MACROSS M3 Import Dreamcast Episode Guide Version 1.3 March 4, 2002 (c) 2001, 2002 Edward Ju, All Rights Reserved. * Introduction This was a quick and dirty guide I've slapped together for the express purpose of helping those who are playing the game for the first time and were stuck on a level they cannot clear. However, over the course of the revisions, this work-in-progress is becoming more formalized than the quickie guide I have originally envisioned. I do not have the luxury of taking the time to write a full-blown FAQ or walkthru, so if you have any specific questions on a particular level, feel free to e-mail me at gundam@loop.com and I will add the answer in a revised version of this guide. I call this guide an Episode Guide because that's how the game refers to groups of levels, or missions. Sometimes an Episode can contain only 1 mission, sometimes the game would decide to give you a full-course meal of 3 linked levels. The game unlocks certain levels within an Episode, based on how fast you were able to finish the mission prior to the one that is to be unlocked. The general guideline is that you must complete the level previous to the hidden level with more than 20% of mission time left on the clock (so if your mission start with 5 minutes on the clock, you must have at least a minute remaining when you clear it in order to unlock the next mission). Having a memory card with sufficient room allows you to access the unlocked missions and plug-ins in Free Mission mode. However, the tips contained in this guide are written for players dealing with the level in Story Mode (by beginning a New Game or Load a saved Game via the VMU). If you are playing the level in Free Mission mode, the strategy here will work equally well, but you almost always have better plug-ins and variable mechs available then what I recommended here, and pilot selection will not be an issue there. Note that the selection of pilot for each given episode has the effect of altering the in-flight conversation and the in-between Episode dialog between the characters in story mode. Your performance, based on the time remaining and cumulative points you have earned, will determine which Valkyries and plug-ins get released. Throughout this guide you will see that I refer to the term "Valkyrie" a lot. This is technically a misnomer, as I was actually referring to the variable mech you are piloting, which could be a Variable Graug (this should have been spelled Glaug, but I am sticking to the game's spelling to avoid confusion) or anything newer than the VF-1 series. The guide has grown in size substantially, so I just decided to keep things unchanged instead. * Revision History This latest revision, version 1.3, was a cosmetic update when I re-read it and realized some typos were never corrected because they were spelled right but they weren't the intended words. Names for the YF-19 and YF-21 were also added (taken from http://www.steelfalcon.com/macrossmecha.html), I have left the other names as they were from the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine. Version 1.2 contains minor additional details - names of a couple Valkyries - I omitted in the previous version. It also includes additional information from the March 23-30 issue of the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine published by Softbank Publishing. It contains additional secrets and requirements for unlocking mechs and plug-ins, and should round out their installments on this game's strategy guide. This will probably be the last time I update this guide, since I am spending most of my time with Sakura Wars 3 now, unless significant information reveals itself later on. Version 1.1, is the 4th release of this Guide. It Version 1.1 was released on March 24, 2001. It is the 4th release and includes additional information regarding Valkyrie and plug-in release conditions, and detailed information from Episodes 3, 4, and 5 from the March 16, 2001 issue of Dreamcast Magazine published by Soft Bank Publishing in Japan. Version 1.0 (released on March 17, 2001) pretty much covers all the known missions from all 8 Episodes. There are some additional information that I may decide to throw in later if I have enough time, but this version pretty much contains everything you need to know to pass each level. This is the third release of the Episode Guide. Version 0.6 contains only the first half of the game. It is a revised version of the first release (Version 0.5), and contains several corrected mistakes, rewritten passages that aim to make things clear, and the addition of the Executive Summary section (for the benefit of those who just need to get to the point immediately). * Distribution Feel free to pass this along to fellow gamers, but I reserve the copyright and other related right to this guide. That means you should not alter the contents of this document without permission, even if it contains misspelling and bad grammar. You are not supposed to profit from distributing this document, be prepared for the worst if I find out that you do. * Valkyrie Overview Model # Plug-in slots Simultaneous missile lock-on (standard #) VF-1J 3 2 Valkyrie VF-4 4 3 Lightning VF-3000 5 3 Crusader VF-5000 6 4 Star Mirage VF-9 5 3 Cutlass VF-14 7 5 Vampire V. Graug 6 N/A (no lock-on missile available) Variable Graug VFX-11 7 7 Thunderbolt YF-19 8 7 Alpha One YF-21 7 8 Omega One The VF-5000 Star Mirage features high mobility and fairly balanced design. According to the game's official site, the VF-14 was developed with mobility in outer space in mind. The Max version appears on the game's cover. The VF-9 Cutlass, featuring a forward-swept wing, is a mass-produced Valkyrie with superior aerodynamics and improved endurance and mobility. It was later succeeded by the VF-19. A Millia custom of the VF-9 appears on the game's cover as well, along with the Variable Graug and the Max custom VF-14. Note that the Variable Graug is not equipped with homing missiles, therefore even if you install 2 sets of extra missile plug-ins, it will not fire any homing missiles even though the HUD shows 2 are available. This makes its offensive ability rather low compared to the other Valkyries availble in the game. The YF-19 and YF-21 from Macross Plus are unavailable in Story Mode and only selectable in Free Mission mode after you have entered the correct passwords for each Valkyrie in the Internet Mode's Password section. Due to popular demand, I am enclosing their passwords here. These passwords were also published in the March 23-30 issue of Dreamcast Magazine: YF-19 68134581 YF-21 25193621 * Plug-in Overview The 12 known plug-in modules are listed, from top to bottom, as they appear on the selection screen going from left to right: # of slots required Plug-in name and function 1 Booster Upgrade - booster lasts longer 1 Lock-on Speed Upgrade - faster lock-on 1 Terrain Protection - Fighter takes less damage from hitting terran 1 Mobility Upgrade - more maneuverable 2 Shield Upgrade - shield lasts longer 2 Missile Upgrade - bigger damage 2 Gunpod Upgrade - bigger damage 3 Extra Missiles - get an extra missile for every 3 available missiles, limited to 10 3 Lock-on Range Upgrade - lock-on further targets 3 ECM - slows down enemy reaction 4 Music - plays the Minmay pop song "Shao Bih Long" (Little White Dragon) and causes confusion and reduced morale in the ranks of Zentradi forces, causing them to send out less combat units and fight less ferociously 5 Music - plays the Minmay song translated from the artifact found in the Do You Remember Love movie. Effect on the Zentradi is more powerful than the Little White Dragon song, at a cost of an extra plug-in