Zaxxon was an arcade pseudo 3D scrolling shooter. Technically, a third person isometric view, scrolling horizontally still made of sprites. It was revolutionary at the time; and I personally prefer the original arcade to any other port. Gameplay is simple, except for determining altitude. You start by maneuvering a spaceship; that looks like a space shuttle; thru a flat asteroid base in outer space, blasting everything in sight. The base has defenses, including walls, turrets, lasers, and missiles. However every action; specially shooting; consumes some fuel, so it's essential to replenish it by (ironically) shooting fuel tanks that lay around on the base. Once you clear the base you switch into full empty space combat mode, and start to dogfight other spaceships. Finally you fight a big slow-moving robot type boss. Levels are made of repeating said elements over again, but with increase difficulty. As already stated; the main problem was controlling the ship with precision. Since it could move in simulated 3D space, it was hard to gather it's precise height location. Even with the aid of a shadow and an altimeter. Bottomline, is that it was a nice, simple experiment that turned to be a big success and help established Sega as a big game developing company.
4 Reviews
Zaxxon!
Movie Nuttball13 May 2005
Zaxxon is one of the one of the coolest action video games! The characters, the action, and the sure thrill of adventure makes this game a fun non-stop playing time! Below is a brief look how I think the game is!
Game Play: The game play is very good. There is really basic controls here and is easy to perform. Novice gamers should have a good time here!
Graphics: The graphics are wonderful especially for the Commodore 64 and Sega Genesis 32X! The backgrounds are really beautiful!
Difficulty: The game is easy but as it goes on you find out that it will become more difficult!
Music: The music is great! Just fantastic catchy tunes through out the game! In My opinion its some of the best music ever in a video game!
Sound: The sound is great. Nuff said!
Overall: I have always loved Zaxxon! If you like excellent adventure games, and more then I strongly recommend you play this game!
To purchase this video game check out Amazon.com!
Game Play: The game play is very good. There is really basic controls here and is easy to perform. Novice gamers should have a good time here!
Graphics: The graphics are wonderful especially for the Commodore 64 and Sega Genesis 32X! The backgrounds are really beautiful!
Difficulty: The game is easy but as it goes on you find out that it will become more difficult!
Music: The music is great! Just fantastic catchy tunes through out the game! In My opinion its some of the best music ever in a video game!
Sound: The sound is great. Nuff said!
Overall: I have always loved Zaxxon! If you like excellent adventure games, and more then I strongly recommend you play this game!
To purchase this video game check out Amazon.com!
Space Castle Destroyer
hellraiser79 December 2020
This is one of my favorite video games of all time and video games that came on my birth year. This is also another one of the very first video game's I've played when I was about seven years old.
When I was living in Yakima, WA at the time my family use to go for dinner at the "Burger Ranch". The place was also sort of a hang out for the Yakima Community College, I loved that place as it not just had good eats but a cool video arcade area which has a collection of the familiar retro games along with one new game, this game was one of them.
Let alone also I'm a "Star Wars" fan which started when I was seven years old and this game was one of the closest things to that experience. I really love that arcade cabinet, mainly because of the controller, which was a pilot joystick, it handled so well really made you feel like you were controlling a space fighter. There of course like most classics were plenty of arcade ports, I have the one for the "Coleco Vison" which to me is the best one.
The graphics at the time I thought were amazing. Yeah, sure they don't look all that special now, but you have to realize at the time, third dimensional graphics were a totally new concept, there weren't many video games like this that utilized this; so you could easily imagine how blown away retro gamers from yesteryear were from this. I still think the graphics look good as I appreciate them for what they are but also if it wasn't for video game like this, we wouldn't have most of the video games we have now.
The ships are pretty good for what they are but it's really the background and set pieces that are the real star of the game. I really love those Zaxxon space fortresses which are designed well as the exterior looks like that for a medieval castle.
And then you go inside, really like the interior design as it almost looks like an electronic circuit board. There is just this corn a copia of obstacles to get past but also targets that are just begging for your blaster to destroy. I remember just having a blast, going though those space fortresses and just wanting to blow some crap up, and the animation on the explosions are really good, it's just a joy just shooting something in the game just to see the explosive effect, which in a way is like making your own fireworks show.
The gameplay is basic like any shoot em up but there are some things that make the game unique. For one thing as I said you have pilot controls in the game. To go forward you speed up and to move back you slow down. You also pull up or push down to elevate or de elevate you jet. This is essential in maneuvering through obstacles and being in the right position to hit the target. These controls might seem just a tad awkward at first, but you do get the hang of it quickly and it comes easy.
The difficulty in the game can be a little tough as there are some tricky spots in the game. Mainly when you must go though narrow openings, this is tricky as you have to be precisely in the right spot to do it. But the way to maneuver through them is to constantly fire so you will know you're in the right position.
You have various enemies to gun down and obstacles to get past from enemy fighter jets, gun turrets, missile launch sites, and of course the boss in the fortress, which was cool, in a way this was the first or one of the first shoot em ups to have a boss as they we're never common in that genre at the time. Really like the design of the boss as it looks like one of the blocky robots from the sci-fi of yesteryear. He's definitely no push over as he fires heat seeking missiles at you, so you better hit them and him before he hits you. As for obstacles consist of those electro force fields but also those dreaded walls, god forbid you ever get into the wrong position.
