The Old School Otaku Lounge

Of the anime/manga games that have come over to North America, my favorites are:

Gundam Battle Assault 2 (PS1)
Gundam: Encounters in Space (PS2)
Robotech: Battlecry (Gamecube)
Dragon Ball Z Budokai / Raging Blast (PS1 / PS3)

I can't recall how many hours I sunk into Gundam Battle Assault 2 and, every now and then, I'll still take it out to replay. It might rank as my favorite of the bunch. I love that 2 player side-view fighting gameplay with the hand-drawn graphics. A close second is Robotech: Battlecry. I think I put in enough time into that game to unlock everything. For me, it was the best Robotech-related release Harmony Gold put out after the original series.

As for import games, my favorite is Battle Stadium D.O.N. for the Gamecube. It's the perfect party game, especially since it plays nearly identical to Super Smash Brothers -- except instead of Mario, Link, etc, it incorporates characters from DBZ, One Piece and Naruto (though I'm not much of a One Piece / Naruto fan).

llj wrote:Everyone talks about Ghost in the Shell for the PS1 and rightly so, but Ghost in the Shell for the PS2 is also a pretty neat little 3rd person shooter.

There's also Yu Yu Hakusho for the mega drive which is a great 16 bit fighter

I loved that game! I wish I could find Ghost in the Shell for PS2. Now Catherine for PS3 was excellent game.

The Robotech: Battlecry series was actually not developed in Japan, and made specifically for Robotech. I've never played these games (There was a Macross-type game and a sequel that was Mospeada, IIRC), but from what I understand, this Robotech game was made more competently than the majority of 3D Macross games that were released around that time. So many of those have been disappointing, like Macross VFX for the PS1 and Macross M3 for the Dreamcast.

Yes, my mistake, you're absolutely right -- Robotech: Battlecry was made by TDK Mediactive, based in California. I've played only a few Macross games and most have left much to be desired. Of the ones I've tried, Macross: Ace Frontier for the PSP was possibly the best of the bunch, and it had an excellent soundtrack. But the PSP is not really the ideal format for an action game.

On the other hand, it's entirely evident that TDK/Harmony Gold's treatment of Battlecry was handled with remarkable care. I urge any Robotech fan to seek that one out. It's a great addition to the series and the controls are outstanding (at least for an older gen game). It's nice that Battlecry also uses music from the show and there's some neat special features that can be unlocked, like interviews with the original voice cast -- many who reprise their roles in the game. Some levels are a bit difficult and could be frustrating but, overall, still one of the greatest video game adaptations. The early levels are some of the best as you get to take part in many of the signature battles from the series, like the all-out Zentraedi invasion from the episode "Force of Arms."

Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie for the Super Famicom (review on my website here) is a great 2D shooter ("shmup") that is a great Macross game. I think it is more enjoyable than Macross: 2036, the shmup for the PC Engine. Also on the PC Engine is the strategy game Macross: Eternal Love Song. This is probably the one Macross game I have put in the most hours on. I love this game. There are better strategy games out there, but I love the old Masaya-style strategy games.

I have heard good things about the Macross game on the PSP. I should check it out. I just wish it was focused on just the original series and not including all the various shows, such as Macross 7 (which I'd like to pretend never existed).

Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie looks amazing, and those graphics...what incredible detail! Your review has tempted me to seek that one out in the very near future.