Bushiroad published new information about the upcoming anime-inspired shoot 'em up Macross: Shooting Insight.
First of all, we learn about the "Sync on" system. As players advance through levels, they can synchronize with the related missing songstress. There are four levels: "Disconnected," "Searching," "Connected," and "Resonance."
When "Resonance" is reached "Sync on" is activated, providing a variety of buffs and debuffs (to the enemies) including increased firepower, increased maneuverability, reduced enemy firing rate, and more. We also learn that the game includes songs from all of the featured Macross series.
The game also includes a Replay mode that lets you rewatch your own play data and that of others. You can relive your best plays and learn from the top-ranked players by watching their performances.
Macross: Shooting Insight doesn't have a release date just yet, but it's coming for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. You can read more information about the game in our previous article and another.
Unfortunately, it appears that the licensing issue involving Harmony Gold's rights on the original series and the movie Do You Remember Love is still affecting the game. While Bushiroad has said nothing officially (and hasn't yet responded to our inquiry on the matter), any reference to the original series and its characters is absent from all promotion in English, and will likely be omitted from the localization of the game.
If you're unfamiliar with Macross, it's one of the most famous and beloved sci-fi and mecha anime franchises of all time, debuted in Japan in 1982 from the genius of Studio Nue and Shoji Kawamori (who recently did the mecha design for Marvelous' Daemon Ex Machina). It focuses on the struggle of humanity to find its place in space with the help of powerful variable fighters that can transform between three different stages: mech, fighter jet, and a hybrid between the two known as Gerwalk. The uniting power of song is another relevant theme of the franchise.
Since its inception, the IP has sparked plenty of sequels and additional releases on other media. The latest TV series, Macross Delta, aired in 2016, followed by two theatrical movies.
Unfortunately, the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series was licensed in the West by American television production company Harmony Gold, which completely warped it and remixed it with the basically unrelated series Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada, creating the despicable Frankenstein monster known at Robotech.
The murky licensing situation prevented most Western fans from enjoying a proper localization of the Macross franchise until recently, with Harmony Gold blocking most attempts to correct its misdeeds. That partly changed recently, Japanese publisher Bigwest finally announced a deal that unlocked the possibility of releasing most of the popular franchise on the global market, with plans including anime, games, toys, and more. Macross: Shooting Insight appears to be one of the first fruits of that deal, but unfortunately the shadow of Harmony Gold still appears to loom over it, causing a localized release that will likely be incomplete.