slot Note that many of these plug-ins can be made more powerful by multiple installation, if your Valkyrie has enough empty slots to take them. For example, installing the Extra Missile plug-in twice will get you even more missiles than what you get from a single installation. * How to Unlock the Minmay Songs: If you get a Bad Ending, the game releases the "Shao Bih Long" song plug-in. If you get a Good Ending in story mode, the game releases the "Do You Remember Love" song plug-in. Jump toward the end of this Guide for detailed info on how to get the Good Ending. * How to Use This Guide The Executive Summary section lays out the pilot, Valkyrie, and plug-in selection that I have found to be useful - it is not a be-all-end-all setup, so you are free to experiment with different combinations. However, if you are stuck on a level, I highly recommend you try what's worked for me by going with the recommended setup. It doesn't really matter which pilot you choose if you just want to "go to the next level", but the ones I recommend are based on who I had chosen when I got the good ending. The third pilot, Moa, is a captured Zentradi who still has issues with fighting against her own kind, therefore it is best to use Max in Episodes where you will be facing off Zentradi units, because you will get a bad ending if Moa is not happy. I am also not sure if you can get a good ending if you do not unlock all levels. The Executive Summary also sums up the basic strategy you need to use in order to clear the level without being destroyed or running out of time. I recommend reading the Detailed Guide section if you are already stuck on a particular level, since you are more likely to find specific pointers that directly address your problem. You can consult with the Valkyrie and Plug-in Overview sections above at the beginning of each Episode, they should come in rather handy. * Episode 1 - Destroy All Enemy Squads Executive Summary: Pilot: either Max or Millia Valkyrie: VF-1J (only possible choice) Plug-ins: booster upgrade x 3 Basic strategy: gun down incoming wave using gunpod (press A quickly and repeatedly), and use special all-out missile attack to clean up the remaining few pests (X-Y-X-Y-A action command). Go with Battroid or Gerwalk mode. Detailed Guide: Pick either pilot (Max or Millia). VF-1J is the only Valkyrie available. I believe you only get the booster upgrade and terrain protection (its icon shows a fighter flying into a mountain) plug-ins here, so just go with boosters all the way (you'll be skybound, no point in installing terrain protection plug-in for this mission when there is nothing other than moving targets for you to fly into). Use your gunpod (press A repeatedly instead of holding it down) to take out each wave of enemies that come at you as they are appearing. You can knock out a good percentage of them that way. Contrary to what you might have learned from flight simulators, the Valkryie's gunpod here is rather accurate and powerful. Sometimes they are more effective than missiles, you just need to figure out which kinds of enemy units are more vulnerable to the gunpod, and which ones are easier to kill with the missiles. Alternatively, you can use the multi-missile tactical attack by pressing X-Y-X-Y-A (you will need five filled segments from the Action Point bar, located at the lower left side of the screen, in order to execute it) as the enemy units are entering the area. You will know that you did it correctly if you see your Valkyrie transform into Battroid (robot) mode and start shooting out tons of missiles from its back. If your Valkyrie is firing its gunpod instead, then you've just performed the X-Y-A action, which is sort of useless, and wasted 3 Action Points. In order to get enemy units in your line of sight, observe the yellow triangles that go around the large green circle on your HUD. As you fly around, you will see them spin around the circle. You want to try to put their triangular representation on top of the green circle, so you can see them actually inside the green circle and fire at them. Once they start to engage you and fly around you, it's time to transform into either Battroid or Gerwalk form and start to track them. Try to nail them with the gunpod or missiles. Ammo is unlimited, so just keep firing even though nothing's inside the green circle yet. You can fire missiles by holding down the A button for a while and then release when you acquire a lock-on, which is done by following a target and placing it within the large circle on your HUD. Once the circle turns from green to red, it means missile is ready to launch, and if you hear the lock-on tone, you should release the A button before you lose the lock-on. The longer you can hold the A button while maintaining a lock-on, the more missiles you can lock onto the target (subject to the number of missiles your Valkyrie can simultaneously lock-on). The VF-1J, unfortunately, can only lock-on to a maximum of 2 missiles at a time unless you install the extra missiles plug-in, which is not available for this episode. A good strategy for this episode is to spray enemy units with gunfire as they are entering the combat zone. When you have successfully trimmed them down and it becomes a dogfight, use the X-Y-X-Y-A special missile attack to hit the remaining units which are hard to lock-on. Engage in dogfight if the all-out missile attack doesn't kill off the remaining units of the wave and wait for your Action Point bar to refill, then repeat the special missile attack. You should be able to defeat all waves within the time limit using this pattern. * Episode 2 - Destroy Enemy Fighter Executive Summary: Pilot, Valkryie, and plug-ins are carried over from Episode 1. Basic Strategy: use a combination of gunfire and X-Y-X-Y-A all-out missile attack to finish off the only enemy unit. Detailed Guide: Technically, this should be Episode 1-2, because you are not returned to the ship for new briefing. You are basically given a new mission objective to destroy the escape plane of a spy. This is a hidden level and does not always get unlocked, so you may not get to play this level at all. There are no waves of enemy units, just 1 unit that you must destroy. It will not sit there and take your abuse, instead it will fire homing missiles at you. In fact, that is the first thing it does as you are entering the combat zone, so you will need to either dodge them or just take a few hits so you can get down to business sooner. A few all-out special missile attacks (X-Y-X-Y-A action command) will take care of it, unless you want to practice your gunnery skills. Just make sure you don't run out of time. Change into battroid or gerwalk if you have a hard time tracking of your enemy in Fighter mode. * Episode 2-1 - Fly Through the Canyon Executive Summary: Pilot: either Max or Millia (I used Max to get the good ending) Valkyrie: VF-4 Plug-ins (in order of preference/importance): booster upgrade, shield upgrade (if available), terrain protection, gunpod upgrade (if available) Basic strategy: stay in Fighter mode, use booster when there aren't mines nearby and use the X-X-A chaff/flare escape when you are being locked-on by homing missiles. Try to get to the end of the canyon as soon as you can and avoid wasting time engaging targets. Detailed Guide: Like all married couples, Max and Millia were spending some quality time at yet another session of domestic dispute. Suddenly, duty calls in the form of a scramble siren. Pick either pilot. I usually go with Max, since he will be facing off against a Zentradi pilot later (more on this topic later). You should also have the VF-4 unlocked by now, I usually go with