"Who knew variable fighters could transform into garbage?"

This was a curious entry in the sordid gaming universe of the Macross franchise- A (then) next generation Macross game that took place after the events of the show, focusing on a character that was created for the game. It certainly looked promising enough for me to preorder an import copy of the collector's edition. Come on, there was actually a special edition version! How bad could it be?

The story is penned by the creators of the original series and follows the lives of Max and Miria after the war with the Zentradi has ended. But the focus isn't even truly on the happy couple. Instead you spend most of the game following around their adopted child Moaramia (the game is called M3 for a reason). Unfortunately, you get more plot out of the instruction booklet than from the actual game as the missions feel more like a random string of events than an unfolding story (indeed, many of the missions have gaps of several years between them).

I can honestly say that even with the excitement of a new Macross, I was disappointed with the graphics from the very first time I booted the game up. It's nothing completely terrible mind you (there's no denying it at least outstrips the Macross titles on the Playstation), but when a console launches with a game like Soul Caliber, the benchmark is set. Despite running at a good framerate, I couldn't overlook Macross M3's short draw-distance or lack of visual detail- two key ingredients to any decent flight simulator (even one that is far more sci-fi action and much less simulation).

At least the developers got the soundtrack right. Macross fans will get that familiar feeling on more than one occasion as music from the series (remade for the game, of course) is littered throughout the game. It's a shame that the actual soundtrack wasn't used, but at least one of the secrets in the game rectifies that. Audio effects, on the other had, are a disaster. Everything from explosions to gunpod fire sounds like it was mixed in a bathroom...then recorded standing outside the bathroom door. In some instances, the sound effects were even off from the action on the screen!

Flying a variable fighter in Fighter mode is actually not half bad, and with the press of a button you can transform into one of the other two modes (GERWALK and Battroid) with ease...and watch as the controls suddenly transform into crap. In either GERWALK or Battroid forms, your variable fighter moves painfully slow (to the point where it's almost quicker to transform into a Fighter to turn, and then transform back). Add to that the fact that there's no radar to guide you, and you've got yourself one mess of a game to steer through.

In fact, about the only thing the developers actually did that's worth noting in the "positive" column is added a unique plug-in system which let's you upgrade your variable fighter with more power, speed, shielding and an assortment of other goodies. There are also some rather cool automatic maneuvers you can perform by inputting a specific button sequence. These range from simple loops to firing off a salvo of missiles in true Macross form. Best of all, your don't have to be in any particular form to pull off one of these stunts- the game will automatically turn transform your variable fighter in to the appropriate mode to accommodate the maneuver you just entered.

There are some surprisingly cool unlockables for what is otherwise a beyond mediocre game. Not only do you unlock newer and better variable fighters as time goes on (remember, the game spans a large chunk of the timeline) but the assortment of cool plug-ins grows as well, helping the player actually create a fighter that is just above average but a helluva lot more fun to fly than the out-of-box crap you start the game off with.

No matter how hardcore a fan you are, stay away from this game. Macross M3 is the absolute worst insult to the license yet and is worthy of nothing less than burial in the landfill that houses the craptacular E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 cartridges. In the end, a piss-poor effort for a game that has an ever- expanding wealth of material to pick from in the overall Macross universe.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/09

Game Release: Macross M3 (JP, 02/22/01)