Xexyz
Encyclopedia
Xexyz known in Japan
as , is a video game developed by Atlus
and published by Hudson Soft
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. It was first released in Japan on August 26, 1988 under the title, and saw a North American release sometime in March, 1990
. The story takes place in post-apocalyptic year 2777 after the Earth was devastated by nuclear war and natural disasters, the island nation of Xexyz is now threatened by Alien robots.
series) and side-scrolling shooter action (similar to Konami
's Gradius
series). The goal of the series is, stereotypically, to destroy an evil boss — Goruza — rescue a princess — in this case, Princess Maria — and save the planet.
In the platforming levels, defeated enemies drop life ('L' blocks) or money ('E' blocks) powerups. Apollo collects the currency of the land ('Balls'/'E Ball') in order to exchange for acquiring power-ups and information, as well as access to minigames. Vendors are scattered throughout the platforming levels through doors or hidden gates. In the shooter levels, 'S' and 'P' oblongs are found that upgrade speed and weapons, respectively.
In the transition area after the platformer, prior to the boss fight, Apollo is prompted to jump on a platform that lets him float. After moving into a previously out of reach door, the fight begins.
In side-scrolling shooter areas the player simply appears in a boss area in the ship they played the level in.
The fight consists of a black area where the player fights a giant robot/ship. Their attack pattern, resembling that of a Manic shooter, is repetitive and avoidable; the player shoots the boss with either their conventional weapon or the in-ship weapon.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a video game developed by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
and published by Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. It was first released in Japan on August 26, 1988 under the title, and saw a North American release sometime in March, 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
. The story takes place in post-apocalyptic year 2777 after the Earth was devastated by nuclear war and natural disasters, the island nation of Xexyz is now threatened by Alien robots.
Gameplay
The game centers around the main character of Apollo who progresses through the game in an alternating format that switches between platform, side-scrolling action (similar to the Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
series) and side-scrolling shooter action (similar to 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...
's 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...
series). The goal of the series is, stereotypically, to destroy an evil boss — Goruza — rescue a princess — in this case, Princess Maria — and save the planet.
In the platforming levels, defeated enemies drop life ('L' blocks) or money ('E' blocks) powerups. Apollo collects the currency of the land ('Balls'/'E Ball') in order to exchange for acquiring power-ups and information, as well as access to minigames. Vendors are scattered throughout the platforming levels through doors or hidden gates. In the shooter levels, 'S' and 'P' oblongs are found that upgrade speed and weapons, respectively.
Platformer gameplay
The odd-numbered stages in the game (1, 3, 5, etc.) utilize mostly platform-style gameplay. These stages work in the familiar manner; the character progresses at his/her own pace, picking up new weapons and power-ups along the way. To leave the initial area of each of these levels the player has to collect a "force star" by defeating an enemy found in a hidden room. Once this star is obtained the character is able to enter the "mechanical castle" in the region. The mechanical castles, being maze-like indoor environments full of robots and machines, stand in stark contrast to the earlier parts of each level, which are organic outdoor environments. Each mechanical castle also has a brief auto-scrolling shooter segment through which the player must pass; these segments foreshadow the imminent transition to the following even-numbered stages. The segments in question consist of a sequence of corridors, at the end of which are two doors; choosing the wrong door loops the player back. Finally, at the very end of each mechanical castle there is a door leading to a boss fight. The boss fights are set against a solid black background and Apollo must fight while standing on a controllable floating platform.Side-scrolling shooter gameplay
For the even-numbered stages (2, 4, 6, etc.) the character is prompted to jump into a vehicle (a different one each time) and take part in an auto-scrolling Parodius-like level ending with a boss fight.Boss fights
In side-scrolling shooter areas the player simply appears in a boss area in the ship they played the level in.
The fight consists of a black area where the player fights a giant robot/ship. Their attack pattern, resembling that of a Manic shooter, is repetitive and avoidable; the player shoots the boss with either their conventional weapon or the in-ship weapon.
Tube Shooter gameplay
The final level is a 'fixed' shooter. More specifically it is a "tube shooter" where the player approaches the last boss's fortress and attempt to destroy it. Apollo, in a more enhanced ship than any seen before, rotates from the sides of the screen to the bottom, shooting at the center while avoiding enemy fire.Weapons and items
Apollo receives weapons and items from a goddess character to help him on his way. All weapons can be powered up by visiting a shop that specializes in powering up weapons, or by talking to the goddess character a second time. The weapons and items include:- Hand Beam -- Apollo's initial weapon. Apollo is pink and shoots horizontal chevrons, as well as vertical ones when up is pressed. This weapon only travels a short distance. Powered up version increases range;
- 45B-Ball turns Apollo green. A ball that shoots down at a 45 degree angle, then bounces upwards (possible reason for the name '45B'). Powered up version moves faster;
- Wave Ball turns Apollo brown. One ball shoots from Apollo's arm and moves across the screen oscillating up and down. Can go through objects. Two balls shoot in powered up version;
- Moon Ball turns Apollo Blue. An orbiting ball that shoots a long distance version of Apollo's chevron weapon and generates a field when the fire and down buttons are held. Powered up version adds a second 'moon' and doubles firepower;
- Laser turns Apollo black. Hold the fire button to shoot three-round bursts. Shoots six rounds in powered up version;
- Mirror doubles Apollo so there is another Apollo over top of him. Lasts until (non-mirror) Apollo is hit twice;
- Foot Wing makes you jump higher and farther, and also makes you fall more slowly. If you walk off a ledge and press the jump button, Apollo will jump in midair. Disappears after Apollo is hit twice;
- Typhoon makes Apollo invincible. His head stays stationary while the rest of his body looks like a tornado. Lasts for a brief period.
Levels/Bosses
Each odd-numbered level (1, 3, 5, etc.) consists of two platforming areas (outside and then inside a castle) that end in a boss fight where Apollo is on a hover vehicle. After the boss fight, Apollo jumps on a vehicle to engage in the even-numbered levels (2, 4, 6, etc.) which are side-scrolling shooters that end in a boss fight. Apollo uses the same vehicle in which he played the side-scrolling shooter. Level 12 is different in that it is a 'tube shooter'.- Level 1: Braiza, a giant red brain.
- Level 2: Jeliza, a large ship reminiscent to a jelly fish.
- Level 3: Stinza, a large being with an even larger eye.
- Level 4: Megaza, an entity with a large snout, comparable to an anteaterAnteaterAnteaters, also known as antbear, are the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. Together with the sloths, they compose the order Pilosa...
in appearance. - Level 5: Shelza, resembles a large shellfishShellfishShellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
. - Level 6: Gidoza, a big ship that resembles a birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
. - Level 7: Loboza, essentially a giant lobsterLobsterClawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
. - Level 8: Jawza, resembles a sharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. - Level 9: Horrza, a being unto itself.
- Level 10: Cavuza, another being unto itself.
- Level 11: Goruza, a human-like ship with multiple states.
- Level 12: Goruza's Fortress, a floating fortress in space.