it, although you can go with VF-1J if you are used to how it handles (the VF-4 behaves a bit different than the VF-1J, but the extra missile and plug-in slot helps). By now, a few plug-ins should have been unlocked. You can pick these if they are available: - booster upgrade (take at least 1) - shield (icon shows the fighter in center of a sphere, generally not available, but if you see it, take it) - protection from terrain (if you have enough slots, take 1) - gunpod upgrade (icon shows a bigger gunpod over a smaller one, highly recommended) - missile upgrade (icon shows a larger missile over a smaller one, not necessary) - extra missiles (icon shows a bunch of missiles, not necessary) I usually go with a booster upgrade, a terrain protection, and either the gunpod upgrade or the shield upgrade, depending on which one is available. The most important plug-ins are the booster and the shield, if available. If you don't see the shield plug-in, get a terrain protection. A gunpod upgrade should also be used, if available. This level requires you to fly through a canyon. Time is your greatest enemy. Your other headache is the barrage of homing missiles on your tail (you'll hear the siren and see the word "WARNING!" on the HUD, warning you of approaching missiles). Here you must master the other important tactical action command: X-X-A. It drops chaff and flare to bail you out of homing missiles, and will come in very handy here. This action depletes only two segments from the Action Points bar, so you can do it again immediately or relatively soon. Just make sure that your Valkyrie is not heading to the ground or a cliffwall when you perform this action, because you do not have control of the Valkyrie when the action is being performed. When you regain control of your Valkyrie, you don't want it on the brink of hitting the ground or cliffwall, causing the shield to deplete or destroy your Valkyrie, if the shield is gone. Stay in Fighter mode as much as you can - it may be a bit disorienting at first, but if you have played Air Combat (aka Ace Combat for Japanese original version) on the PlayStation, then this level should be a total piece of cake. In fact, it is possible to finish this level entirely in Fighter mode. Use your booster whenever possible to make your trip proceed faster. In this level, you will encounter 2 kinds of obstacles (besides the cliff walls and the ground, which are hurtful if your fighter flies into them): mines and turrets. The mines just float in the air, waiting for you to fly into them so they can detonate and drain your shield. You can use the gunpod to shoot them, but be warned that you need to get them to blow up twice before they are rendered harmless. Best to avoid getting close to them at all, because most of the time they are already in your face by the time you get one to blow up for the first time. The turrets fire homing missiles at you. You can lock some missiles on them to take them out, but a few well-timed chaff/flare action (X-Y-A) works beautifully to bail you out of the hot zone. Remember, your goal is to fly to the other end of the canyon, and spending time blowing stuff up is not on top of your priority. When you fly, make sure that you don't fly too high - there is an invisible ceiling. If you get too close you will see a warning on screen that says you are about to leave the combat area, and the game will forcibly transform your fighter to Battroid mode so you'd drop to the ground. Not a good thing to happen if you are flying through a buttload of turrets and/or mines. In short, avoid collision, stay in Fighter mode and fire up that booster often, avoid flying too close to the mines, and chaff/flare whenever you hear a lot of WARNING! beeps. * Episode 2-2 - Destroy Enemy Intelligence Facility Executive Summary: Your pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins carry over from the previous level. Here's where your shield, booster, and gunpod upgrade plug-ins really shine. Basic strategy: primary goal is to destroy all red-flagged Targets, shaped like a giant antenna. Enter the complex in Fighter mode, transform to Gerwalk when engaging the opposition. Pick off the guarding turrets and Destroids by hopping/jumping (using the booster) while moving left and right unpredictably, then destroy the nearest Target before rushing (Fighter mode and a bit of booster) to the next Target area. Act as fast as you can, do not waste too much time using lock-on or special missile attacks - for the time they cost you, the gunpod is much more efficient. Detailed Guide: This is an unlocked level, you may or may not get it. Be happy if the game sends you to Episode 2-3 after you complete 2-1, because this is one of the toughest levels, and takes a lot of practice. However, I believe you need to unlock and beat this level in order to get a good ending. So grin and bear it if you do end up here. I spent a whole night here before I figured out a working strategy to clear it. Don't get frustrated if you run out of time often - play through this level a few times so you can get a mental picture of the structure's layout and where the Targets are. Once you know where they are, it will help you complete your task faster. You start outside a building complex. Your goal is to destroy the enemy's intelligence facility, namely the antenna-like radar dishes located inside the complex. They are marked red on your HUD as TARGET, and you cannot lock onto them using the missile. That's where your gunpod upgrade comes in handy. Without the plug-in, you will be spending more time on destroying these targets (I think there were 5 in all) and time is once again your greatest enemy here. Missiles, even special full-out attacks, aren't terribly effective here. You need to fire your vulcan like mad at moving targets (Destroids) and turrets that are protecting each antenna, and keep moving wildly so they cannot hit you. The Destroids can get you with their guns if your movement is limited to hoving left and right in Gerwalk mode, so use the booster often and make yourself hard to track or lock-on. Don't even try this level in Battroid mode, it is too slow for the pace of this level, not to mention the lead salad your Battroid would be getting is no good for your health. Start by transforming into Fighter mode and fly into the complex. Pick a red Target, fly there (position the red triangle on top of the green circle and fly in a straight line), and visually confirm the posted guards so you can pick a spot to land without being surrounded. Transform to Gerwalk mode and start firing your gun at the guards - these include at least 1 turret and a couple of Destroids. They are tough customers and if you want to lock missiles onto them, it'd take a long time. Quick-firing gunpod takes less time to blow them up. Try to take out the turret first if you can, so there will be no homing missiles after you. When you are attacking the Destroids, try to move around a lot - swing left and right while jump up and down using the booster. This makes you hard to target so your shield will last longer. Hop around and fire like mad, once you take out the guards you can fire at the red Target unmolested. As it is blowing up, transform to Fighter mode and rush to the next Target area, repeat the process of picking off Turret and Destroids until you blow up all the red Targets. If you have enough shield left (indicated on the bar on the lower right side of the screen) when you only have 1 Target remaining to be destroyed and time is running tight, you can just shoot the Target instead of trying to clear the area of guards. As long as you keep moving and jumping around while shooting