Xexex
Encyclopedia
Xexex is a 1991 side-scrolling shoot 'em up
arcade game
by Konami
. It draws on R-Type
and Gradius
, adding the tentacle mechanics of X-Multiply
. It did not see a home port until 2007, when it was included in the compilation Salamander Portable, released only in Japan for the PlayStation Portable
.
THE gameplay is similar to R-Type
. Your ship (the Flintlock) has a detachable orb attachment (the Flint); to protect the Flintlock's front (attached), to release it close by—it grows tentacles—and destroy enemies it touches (detached), or to charge power (up to two levels; 'blue' is half-, 'yellow' is full-screen) and release as either electrified half/full-screen-stretching tentacles or a quick-moving Flint that flies forward half/full-screen doing damage along the way. You can collect powerups to increase the Flint's power (two upgrades), allow your ship to move faster, change the main weapon (six different powerups), or increase life count by one (the game's logo).
The overseas versions introduce a variety of changes, such as forcing a single but upgradeable main weapon (icon and sprite taken from the Round Laser, but fires a spread shot), homing missile powerups as a side weapon (similar to R-Type), the removal of the 'blue' charge strength ('yellow' strength with 'blue' charge length), a single life bar instead of a life count (and the secret item pickups located throughout levels are all life bar restoring items, with the extend icon), among other things. The enemy patterns are also changed slightly.
In the Japanese version, you start with the Proton Laser. Picking up one of six powerups gives you the following:
The name of the current weapon is displayed at the bottom of the screen (not in the overseas version, of course).
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. It draws on R-Type
R-Type
is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin...
and Gradius
Gradius
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
, adding the tentacle mechanics of X-Multiply
X-Multiply
X-Multiply is a side-scrolling shooter published by Irem, and similar in style to the game R-Type. In 1998 the game was released with Image Fight as a one-disc doublebill on PlayStation and Sega Saturn.-Story:...
. It did not see a home port until 2007, when it was included in the compilation Salamander Portable, released only in Japan for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
Gameplay
The game is unusual for different gameplay mechanics between the original Japanese release and the overseas releases.THE gameplay is similar to R-Type
R-Type
is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin...
. Your ship (the Flintlock) has a detachable orb attachment (the Flint); to protect the Flintlock's front (attached), to release it close by—it grows tentacles—and destroy enemies it touches (detached), or to charge power (up to two levels; 'blue' is half-, 'yellow' is full-screen) and release as either electrified half/full-screen-stretching tentacles or a quick-moving Flint that flies forward half/full-screen doing damage along the way. You can collect powerups to increase the Flint's power (two upgrades), allow your ship to move faster, change the main weapon (six different powerups), or increase life count by one (the game's logo).
The overseas versions introduce a variety of changes, such as forcing a single but upgradeable main weapon (icon and sprite taken from the Round Laser, but fires a spread shot), homing missile powerups as a side weapon (similar to R-Type), the removal of the 'blue' charge strength ('yellow' strength with 'blue' charge length), a single life bar instead of a life count (and the secret item pickups located throughout levels are all life bar restoring items, with the extend icon), among other things. The enemy patterns are also changed slightly.
Main weapons
In the overseas versions, you start with the Proton Laser, a thin stream of weak bullets. Picking up a powerup will change it to a spread shot which increases in strength with additional powerups. You can also collect missile powerups for a side weapon.In the Japanese version, you start with the Proton Laser. Picking up one of six powerups gives you the following:
- Homing Laser: a 3-way laser with weak "bending" homing for top and bottom lasers
- Shadow Laser: a thin, laser beam; the strongest weapon
- Round Laser: an unusual spread shot (different from the overseas version's main weapon)
- Spiral Laser: a spiral laser (similar to the Gradius Ripple Laser), second strongest weapon
- Search Laser: a laser with strong homing that travels in square trajectories
- Ground Laser: your main gun is changed to an upgraded Proton Laser while a laser beam travels across the floor (similar to the R-Type weapon)
The name of the current weapon is displayed at the bottom of the screen (not in the overseas version, of course).
Story
The story involves you piloting a ship called the Flintlock, to save the blue haired princess named Irene of the planet E-Square, from a rather effeminate looking evil lord named Klaus. Each stage is punctuated with a cutscene of the princess crying for help as she's tortured and begins to lose clothing - not unlike Artemis from Namco's Phelios - or the lip-stick wearing, bad guy taunting you. In the ending, the Flintlock sends the orb back through the atmosphere of the planet, where it morphs into a naked fairy for some reason why Princess Irene's saved her planet and the mission was completed.Trivia
- Konami released three Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Flint, Flint Lock, and King of Destruction - Xexex , as a reference to this game.