The Avatar
15-04-2006, 08:11 PM
Developed by: TDK Mediactive, Inc. (http://www.tdk-mediactive.com)
Reference Site: Nintendo Games Page (http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-881&)
Genre: Action
Memory Blocks: 1
Players: 1 to 2
Release Date: Oct 15, 2002
Oh yeah baby! This game was one of the main reasons I bought a GameCube. I am a huge fan of RoboTech. I love everything about RoboTech. So, as you can well imagine, this review will be a little bit biased.
So, when a mysterious space battleship crashes onto Macross Island in the South Pacific, the future of mankind is changed forever. Realising that there are hostile forces in the universe, the people of Earth race to rebuild the crashed ship, now called the SDF-1, as their first line of defence against a possible alien attack. But even as they struggle to master the science of RoboTechnology, the vengeful Zentraedi armada is approaching Earth.
You play the role of young Rick Hunter and the game starts you off during the first Zentraedi attack. Strap yourself in, as you play through the first season of the show. Even if you never watched the show, the game has many cutscenes that tell you what's happening and who to point your bang stick at.
GRAPHICS Score:100%
The graphics are astounding in this game. Even at high speeds, you can still make out the details of attacking craft coming at you, enough to separate them from each other. The game retains its cartoonish look by using Cel Shading to match the cartoon, and it works well to really bring the series to life. No longer are you a passive observer of the event occurring, you are now part of it!
Certain scenes from the show are played out, and you can always see in the distance the ship and what's going on around it. For example, the episode where the SDF-1 uses shields that move around to absorb missile attacks, is actually played out in space, and you can see the SDF-1 in the distance using its shield to absorb missles! You can also fly in really close to the Zentraedi Destroyers, and they are massive!
SOUND/MUSIC Score:96%
I love the music in this game. It's directly from the series, and damn, it gets my heart a pumping. Or is that my high cholesterol level? Either way, the music makes me grab my chest and gasp for air. Usually I black out for a little, just for the hell of it.
Sound effects sound chunky and fierce. The guns sound great, especially when you use it to blast incoming missiles heading your way.
Some of the original voice actors from the English dub version have return to play their original characters and also play some of the new ones. TDK Mediactive have really gone above and beyond the call of duty here.
MULTIPLAYER Score:91%
What??! They actually included multiplayer gaming for this awesome title. Great work guys! So far, I am undefeated in this game. Even when I give my mates the maximum handicap, and take a few missiles just for the heck of it, I still manage to slap all challengers down. Only one person ever got close to defeating me. That was my brother and I quickly rectified the situation by beaching myself on him like a whale headed for land. While he was screaming and gasping for air, I took him to school. No one messes with my VeriTech!
There are heaps of maps here, big ones that allow you to fight not just on land, but in space as well. Your flying skills will be taken to the limit here. The only problem with the land maps is the sky limit isn't very high. So, though aerial dog fighting is possible, it can be severely limited in some areas.
(RE)PLAYABILITY Score:94%
This game suffers for the dreaded "unlocking" feature. However, the developers have actually managed to use the feature right. You have a decent choice of Veritechs when you first start out, and as you progress through the game, you unlock it all. You don't have to do anything impossible to unlock any of the items, and the game actually tells you what you have to do to unlock the remaining units and maps. RoboTech: BattleCry is a great example of how the "unlocking feature" can be used well.
To this day, I still whip the game out and have a tussle with the Zentraedi menace. The female power armour offers a unique experience once unlocked also. It's really hard to control as the different modes show as different stances and the Zentraedi Armour is really tough. How could they not beat humans with such powerful weapons??! Lets not forget to mention the fact that they are like fifty times the size of us. Seriously, how could they lose??!
CONTROLS Score:88%
Controlling your VeriTech is easy with this game. You can switch for the three different modes instantly with the C-Stick, and once you get used to it, switching from Batteloid form to Fighter form becomes second nature. People are often amazed at how quick I can dodge their attacks by switching forms. I usually hand their asses back to them on a plate and thank them for their efforts after one of these moves. What can I say, in battle, I'm a pitiless bastard!!
The best part is the responsiveness of your VeriTech craft. In each mode, the handling characteristics are so different from each other and the changes between them are very noticeable.
ATMOSPHERE Score:100%
Due to the great graphics, the furious gameplay, the awesome music and cool storyline, this game creates a gaming experience that is truly unique. I was a fan of the cartoon when it was on, but after playing this game, I actually went out and bought it on DvD. It was cheap, and to this day I stand by that decision despite the many shaking of heads out there. Screw you, hippies!!
But, to be really honest, this game goes beyond what you would expect, and you can really tell this when playing it. So it has more then justified its perfect score in this regard.
ScreenShots
http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotech_battlecry01_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17541&c=209) http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotechbattlecry02_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17542&c=209) http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotech_battlecry03_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17543&c=209)
We don't need no water, let the Zentraedi bastards burn!
OVERALL Score:98%
This is a must for any fan of the RoboTech show. It is a definite classic for GameCube because of its great use of the Cube's hardware. Multiplayer is just a bonus here as the best part of this game is the recounting of the RoboTech storyline.
If you aren't a fan of RoboTech, or action fighting game, or even space robots, then firstly, what the hell is wrong with you? And secondly, why are you reading this review??
Want to know why? I have the answer. The answer is that you ARE a fan, but just cannot admit it to yourself. It's your secret shame, and now you can indulge in your secret shame by buying this game as soon as you see it on the shelf!