at the Target, you can do it without being shot to a piece of Swiss cheese. Just make sure the Target stays inside the big green circle while you are moving around and firing. In short: hop a lot while swinging left and right constantly as you attack the guards, and move as fast as you can between Targets! * Episode 2-3 - Disable Unidentified Zentradi Fighter Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are once again carried over from 2-1 and 2-2. If you have missile upgrade or extra missile plug-in, they will make this level easier, but you don't need them to win this level. Basic strategy: show no mercy, X-Y-X-Y-A all-out special missile attack whenever you have 5 or more Action Points on the AP bar. Fire your gunpod like mad while the Action Points are regenerating, and keep moving so you're not a still target. Detailed Guide: After the tough levels of 2-1 and 2-2, you are rewarded with a one-on-one with a Zentradi Variable Graug, which flies and attacks like a freak on speed. By the time you got a lock-on and are ready to fire, the bastard is already behind you pumping lead into your back. Not to worry! Use your X-Y-X-Y-A all-out special missile attack. Fire your gun blindly while your Action Point bar refills, because the Graud flies around so fast and crazy you are bound to get some licking in as it gets in front of you and try to shoot you at point blank range. After a few all-out missile attacks, victory should be yours as you carry out your order to disable the enemy and capture it along with the pilot. The pilot turned out to be a Zentradi female named Moa. Max and Millia decide to make her a micron (human-size her) and adopt her as their own daughter. This family is where the game gets its name "M3" from (Max, Millia, and Moa). As a side note... whatever happened to Mylene, their baby daughter seen in the original Macross TV series?! * Episode 3-1 - Clear All Enemy Squads Executive Summary: Pilot: Max (after all, it's the guy's duty to protect females) Valkyrie: VF-3000 Plug-ins: shield, missile upgrade/extra missiles/gun upgrade, lock-on speed upgrade/mobility upgrade. Basic strategy: all-out missile attack action command (X-Y-X-Y-A) and gunfire/missile lock-ons while you recharge the Action Points. Detailed Guide: Your mission is to escort the newly developed VF-5000. I picked Max for this mission to get the good ending, and flew the VF-3000 (which usually is unlocked by now, the VF-9 is sometimes unlocked at this point as well), which has 5 plug-in slots. Play around with the available plug-ins you find suitable to your style, Since this is a space mission, don't waste your valuable plug-in slots on terrain protection. I think a shield upgrade (if available) and missile upgrade are very helpful here, you can put either the mobility upgrade or lock-on speed upgrade for the remaining slot, depending on your playing style. If you don't feel like bothering with trying to lock-on enemies, then get the mobility upgrade. If the Minmay plug-ins are available, you might want to consider them - their icons appear as musical notes. One of them takes up 4 slots, and the other one takes up 5 slots. The Minmay plug-in plays one of her songs and sends protoculture shock across Zentradi enemy ranks, causing them to lose their morale and will to fight, thus sending out less attack units. The later waves of this mission contained Zentradi units, so a Minmay plug-in would help. This Episode plays very much like Episode 1, just use the same strategy and rely on a combination of special all-out missile attack and the gunpod firing or locking-on missiles, and you will do fine. Stay in Battroid mode or Gerwalk mode if you need to track your opposition for gunfire or lock-on missiles. * Episode 3-2 - Defeat Enemy Reinforcement Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from previous level. Basic strategy: same as the previous level. Detailed Guide: This is one of the hidden, unlocked level, whose release depends on whether you clear Episode 3-1 with more or less than 48 seconds remaining on the clock. The one time I have been able to get a good ending, this level, like all other hidden levels, was unlocked The opposition has sent reinforcement, and these are tougher customers than the lame-o units you just dealt with in the previous level. Do the same thing you did in Episode 3-1 while being careful not to stay a still target, as the enemies are more active and aggressive now. The VF-5000 Star Mirage should become unlocked after you clear this Episode, and you will also unlock the Lock-on Speed Upgrade if you earn more than 110,000 points in Episode 3. * Episode 4-1 - Fly Through the Canyon Executive Summary: Pilot: Moa Valkyrie: VF-5000 (if available, otherwise pick VF-9 or VF-3000) Plug-ins: booster upgrade, shield upgrade, missile upgrade, lock-on speed upgrade or terrain protection Basic strategy: same as Episode 2-1, but you must transform to Gerwalk mode when you come upon a beam gate and destroy at least the lowest row of beam activators before you can hover under the other rows of beam barricade. X-X-A when homing missiles are on your tail and there are no obstacles in front of you. Detailed Guide: This one is very similar to Episode 2-1, but tougher. While Episode 2-1 can be finished without any attacks or transformation, that's not the case here. There are no Zentradi units in this Episode, so it's a perfect one to send Moa out for some action. I think the best unit unlocked at this point would be the VF-5000. Take that even if Moa's Variable Graug is available - the Variable Graug cannot be equipped with homing missiles, therefore you'd be denied the special all-out missile attack and lock-on missile attacks if you pick the Variable Graug. As for plug-ins, you will definitely need shield, booster, missile upgrades, these take up 5 slots in the VF-5000 and leaves you with only 1 slot, so choose between lock-on speed upgrade, terrain protection, or mobility upgrade depending on your playing style. Don't waste slots on the Minmay song plug-ins for this Episode, since there are no Zentradi opposition here. As you start this mission, you are once again flying through a canyon. Same rules from Episode 2-1 apply here. Don't fly too high. Avoid collision. X-X-A chaff and flare if the Warning! beep gets too scary, and try to avoid the mines. Here's what's new about this level: forked paths and beam gates. Instead of a linear canyon like Episode 2-1, you will come upon forked paths as you fly through the canyon here. You will need to check them out for yourself to see which side you want to fly through the next time (trust me, you'll die plenty and get to practice here). If you pick the wrong path, you'll have to deal with a ton of mines, enough to make sure you take the other path next time. The beam gates are easy to deactivate, just lock-on to both sides, blow out the beam activators and boom, the blue beam disappears. You only need to blow out the lowest row of beam in order to go under the other beams in Gerwalk mode. Once you get through the gate, change to Fighter mode and try to make up for loss time. Look out for homing missiles and mines too. Once again, your goal is to get to the end of the canyon, not to blow everything up, so strategize accordingly. The only thing you really need to deal with here are beam gates, more specifically each gate's lowest row of beam. * Episode 4-2 - Destroy Disguised Turrets Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-in are carried over from the last level. Basic strategy: enter the hot zone in Fighter mode, lock-on to each missile turrets (yellow triangles) and fire off 3 or 4 homing missiles on them. Change to