You also must watch your fuel, if you want to continue play you have to make use that gauge stays full. Which is why you should always watch for those red fuel tower containers, once shot at your gauge will fill up.
This game is different from most shoot em ups as it's a bit realistic if you can believe that, but this just all the more make you feel like an actual fighter pilot. In most of those space shooters like "Galaga" it was always like a game of dodge ball where you hit your opponents before they hit you and dodge their attacks to survive long. This game still has that but much more where you must rely on good maneuvering and positioning, gauge checking and refueling, risk and reward, as well as trial and error.
But the other joy and the second-best thing about the game are those sound effects which are just cool and music to my ears. I really love hearing you jet just roaring forward which makes you feel like your really are flying. The explosions which really sound like they in your face and rattling the ground but also the sound of the laser which is just cool.
Zaxxon to me is another timeless classic that flies high.
Rating: 4 stars
When I was living in Yakima, WA at the time my family use to go for dinner at the "Burger Ranch". The place was also sort of a hang out for the Yakima Community College, I loved that place as it not just had good eats but a cool video arcade area which has a collection of the familiar retro games along with one new game, this game was one of them.
Let alone also I'm a "Star Wars" fan which started when I was seven years old and this game was one of the closest things to that experience. I really love that arcade cabinet, mainly because of the controller, which was a pilot joystick, it handled so well really made you feel like you were controlling a space fighter. There of course like most classics were plenty of arcade ports, I have the one for the "Coleco Vison" which to me is the best one.
The graphics at the time I thought were amazing. Yeah, sure they don't look all that special now, but you have to realize at the time, third dimensional graphics were a totally new concept, there weren't many video games like this that utilized this; so you could easily imagine how blown away retro gamers from yesteryear were from this. I still think the graphics look good as I appreciate them for what they are but also if it wasn't for video game like this, we wouldn't have most of the video games we have now.
The ships are pretty good for what they are but it's really the background and set pieces that are the real star of the game. I really love those Zaxxon space fortresses which are designed well as the exterior looks like that for a medieval castle.
And then you go inside, really like the interior design as it almost looks like an electronic circuit board. There is just this corn a copia of obstacles to get past but also targets that are just begging for your blaster to destroy. I remember just having a blast, going though those space fortresses and just wanting to blow some crap up, and the animation on the explosions are really good, it's just a joy just shooting something in the game just to see the explosive effect, which in a way is like making your own fireworks show.
The gameplay is basic like any shoot em up but there are some things that make the game unique. For one thing as I said you have pilot controls in the game. To go forward you speed up and to move back you slow down. You also pull up or push down to elevate or de elevate you jet. This is essential in maneuvering through obstacles and being in the right position to hit the target. These controls might seem just a tad awkward at first, but you do get the hang of it quickly and it comes easy.
The difficulty in the game can be a little tough as there are some tricky spots in the game. Mainly when you must go though narrow openings, this is tricky as you have to be precisely in the right spot to do it. But the way to maneuver through them is to constantly fire so you will know you're in the right position.
You have various enemies to gun down and obstacles to get past from enemy fighter jets, gun turrets, missile launch sites, and of course the boss in the fortress, which was cool, in a way this was the first or one of the first shoot em ups to have a boss as they we're never common in that genre at the time. Really like the design of the boss as it looks like one of the blocky robots from the sci-fi of yesteryear. He's definitely no push over as he fires heat seeking missiles at you, so you better hit them and him before he hits you. As for obstacles consist of those electro force fields but also those dreaded walls, god forbid you ever get into the wrong position.
You also must watch your fuel, if you want to continue play you have to make use that gauge stays full. Which is why you should always watch for those red fuel tower containers, once shot at your gauge will fill up.
This game is different from most shoot em ups as it's a bit realistic if you can believe that, but this just all the more make you feel like an actual fighter pilot. In most of those space shooters like "Galaga" it was always like a game of dodge ball where you hit your opponents before they hit you and dodge their attacks to survive long. This game still has that but much more where you must rely on good maneuvering and positioning, gauge checking and refueling, risk and reward, as well as trial and error.
But the other joy and the second-best thing about the game are those sound effects which are just cool and music to my ears. I really love hearing you jet just roaring forward which makes you feel like your really are flying. The explosions which really sound like they in your face and rattling the ground but also the sound of the laser which is just cool.
Zaxxon to me is another timeless classic that flies high.
Rating: 4 stars
Cool controls & graphics, a boss, but a bit tricky
Aegelis13 April 2021
Bright colours, jet-like controls, challenging gameplay, and a robot boss come together in an impressive space shooter for the day. Plenty of targets both land and air, but you've got only one gun so there's a lot of up, down, side-to-side to make all these targets go boom. All the while, there's missles, walls, lasers, force fields, planes, and turrets to try to dodge.
With isometric view and reverse controls (like a jet simulator), basic movement can certainly be difficult especially at first. There's the sense of accomplishment to mastering the controls, though the game is fairly short and loops back in a sort of unfulfilling 'ending'. Worth a few quarters or to challenge a friend, but lacks progression and the feel of success found in later games.
With isometric view and reverse controls (like a jet simulator), basic movement can certainly be difficult especially at first. There's the sense of accomplishment to mastering the controls, though the game is fairly short and loops back in a sort of unfulfilling 'ending'. Worth a few quarters or to challenge a friend, but lacks progression and the feel of success found in later games.
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