Reference Site: Nintendo Games Page (http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-881&)
Genre: Action
Memory Blocks: 1
Players: 1 to 2
Release Date: Oct 15, 2002
Oh yeah baby! This game was one of the main reasons I bought a GameCube. I am a huge fan of RoboTech. I love everything about RoboTech. So, as you can well imagine, this review will be a little bit biased.
So, when a mysterious space battleship crashes onto Macross Island in the South Pacific, the future of mankind is changed forever. Realising that there are hostile forces in the universe, the people of Earth race to rebuild the crashed ship, now called the SDF-1, as their first line of defence against a possible alien attack. But even as they struggle to master the science of RoboTechnology, the vengeful Zentraedi armada is approaching Earth.
You play the role of young Rick Hunter and the game starts you off during the first Zentraedi attack. Strap yourself in, as you play through the first season of the show. Even if you never watched the show, the game has many cutscenes that tell you what's happening and who to point your bang stick at.
GRAPHICS Score:100%
The graphics are astounding in this game. Even at high speeds, you can still make out the details of attacking craft coming at you, enough to separate them from each other. The game retains its cartoonish look by using Cel Shading to match the cartoon, and it works well to really bring the series to life. No longer are you a passive observer of the event occurring, you are now part of it!
Certain scenes from the show are played out, and you can always see in the distance the ship and what's going on around it. For example, the episode where the SDF-1 uses shields that move around to absorb missile attacks, is actually played out in space, and you can see the SDF-1 in the distance using its shield to absorb missles! You can also fly in really close to the Zentraedi Destroyers, and they are massive!
SOUND/MUSIC Score:96%
I love the music in this game. It's directly from the series, and damn, it gets my heart a pumping. Or is that my high cholesterol level? Either way, the music makes me grab my chest and gasp for air. Usually I black out for a little, just for the hell of it.
Sound effects sound chunky and fierce. The guns sound great, especially when you use it to blast incoming missiles heading your way.
Some of the original voice actors from the English dub version have return to play their original characters and also play some of the new ones. TDK Mediactive have really gone above and beyond the call of duty here.
MULTIPLAYER Score:91%
What??! They actually included multiplayer gaming for this awesome title. Great work guys! So far, I am undefeated in this game. Even when I give my mates the maximum handicap, and take a few missiles just for the heck of it, I still manage to slap all challengers down. Only one person ever got close to defeating me. That was my brother and I quickly rectified the situation by beaching myself on him like a whale headed for land. While he was screaming and gasping for air, I took him to school. No one messes with my VeriTech!
There are heaps of maps here, big ones that allow you to fight not just on land, but in space as well. Your flying skills will be taken to the limit here. The only problem with the land maps is the sky limit isn't very high. So, though aerial dog fighting is possible, it can be severely limited in some areas.
(RE)PLAYABILITY Score:94%
This game suffers for the dreaded "unlocking" feature. However, the developers have actually managed to use the feature right. You have a decent choice of Veritechs when you first start out, and as you progress through the game, you unlock it all. You don't have to do anything impossible to unlock any of the items, and the game actually tells you what you have to do to unlock the remaining units and maps. RoboTech: BattleCry is a great example of how the "unlocking feature" can be used well.
To this day, I still whip the game out and have a tussle with the Zentraedi menace. The female power armour offers a unique experience once unlocked also. It's really hard to control as the different modes show as different stances and the Zentraedi Armour is really tough. How could they not beat humans with such powerful weapons??! Lets not forget to mention the fact that they are like fifty times the size of us. Seriously, how could they lose??!
CONTROLS Score:88%
Controlling your VeriTech is easy with this game. You can switch for the three different modes instantly with the C-Stick, and once you get used to it, switching from Batteloid form to Fighter form becomes second nature. People are often amazed at how quick I can dodge their attacks by switching forms. I usually hand their asses back to them on a plate and thank them for their efforts after one of these moves. What can I say, in battle, I'm a pitiless bastard!!
The best part is the responsiveness of your VeriTech craft. In each mode, the handling characteristics are so different from each other and the changes between them are very noticeable.
ATMOSPHERE Score:100%
Due to the great graphics, the furious gameplay, the awesome music and cool storyline, this game creates a gaming experience that is truly unique. I was a fan of the cartoon when it was on, but after playing this game, I actually went out and bought it on DvD. It was cheap, and to this day I stand by that decision despite the many shaking of heads out there. Screw you, hippies!!
But, to be really honest, this game goes beyond what you would expect, and you can really tell this when playing it. So it has more then justified its perfect score in this regard.
ScreenShots
http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotech_battlecry01_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17541&c=209) http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotechbattlecry02_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17542&c=209) http://forum.zgeek.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/robotech_battlecry03_thumb.jpg (http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=17543&c=209)
We don't need no water, let the Zentraedi bastards burn!
OVERALL Score:98%
This is a must for any fan of the RoboTech show. It is a definite classic for GameCube because of its great use of the Cube's hardware. Multiplayer is just a bonus here as the best part of this game is the recounting of the RoboTech storyline.
If you aren't a fan of RoboTech, or action fighting game, or even space robots, then firstly, what the hell is wrong with you? And secondly, why are you reading this review??
Want to know why? I have the answer. The answer is that you ARE a fan, but just cannot admit it to yourself. It's your secret shame, and now you can indulge in your secret shame by buying this game as soon as you see it on the shelf!