Gerwalk mode after destroying all missile turrets and deal with the Cannon Turrets (red-flagged Targets) by jumping around while gunning them and avoiding firing from bugs hiding under the sand. Detailed Guide: This level is a pain just like Episode 2-2. Once again, you need to spend a lot of time hopping around like a grasshopper in Gerwalk mode and keep moving to avoid becoming a still target, and the booster upgrade installed earlier now comes in very handy. You start from a safe area. Approach the enemy's camp in Fighter mode and stay in Fighter mode while you fly around the center of the facility and try to take out all the turrets that can fire homing missiles at you. Use missiles, lock-on and fire. Once you've taken out all the homing missile turrets, transform to Gerwalk mode and approach the Sphinx-like structures one by one. They are actually disguised turrets and fire huge shells at you in fixed intervals. Hop and jump while swinging left and right, just keep the head of the Sphinx (the disguised turret) inside the big green circle so you can pump more lead into it. After one blows up, get to the next one quickly. I believe there were 5 total. While working on the disguised turrets, you may be shot by mobile bugs that seem to be firing at you from under the sand. You can choose to deal with them or not, just make sure you are doing well with time. The Japanese Dreamcast Magazine recommends staying as far as you can from the hot zone and fire you guns at the head of each Sphinx. I have not tried this strategy yet, but feel free to experiment if my own strategy hasn't worked well for you. * Episode 4-3 - Destroy the Mother Bug Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from 4-1 and 4-2. Basic strategy: use the all-out missile attack special Action command as much as you can, lock-on as many homing missiles as you can while the Action Points replenish. Repeat until you exterminate the big bug (Target). Detailed Guide: You discover that those bugs that were firing at you while moving under the sand were no accident. Apparently, giant insects were bred for bio weapon applications. Well, one of them has gotten so huge and it sends out little bugs like it was the SDF-1 sending out little Valkyries! Your mission is to squash that ugly bug carrier and maintain mankind's superiority over insects, of course. I believe this is not a hidden/unlocked level, although the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine claims that it is a hidden level that only gets unlocked if you clear Episode 4-2 with 1 minute 24 seconds or more remaining on the clock. This boss level is fairly easy, just make sure you don't allow the mother bug overwhelm you with its minions. The mother bug sends out a squad of new bugs at fixed intervals, so no matter how good you are at taking them out, there's always more where that came from. Therefore, you should concentrate your attack on the mother bug (red-flagged Target) and not waste your time with the little bugs. For this episode, I recommend staying in Fighter mode and never transform. The little insects come at you fast, if you are in Battroid or Gerwalk mode you will get gangbanged. Fighter mode gives you the speed and agility to outrun them. Use your special all-out missile attack as soon as you get enough Action Points. You will need to do it a lot in order to destroy the mother bug before time is called. While the AP bar is being filled, charge the giant bug and lock-on as many missiles as you possibly can. Release the missiles as they all lock-on and once you fly past the mother bug, hit the booster to gain some distance before you do a 360 degree turn to reacquire it in your sight for another round of locking-on. Repeat until you get 5 Action Points for another all-out missile special attack. The gunfire is useful against the little bugs that constantly spew forth from the giant bug, but I really think it's a waste of time to knock these good-for-nothings out. Concentrate your firepower on the giant bug and keep moving in Fighter mode, and you will clear this boss stage without much trouble. You will earn the VF-9 Cutlass if your cumulative points are 450,000 or more, and if your points earned in Episode 4 is more than 90,000 then you will unlock the Missile Upgrade plug-in as well. Episode 5-1 - Eliminate Enemy Ground Troops Executive Summary: Pilot: Max Valkyrie: VF-5000 (or the unlocked Valkyrie with the most plug-in slots) Plug-ins: missile upgrade, extra missiles, shield, lock-on speed upgrade, mobility upgrade Basic strategy: stay in Gerwalk mode for the entire level, use lock-on missiles for every target and never stay still (keep hovering and moving towards the current target). Detailed Guide: One of the good guy's facilities is under attack, it is surrounded by ground units and an aerial bombardment fleet. Your first mission is to eliminate all enemy group troops surrounding the installation. Due to the presence of Zentradi units, I recommend sending out Max. However, the screenshot from the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine shows Millia's portrait in the setup screen, so you can go with her if you feel like experimenting. Pick the available Valkyrie that has the most number of plug-in slots. For this mission the VF-5000 is most likely the best one you can pick, unless the game also unlocks the VF-14 for you for this Episode. You'll have either 6 of 5 plug-in slots available, and I'd recommend missile upgrade (2 slots), extra missile (3 slots), and either a lock-on speed upgrade (1 slot) mobility upgrade (1 slot) if you still have room. You can also substitute the missile upgrade or extra missiles with the shield upgrade if you get shot down a lot in this and the next level. You start near the base that you need to protect, and already homing missiles are after you. Change into Gerwalk mode and start hovering towards the nearest target. Your goal for this mission is to eliminate all Destroids surrounding the base. There is a bomber in the sky that is constantly firing homing missiles at you, but you cannot hit it - if you try to fly up and lock missiles on it, soon you will hit the invisible ceiling and the game transform you to Battroid and drops you to the ground, so don't bother with it. If you keep moving in Gerwalk mode, you can shake off enough of these homing missiles for you to clear this level. You can use either homing missiles or just fire your guns at the Destroids - I usually go missiles all the way, although sometimes they need a second round of missiles to finish off. The good thing about using missiles instead of gunpod is that you can start swinging sideways after the missiles are fired, thus getting you out of the current target's line of fire, if it is firing its gun at you. If you decide to go with guns blazing, make sure you hop with the booster occasionally because some of the Destroids will fire back aggressively, taking away valuable shield. Also install gunpod upgrade instead of missile upgrade if you decide to play this level with just guns. Losing the missile upgrade for next level is not a big deal, you just need to fire more missiles there instead. An alternative strategy is to stay in Fighter mode and pick the ground targets off in the air. I personally do not recommend it, because you end up hitting the ground and taking collision damage a lot, not to mention the forced Battroid transformation after you hit the ground slows everything down. You also get hit a lot by homing missiles fired by that big ship in the sky when flying. If you just want to try this level in Fighter mode only, be sure to pack at least 1 terrain protection plug-in during setup. Episode 