In the year 2049, the governments of the world switched to unmanned aircraft for combat in an attempt to save lives. By doing so, they decommissioned thousands of jets and their fighter pilots, ironically destroying the livelihood of those they were trying to save. Years later, these planes appeared on the black market and were sold to the highest bidders. It wasn't long before an underground emerged, featuring ex-fighter pilots, smugglers and wealthy hobbyists piloting the decommissioned aircraft. In a competition of fight and flight, these pilots heavily modify their jet fighters to outrace and outduel the competition to win fame, glory and fortune. Welcome to the world of M.A.C.H.
Modified Air Combat Heroes With a name like M.A.C.H Modified Air Combat Heroes, I expected a game full of dogfights and rescue missions with comic book characters that at least come across as heroes. What M.A.C.H delivers, however, is a racing and fighting game with 3D graphics that come out of a comic book. Using aircraft, you can engage in either races or death matches in the air as you aim to one-up your opponents. Racing is fun, as M.A.C.H plays much like a kart-racing game in the air - players race around the track, pick up various power-ups and attack their opponents. The tracks do require little practice to get around, as you need to avoid hazards that may cause your plane to crash. The dogfights are typical of aerial fighting titles - you have to score the highest number of kills within a certain time. A pity then, that there are only five tracks available. Even though the game attempts to make them appear different, you will fing racing through them again and again very repetitive.
The meat of the game is in career mode, which allows you to unlock planes with the cash that you can earn from winning the various events. The arcade mode has you playing on a single map of your choice, while the challenge mode dishes ou different objectives for you to meet - such as beating a certain time or collecting coins as you race around the track. Multiplayer is available via either ad hoc or game-share modes, though game-share is much like a sampler, restricting you to the most basic map and aircraft. If there was more to M.A.C.H Modified Air Combat Heroes, this game would probably be one amazing sleeper hit. Alas, there is so little content that you would be done with it in an hour. Buy only if you are looking for a quick thrill once in a while.
