M.A.C.H.
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Game Information
Release Date: January 17, 2007
Developers: Kuju Entertainment
Publishers: Sierra Entertainment
Platforms: PSP
Genre: Airplane Shooter
Players: 1, Multiplayer 2-8

Synopsis
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 rise through the ranks by defeating rivals and unlocking customized parts and planes for enhanced speed and weaponry.

Gameplay
The player can start out playing 3 different modes, arcade, career, and challenge mode. Preferably, the player should start out playing the career mode first if the player wants to unlock more planes and upgrades for their aircraft in the long run. Career mode offers 5 different difficulties to choose from but will remain locked until the player completes the difficulty before. The modes are Rookie, Pro, Ace, Elite, and Hero. Upon completing the entire mode, the player will be given an new aircraft, a huge payout, and unlock more parts. The player will have to engage in races, and dogfights throughout the career mode. Only time paced laps are only playable through the arcade mode.
When the player is competing in a race, the player would have to avoid colliding into walls, hills or any sort of barrier directly while traveling at such high speeds. During the race, the player could also pick up power ups to give them an advantage over the other competitors. The items consist of stealth, which makes the player's aircraft invisible and make the player dodge any incoming missile or cluster that was launched at them. The cluster bomb acts the same way as the missile, but just separates into multiple fragments upon launching. A mine that can be placed on the track and have the other competitors avoid hitting the mine. The last power-up is a speed boost.
And the other game-mode is dogfight. Basically its a death-match of every aircraft getting the most kills within the time limit. Dogfight mode enables the player to use the machine-gun unlike the race mode which didn't allow the player to use. The power-ups are the same just like in the race. If the player goes on a kill streak, the player will get a laser that replaces the machine-gun for 10 seconds and is a 1-hit kill. The player receives an extra 1 second for the laser upon each kill. If the player receives an incoming message notifying them that a missile or cluster bomb is incoming, the player can perform a barrel roll if the player has enough boost remaining in their gauge.

Graphics
The graphics in M.A.C.H. are not that bad nor are they good, just decent to the player's eye. But when flying at such tremendous speeds and watching your six for any incoming threats, the player rarely has time to look around and see the view of the area. When maneuvering the aircraft, the player could see the streaks given off by the aircraft as it turns and rolls, giving that realistic feature. Another realistic feature is when the player is flying close to the water and the player sees the splashes above the water from the thrust of the engine is really cool. The landscape of the area is detailed enough to recognize what the player is looking at in the surrounding area.

Controls
The controls in this game are similar to other flight games on the PSP. Like other games, this game doesn't feature the invert axis option which is to basically switch the movement functions. For those players who like using the invert option will have to get used to playing without it, but should really get comfortable with the controls quick. The player can either use the directional pad or the analog stick simultaneously to maneuver the player's aircraft, which ever the player prefers more comfortable for them, which is a unique feature to have. Overall, the controls are nothing new to players that have played other flight simulator games before.

Ratings
Gameplay: 8.8
Graphics: 8.6
Controls: 9.5
Overall: 8.4