Looking Back on “Macross Digital Mission VF-X2,” Which Narrowly Missed an International Release, and Memories of Its Predecessor [Ollie’s Robot Game Column]

Ollie Bader, a subculture journalist, has become known to many Japanese people as “the foreigner who knows way too much about robot games and robot anime.” In recent years, his name has appeared not only in international publications like *Forbes* but also as a contributor to the official *Mobile Suit Gundam* website. He is also a game creator who has worked on various titles, including *Fortnite* and *Gears of War: Judgment*.

In this article, we’d like to share a glimpse of his perspective and aesthetic sensibilities regarding “robot games and robot anime” through his writing.

Looking back on the days he was obsessed with *Macross Digital Mission VF-X* and how the series had progressed to the brink of an overseas release

One of the reasons I wanted to buy a PlayStation when I started college was that, in addition to wanting to play *Armored Core*, I absolutely had to play *Macross Digital Mission VF-X*.

When I was a child, my parents believed that connecting a game console to the TV would somehow damage the screen, so the only game console I was allowed to own was a Game Boy. To make matters worse, back then in the UK, BBC Radio 4 aired discussions about video games, but the tone of those discussions was almost always extremely negative.Since my parents listened to those programs, my opportunities to play video games were severely limited.

Naturally, once I moved out of my parents’ house, I was able to play all the games I’d been unable to play before, and I was also able to buy new consoles like the PlayStation.

At the same time, I was introduced to the world of “Macross” through “Macross Plus.”At the time, this series was an extremely popular robot anime in the UK. One reason for this was the high quality of the English dub, in which Bryan Cranston voiced Isamu Dyson, but the superb animation and realistic story were also major draws.

So when I heard that a new game was coming out where I could pilot the YF-19 myself, I was incredibly excited. I really couldn’t wait to play it.

*Macross Digital Mission VF-X* (1997)

The basic concept of the original *VF-X* was to fly freely through various missions and transform your variable fighter into any of its three forms at will.

While the game certainly fulfilled that concept in terms of its specifications, I had many complaints about the mechanics for controlling the variable fighter and its three forms.

First, the draw distance was extremely short. Since the terrain was loaded as you flew, when searching for enemies out of sight, they would often suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Additionally, the game was designed so that a transformation animation would play every time you transformed the variable fighter during combat. The problem was that while this animation was playing, the craft became invulnerable to enemy attacks. As a result, this mechanic could be heavily exploited.

Some missions featured battles in urban areas, and while transforming into Battloid mode in these environments was quite fun, the controls were still rather clunky.

With these issues piling up, the original *VF-X* turned out to be a very disappointing experience when actually played, and the controls were difficult to handle.

That said, there were several wonderful highlights. *VF-X* marked the first time the VF-4’s Battroid form was revealed.The VF-4 had been a mysterious machine to me ever since I first saw it in *Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012*. And now, it has become one of my absolute favorite mechs in the *Macross* series.

Furthermore, to coincide with the game’s release, numerous stunning new mecha illustrations by Masaharu Kawamori were unveiled. Since *Macross Plus* was extremely popular at the time, I remember analyzing the cutaway illustration of the YF-19’s internal structure with a level of thoroughness that could almost be called obsessive.

Even now, I still love the fantastic opening movie featuring “TRY AGAIN” from *Macross 7*, and the ending sequence with the Milky Dolls was a lot of fun. However, overall, it wasn’t quite the *Macross* game I had envisioned in my head while looking at the screenshots published in various Japanese gaming magazines at the time.

*Macross VF-X2* (1999)

Simply put, this game was exactly what I had wanted to play the previous year with the original *VF-X*.

Almost every aspect of the game had been revamped, with significant improvements in both graphics and technology, and the gameplay was exceptionally well-crafted.

The feel of piloting a variable fighter and the transformation into each form were masterfully crafted, and I finally realized, “So this is what it’s really like to pilot a variable fighter.”

The control scheme was also more meticulously designed, and the gameplay felt like a combination of *Ace Combat* and *Omega Boost*.

Once again, there was a fantastic opening cutscene, featuring the cool song “GET FREE” by HUMMING BIRD.

Additionally, this game introduced a new transformable Destroid Monster: the VB-6 König Monster. Piloting this craft was a lot of fun.

Aside from the significantly improved gameplay, another key aspect of this title is that its story played a crucial role in later *Macross* anime series, particularly *Macross F*.

The game’s story also directly referenced elements from “Macross Plus,” which is set 10 years prior.

The protagonist was also a wonderful character. His name was Aegis Focker, and all my friends thought he must be a relative of Roy Focker. But for me, what made me happiest of all was that his “signature aircraft”—his variable fighter—was the light blue VF-19A Excalibur.

In any case, I played this game for hours on end; not only did I unlock every feature, but I also played through all the different story branches.

At one point, this game was scheduled for release in the U.S., and demo discs were even distributed overseas. However, due to licensing issues surrounding “Macross” at the time, those plans ultimately fell through.

If the series had continued

—not only was the U.S. release of *VF-X2* canceled, but given the significant improvement in the games’ polish from the first title to the second—I can’t help but wonder what kind of gameplay we might have seen if the series had continued further.

It was clear that the development team behind this series had come to thoroughly understand what kind of gameplay was required for these “Macross” games. Personally, I wish they had created more titles after *VF-X2*.

However, the release of *VF-X2* coincided with the launch of the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Consequently, as with many games at the time, the focus of development shifted to the PlayStation 2, which demanded more complex and advanced technology.

Of course, this ultimately led to the release of Sega’s *Super Dimension Fortress Macross*, which I covered in last week’s column—and that title can certainly be considered one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of *Macross* games. Still, I would have loved to see what kind of games the *VF-X* series might have become had it continued further.

Naturally, Artdink went on to develop numerous wonderful *Macross* games for the PSP, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 3, so I have absolutely no complaints in that regard.

Still, I look back on the robot games of that era with great nostalgia and fondness. While the original *VF-X* had a few disappointing aspects, *VF-X2* completely made up for them. And to this day, it remains one of my favorite *Macross* games.

By the way, I hear that Mr. O’Leary is looking for a studio or collaborators to create a “robot game.” If any studios or organizations are interested in working with Mr. O’Leary to create a “robot game,” I would appreciate it if you could contact him directly via the profile at the end of this article.