM borrowed from 1982'sThe Super Dimension Fortress Macross original TV series, the 1994Macross Plus OVA series, the 1994Macross 7 TV series and the 2008Macross Frontier TV series, as well as incorporating more elements from the 1984Macross: Do You Remember Love? feature film and the 2002 prequel OVA seriesMacross Zero.
It is a 3D shooter action game with multiplayer capability (1 - 4 Players) over the PSPad hoc feature. It features various characters and mecha from the last 25 years of the series, ranging from theVF-1 Valkyrie up to the most recentvariable fighter craft in theMacross universe, including the VF-25 Messiah and also featuring the VF-0, the VF-19 Custom Fire Valkyrie as well as various enemy class mecha fromZentradi,Varauta,Anti-UN and Vajra[1] forces. The game was developed using theGundam Battle engine.[2][3][4]
The game allows single player and four-player network modes. Single mode includes Campaign and Freeplay. Network mode can be playedad hoc with up to four players, and it is compatible withadhoc Party for PlayStation Portable beta version forPlayStation Network. Gallery mode gathers unlockable collectible items such as character profiles (with voice preview), mecha profiles (with 3D model preview), pictures and songs.
The success ofMacross Ace Frontier resulted in a sequel calledMacross Ultimate Frontier. The sixMacross installments included inAce Frontier are also supplemented in the sequel byDynamite 7 andMacross II. The game also features playable mecha from the videogamesMacross Digital Mission VF-X2 andMacross M3.
New game elements include additional variable fighters, a "Missile Alert" system, new pilot and operator characters created exclusively for the game byMacross character designerHaruhiko Mikimoto, and special missions as they were played out in their respective series, including those from the antagonists' point of view. The loading screens also feature screenshots from allMacross installments.Ultimate Frontier was released in October 2009 in Japan.[5]
The game is available in standard and limited versions. The latter features a preview of the firstMacross Frontier movie (being released in Japan on November 21, 2009), a UMD which features all the opening and end titles from all the Macross titles released so far and an interview withMacross creatorShōji Kawamori.[6]
A sequel calledMacross Triangle Frontier was released on February 3, 2011 in Japan for the PSP. It was also developed by Artdink and published by Bandai Namco and used the Gundam Battle engine. There are two modes in the game, "Campaign Mode" and "Academy Mode". Some missions have lower difficulties or changed scenarios.