5-2 - Annihilate Enemy Bombardment Fleet Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from the previous mission. You are now skybound and must eliminate the two bombers before time runs out. Basic Strategy: use homing missiles on a bomber and keep firing missiles until it blows up, then find the other bomber and repeat the missile firing. Stay in Fighter mode for the entire mission. Detailed Guide: The enemy is not backing off even though you showed impressive courage and skill in wiping out their massive ground troop all by yourself, and the aerial bombardment fleet approaches without any sign of retreating. You must destroy the two huge stealth bombers before they reach their target. I think this is a regular mission, not one of the hidden ones you have to unlock, but the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine claims it is only unlocked if you can clear Episode 5-1 with a minute or more remaining on the clock. This is one of the easiest missions in the whole game. You've earned it after biting and clawing your way through some of the tough levels earlier. You start this mission in the sky, sandwiched between two huge bombers shaped like the Stealth Bomber. Stay in Fighter mode for this entire mission and do not transform, because the bombers' escorts will chew you up if you transform to the slow-moving Gerwalk or Battroid modes. By staying in Fighter mode, you are fast enough to get out of their way and makes it easy for you to acquire your Targets. Pick either the one above you or the one below you, and start locking missiles on it. There is a vertical column of missiles on the left side of the screen. When you see them start to turn from green to black, it means they are locked on and ready to fire. Fire when you see the entire column turns black, or if you prefer, fire whenever a couple of them are locked onto the target. The missiles on the column will gradually turn back to green as each fired missile hits the target. Keep your thumb on the A button and the refilled missiles will start to lock on to your target immediately. Keep pumping missiles into the bomber and it will eventually blow up before your Valkyrie collides with it. Once you see the firework, do a 180 and head for the other bomber, and start locking missiles on the last threat. As you can clearly see, missile upgrade, extra missiles and lock-on speed upgrades can make your work even easier for this mission. If your cumulative points are more than 490,000 then the Variable Graug is unlocked. If your points earned in Episode 5 is more than 80,000 then the Extra Missiles plug-in will be released as well. Episode 6-1 - Destroy Enemy Squads Executive Summary: Pilot: Max Valkyrie: VF-14 or the unlocked Valkyrie with most plug-in slots Plug-ins: music (either 4 or 5 slot version will do, if available), shield upgrade, missile upgrade, extra missiles, faster lock-on upgrade Detailed Guide: You are assigned to protect a satellite. A Zentradi battleship warps into the area, and you are charged with maintaining orbit superiority. Once again, send out Max so we don't piss off Moa. The VF-14 Vampire is unlocked in this episode, so take it out for a spin. The VF-14 offers superior defenses and 7 slots, giving you a whole lotta plug-in fun. This Episode is basically dogfight in space, much like Episode 1 or Episode 3-1 and 3-2. You will face tough opposition, so let's start by installing your Valkyrie with shield upgrade (if available) and missile upgrade. That's 4 slots right there. You have 3 slots left, which is perfect for the extra missiles plug-in. If you have the music plug-in, let's give them Zentradi some protoculture shock. Install the one that costs 4 slots, and mix and match the plug-ins to your liking for the remaining slots. If you are stuck here because you get blown up a lot, get the shield upgrade. If you run out of time a lot, install the missile upgrade and faster lock-on upgrade, or extra missiles plug-in. Don't waste your valuable slot on terrain protection (pointless). If you see the ECM plug-in unlocked, you may wish to try it, but I haven't experienced any significant effect with this plug-in myself. The jut warped-in Zentradi ship will send out wave after wave of opposition, take them out with gunpod fire or homing missiles as they approach you. It will eventually get to a point where different squads come out at different areas so you are surrounded at the beginning of each wave. Use your special missile attack (X-Y-X-Y-A) at the beginning of each incoming wave and gun down the remaining ones while you are charging up your AP points to perform the special missile attack again. If you feel that you are taking a lot of damage in Battroid or Gerwalk mode here, switch to Fighter mode and fly around in circles while firing your gun blindly, and perform the X-Y-X-Y-A special missile attack when you have enough AP on the bar (5 segments). This mission should be fairly easy as long as you can remember not to engage in prolonged dogfight with one or a few enemy units. There are several waves to contend with, and you don't have the time to go one-on-one with the last unit in a wave, so special missile attack whenever you can. You must beat Episode 6-1 with at least 1 minute and 24 seconds remaining on the clock in order to progress to Episode 6-2. Episode 6-2 - Destroy Enemy Squads Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from previous mission. Basic strategy: special missile attacks all the way, and keep moving so you don't become a sitting duck. Fighter mode recommended. Detailed Guide: This is a hidden level that needs to be unlocked. The Zentradi ship basically hasn't given up and is sending out their two aces in what I believe are Variable Graugs to gang up on you. Looks like the word honor does not exist in their dictionary. Show them what you are made of and send the Zentradis warping out with the tail between their legs. This is basically a heavy duty version of Episode 2-3, you now have to deal with 2 Variable Graugs instead of one. The good news is they don't have homing missiles, the bad news is they can sandwich you in their attacks. Not to fear, stay in Fighter mode so they cannot leverage their speed on you. Fly around in circles or try to lock onto them, but when you have 5 Action Points, let the missiles fly with the X-Y-X-Y-A command. Repeat a few times and they will be toast. Piece of cake again. If the strategy above doesn't work for you, stay in Battroid mode and lock on as many missiles as you can on them. I have found them to be rather lame for aces, because they don't move a lot and act like sitting ducks most of the time. The lock-on range upgrade plug-in will be released if your cumulative points for Episode 6 is more than 140,000 points. Episode 7-1 - Pass Through the Corridors Executive Summary: Pilot: Moa Valkyrie: VFX-11 (the only possible choice) Plug-ins: shield upgrade, gunpod upgrade, missile upgrade, extra missiles, lock-on speed upgrade, booster upgrade Basic strategy: stay in Gerwalk mode, only transform to Battroid mode if you need to rotate on your axis/re-orient yourself and prepare for locking missiles on a Destroid or turret that is hiding behind the next corner. Act as fast as you can, destroy all red-flagged targets. Detailed Guide: Since there are no Zentradi enemies in this Episode, let's pick Moa so she can show her parents that she's become the ace of the Dancing Skull squad in their absence. The VFX-11 is the only Valkyrie you can choose, so no headache there. It has 7 plug-in slots, so let's upgrade its shield and gunpod. That leaves 3 empty slots, you can mix and match from the following: missile upgrade, extra