Nicely done!
I've been looking for a fun mecha combat game, and this is one I'll keep coming back to! First, the good:
I like how you took a simple concept and expanded it into an interesting multi-stage operation. Each level had a slightly different feel to it, and the idea of a missile escort as opposed to breaking through completely solo was a fun take on the one man space armada game. In terms of difficulty, I liked how managing the energy bar made me work a little harder to stay alive, but didn't distract from the dodging and shooting. Easy mode is fine for casual shooter gamers, and Hard Mode will provide a fun challenge even for veterans of the genre. Though short, there's plenty of room for replay value, so the length is no problem. The character designs were nice to look at, and the game's visual effects were detailed enough to be eye catching without causing slow down during play. Hats off to F-777 for the catchy music, which provided some nice, futuristic ambiance.
Now for my criticism, which is minor. I would have liked to actually get something other than just earning medals, but that's just a personal peeve and won't bother most people. As for controls and gameplay, all the core mechanics were solid, but the special moves and extra features left something to be desired. I still haven't managed to get melee attacks to work in a reliable fashion, and I found the rockets take too long to charge to be effective against anything other than the final boss. Also, It would be nice if there was an "insane" or "L.O.A.D.E.D." difficulty option for the masochists in the audience who want to play the first version.
This is an excellent game, and I'll be coming back to it. There are certainly issues with the melee, and missiles, but truth be told, I played through the first couple of games without using either and I still had a blast. Keep up the good work, work out the kinks, and I will definitely come back for more.
--One last thing that occurred to me. Is it possible we're playing the villains here? I mean, we could theoretically be some mad terrorist with a doomsday weapon and a vendetta against the purple planet. Sure, we're under attack, but the blue bots might just be here for us and the missile and not for the green planet at all...