Definitely enjoyed this game, but one MAJOR complaint I have is the Game Breaking Bug when running it on newer PCs / Windows operating system (I use Windows 7 Ultimate off my brother's PC). The problem is that once you lose a match and get kicked to continue screen, the game crashes for no apparent reason, forcing you reboot the game and start over. I'm surprised no one made a patch to fix this, fan-made or otherwise. The only way around this was either reset the game before the continue screen shows up (which means staring over like the bug is doing only minus your game crashing) or play the game as Fei-Yen since the bug apparently didn't affect her continue screen at all. Other than, that it's a great game that still holds up very well, even after all these years since its sequel paved the way for the series (until MARZ screwed it up). Good to know the original game is coming back to PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade (ironically, years AFTER Oratario Tangram for Xbox 360 owners).
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Operation Moongate (PC version)
I recently managed to pick up the Japanese version (= US version except help files), after wanting it for a very long time. It's a fun game:
Installation (8/10): Runs on Win95/98/Me (tested on 98SE). Doesn't force you to install an older version of Direct X, like many older games. The CD-ROM needs to stay in the drive while playing, not due to copy protection, but because it reads the music tracks off the CD. Bonus: the CD is in Redbook format (data/audio tracks) and plays the soundtrack in a standard CD player.
Configuration and Options (9/10): Allows keyboard, joystick, gamepad, dual joystick, and Sega Twinstick use, for one or two players. Keyboard is fully configurable, including numeric keypad. LAN and network play (not tested). The length and number of matches can also be customized. Options are provided to change the color schemes of your mech and the enemies.
Graphics (7/10) and Sound (9/10): The graphics are pixelated and the high resolution is also not very good. Strangely, a high-quality introduction movie is included with the game but not used, which makes me wonder if the graphics can be improved with some hidden option. The frame-rate is good. The soundtracks are very good and have a technopop feel to them. Very heavy on the bass at times (Jaguarandi's stage especially).
Controls and Gameplay (9/10): The controls are excellent, even with the keyboard. Each mech has its own handling. For such an old game (1995) the mechs move very realistically and smooth. They have many, many different moves and attacks, both long-distance and close-range, yet each mech has its own characteristics. It's easy to find one that suits your tastes (I'm currently mainly using Viper II). Dual player mode is kinda crappy, unless you have a very large monitor. Each player gets a screen that's about 1/4 of the size of your monitor. These are staggered diagonally. One note: You may want to use a PS 2-style dual analog stick gamepad, as the play is too fast for my keyboard at times. Although the game is short (8 stages + 1 boss and 1 secret stage), the variability of the fights, 8 different mechs, and 4 difficulties more than make up for this. Usually fighting games bore me after a while, but this one doesn't. The speed of the game (90 seconds tops) makes it a very intensive experience.