missiles, lock-on speed upgrade, booster upgrade, mobility upgrade, and terrain protection if you plan to transform to Fighter mode in the tight corridors (not recommended at all). You start in Battroid mode, so let's transform to Gerwalk mode for speedy progress. There's a Destroid waiting for you at almost every corner, your radar/HUD will tell you the direction they will be ambushing from. Whenever you see a corner, turn so that when you hover to the intersection, you will be facing down the corridor as you emerge. This allows you to lock-on a bunch of missiles before you emerge, release the missiles after you emerge, and hover back so enemy fire will not hit you. You cannot easily rotate in Gerwalk mode, so transform to Battroid mode if you need to rotate on your axis and change back to Gerwalk before you engage a Destroid or turret. If you don't feel like using missiles, you can charge at the Destroids or turrets while hopping around using the booster. Just make sure you do not take too much damage because there are several mines nicely tucked away at hard-to-detect areas and you are bound to run in a few of them. Even though your primary goal is to go through the corridors and reach the end before time runs out, you cannot accomplish this without destroying all the red-flagged Targets. They are shaped like the antenna dish you dealt with in Episode 2-2, but here they serve as locks on the doors. When you come upon a locked door (usually colored differently than the usual walls) you need to search for its lock nearby and destroy it in order to open the door and proceed. The missiles do not lock onto the red Targets, that is why you need the gunpod upgrade so you don't waste too much time trying to blow the locks up. This level is a maze, and you simply need to play through it several times to get a mental picture of where things are. Say the direction you are facing at the beginning is north, then you need to continually head north in order to reach the exit. There are some forked paths, but the dead-ends do not extend to long and some of the door switches are located at these dead-ends, which you must reach anyway. Be happy that it's a 2-dimensional maze and you do not need to go to higher or lower floors. If you find yourself lost, simply try to reach the yellow or red targets that are showing up on your radar/HUD and you will eventually find your way out. Time is your greatest enemy here, so move fast. If you get lost and find yourself revisiting places you have been to, then you will most likely run out of time. That is OK, it's the tuition you pay in order to memorize the layout of the maze. If you blow up too much then you might want to consider installing the shield upgrade twice. However, you should also re-evaluate your fighting tactics - it is possible to take most Destroids and turrets out without incurring much damage to your shield, which you need to save for the mines. Some mines can be avoided, while some can't if you are pressed for time. The mines are always at the same spots, so if you suddenly lose a lot of shield, you know a mine has hit you. Try to remember the location and be extra careful when you approach the same location next time. Most mines are placed at corners or behind a door so you don't even see it as you were approaching it. Once you have destroyed the last red Target, proceed down the corridor and turn the corner, and the mission is completed. Try to act fast in this level and charge at them without too many hit-and-hide action, which wastes your time. You need at least 1 minute and 36 seconds remaining on the clock in order to go on to Episode 7-2. Episode 7-2 - Eliminate the Monsters Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from the previous mission. Basic strategy: take advantage of the Gerwalk's ability, and use the columns for cover. Lock missiles on the Monsters, get out from behind the column, fire missiles, then get back behind the column and repeat until both Monsters are destroyed. Avoid gunfire! Detailed Guide: This is a hidden level that gets unlocked. Turns out there is a coup of some sort, and the leader was kidnapped and now held hostage, guarded by 2 big and mean Monster Mk-IIs. The kidnapped leader is located in the yellow-flagged target, guarded by two Monster Mk-IIs (red-flagged as Targets) nearby. You must not harm the yellow unit, as the hostage will die if it is hit, a truly sticky situation. There are two columns placed roughly in front of each Monster. Use them for cover and stay in Gerwalk mode unless you need to re-orient yourself and rotate. Get behind the column, change to Battroid mode if you need to rotate. Change back to Gerwalk mode and start locking all your missiles onto a Monster. Hover out from behind the column, release all the missiles and hover right back behind the column. Keep doing this until you destroy one of the Monsters, get behind the other column, and do the same thing to the remaining Monster. Be extra careful not to lock your missiles on the yellow target, or accidentally let out a barrage of gunpod fire - the yellow target is extremely fragile and its destruction means you have to restart the mission. When you get out from behind the column to fire your missiles, try to keep the yellow target blocked by the column, so even if you lock onto it by accident, the missiles would be blocked by the column. If your cumulative points for Episode 7 is over 100,000 points, the game will release the ECM plug-in. Episode 8-1 - Destroy Enemy Fighter Executive Summary: Pilot: Max Valkyrie: VFX-11 Plug-ins: shield upgrade, missile upgrade x 2, lock-on speed upgrade Basic Strategy: use a mixture of X-Y-X-Y-A missile attacks, gunpod fire, and homing missiles on your hapless victim and enjoy the calm before the storm. Try to gun it down as much as you can while keeping a few homing missiles on its tail. Detailed Guide: A stray Zentradi fighter appears and you are charged with the mission of getting rid of it. Since the opposition is Zentradi, we don't want to upset Moa by sending her or Millia for the job, so Max has to step up to the plate. The VFX-11 is the best Valkyrie available, so let's use it again. Don't let the painful memory of Episode 7-1 discourage you from using this powerful Valkyrie. It has 7 plug-in slots, and that's the most you can get in Story Mode. Since this Episode takes place in the air, we can cross out terrain protection from our list of plug-in candidates. I think shield and missile upgrades are most useful here. Secondary plug-ins for you to consider include gunpod upgrade, extra missiles, lock-on speed upgrade, lock-on range upgrade, and mobility. If the music from Episode 8-2 gets on your nerve then get a music plug-in at the expense of a less shielded or offensive Valkyrie. I found the best combination to be a double installation of missile upgrade, a shield upgrade, and a lock-on speed upgrade, as you will be relying on missiles a lot for Episode 8. The lone Zentradi fighter is not much of a threat, it will fire off some homing missiles on you, but that's about it. All you need to do is to destroy it before time runs out. If you find yourself chasing it around in a circle, use the X-Y-X-Y-A missile attack to break yourself out of the routine and see if that helps you get it in your line of sight for some gunning or missile lock-ons. The Zentradi fighter is pretty fast and can often outrun missiles, so you will need to rely on your special missile attack (X-Y-X-Y-A) and gunpod firing more than homing missiles (it's always good to have a few homing missiles on its tail to keep it occupied though). Try to nail it with gunfire as much as you can. Episode 8-2a - Eliminate the Opposition's Ultimate Weapon Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from previous mission. Basic Strategy: stay in Battroid mode, lock as many missiles as you can and dodge the projectiles by twisting left and right as you try to lock more missiles on the enemy. Fire whenever you get 2 or 3 lock-ons and repeat. Detailed Guide: The "bad ending" is guaranteed if you get this instead of Episode 8-2b. You might as well finish this level, since it will prepare you when you eventually get to play Episode 8-2b. You cannot avoid Episode 8-2a if you have failed to unlock all the hidden missions in the previous Episodes (having unlocked them before in a different game does not count, all hidden missions must be unlocked in the same game in order to get Episode 8-2b and the good ending). Two Zentradi fighters arrive to back up the lone fighter you were beating up on. They combine into some kind of flying freak and start firing huge cannonballs at you. You must destroy this Ultimate Weapon before time runs out. The Ultimate Weapon alternates between jamming your signals (and your ability to lock-on to it) and firing a barrage of large shells at you. Even though they do not home-in on you like missiles, their sheer size combined with good aim make them deadly. Stay in Battroid mode for this mission and try to lock on as many homing missiles as you can on the sucker. Keep in mind that it jams your signals so by the window of opportunity to lock missiles on it is extremely narrow. You rarely get a chance to lock all your missiles on it, so don't even try. As soon as you get 2 or 3 missiles locked on, let them fly and hold down the A button immediately and try to score more lock-ons. While trying to get a lock-on, twist your Battroid around to dodge the projectiles. This twisting around will also reveal projectiles that would otherwise be blocked from view so you can get out of their way. You do not need to use special missile attacks at all for this mission, just try to lock-on as many missiles as you can without taking too much damage from its projectiles and you can defeat it before time is up. Episode 8-2b - Eliminate the Opposition's Ultimate Weapon Executive Summary: Pilot/Valkyrie/plug-ins are carried over from Episode 8-1. Basic strategy: stay in Battroid mode, lock all your missiles on the target, fire, and repeat. When target gets close it will use its beam blade on you. To prevent this from happening, try to let some homing missiles fly or perform the special missile attack command (X-Y-X-Y-A) so it will try to evade the missiles instead of trying to attack you. Detailed Guide: If you have been successful at unlocking all the hidden levels so far, you will get this mission instead of 8-2a. Beat it and you will get the good ending! The new combined Ultimate Weapon is humanoid and does not resemble the one from 8-2a. The bad news is it has both the giant cannonball projectile AND a melee weapon in the form of a gigantic beam blade, which inflicts major damage on your shield. Try the same strategy as you would in 8-2a, but instead of firing as soon as you get a few missiles to lock-on, try to lock all your missiles on the bastard before firing. The X-Y-X-Y-A special missile attack will also be useful here if it gets too close and refuses to back off. If things get really hairy with it in your face, transform to Fighter mode to gain some distance before you return to Battroid mode and resume locking missiles on it and firing. If you get destroyed a lot in this level, consider a double shield upgrade instead of double missile upgrade. The double missile upgrade worked for me, even though by the time I cleared the mission, the shield was dangerously low. * The Ending How do you know if you got the good or bad ending? Easy to tell. If you got the bad ending, Moa throws a tantrum and you see a black screen with words to the effect of "Try to Make Moa Happy, Try Again". If you got the good ending, the credits will roll while the ending song plays. You can also tell by whether you got Episode 8-2a or 8-2b, 8-2a gets you the bad ending, and 8-2b gets you the good ending. Enjoy! * How Do I Get the Good Ending? In order to get the Good Ending, you must unlock all the Hidden Missions, which means the time remaining when you beat these missions must be higher than than: Episode 1-1 37 seconds Episode 2-1 1 minute 1 second Episode 3-1 1 minute 49 seconds Episode 4-2 1 minute 25 seconds Episode 5-1 1 minute 1 second Episode 6-1 1 minute 25 seconds Episode 7-1 1 minute 37 seconds Accomplishing these goals releases the hidden missions and gets you Episode 8-2b instead of 8-2a. After you clear Episode 8-2b, you get the Good Ending and Ending Credits. * How Do I Get the YF-19 and YF-21 from Macross Plus? Please refer to the Valkyrie Overview section near the beginning of this Guide. * Totally Unrelated Stuff I Just Felt Like Including The Limited Edition copies of Macross M3 came in a DVD-sized box made of cardboard paper has features an original illustration of the game's main characters on the box cover. However, the only item you get inside, besides the game itself, is a laminated card. The card depicts one of the 3 main characters - Max, Millia, and Moa. Unfortunately, you don't know which card you will get until you break it out of the box. If anyone has a Millia card and wants to trade it for the Max card I have, feel free to e-mail me at gundam@loop.com There is a sweepstakes number printed on each card, unfortunately the contest is only open to residents of Japan, so even if you have the grand prize winning number, it's still worthless outside of Japan. You can see what these 3 cards look like by going to the game's official site at http://www.shoeisha.co.jp/enter/m3/, scroll down the main page and click on the animated banner at the bottom. After the new page loads, you will also see the three cards on the top. Scroll the page down and you will see the prizes offered to lucky winners: # of winners Prize 1 Painted and Assembled VF-1S Skull Leader in Fighter mode 50 Fully transformable diecast VF-11B toy by Yamato 50 Hasegawa VF-1A in Fighter mode plastic model kit 50 Hasegawa VF-1J in Fighter mode plastic model kit 50 Hasegawa VF-1S in Fighter mode plastic model kit 100 Macross M3 Sound File original soundtrack CD While you are at the game's official site, click on the link that says GAME SYSTEM and check out a wicked screen shot showing a bunch of missiles coming out from what looks like the good old Glaug pod. Apparently it was a shot taken from the game while it was still in development, too bad it wasn't included in the final released of the game. * More Unrelated Junk/Rant I Am Including Because I Can All you Macross fans out there must be having a ball with all the new transformable Valkyrie toys coming out. The Macross Plus ones from Yamato has been fairly cool, but with their release of the VF-1 seires, they've really, really dropped the ball in my book. Instead of a solid, durable transformable toy, you get an expensive display model that is only good for looks but not fun to play with, unlike the old classic from Takatoku and Bandai. I could go on and on about why the Yamato VF-1x toys suck, but here's the bottom line: if you prefer a durable toy, go with the Bandai reissues. If you are the type that never gets your toy out of the box or leaves it on display most of the time, then try the Yamato. If you are a master modeler who does conversions and scratch build projects for breakfast, then Yamato will be a fun challenge for you to convert the lame leg swap design to a transformation system with swinging arms for the legs. Otherwise avoid it like the plague!