Xexex

Xexex
Japanese arcade flyer
DeveloperKonami
PublisherKonami
DirectorToshiaki Takatori
ProgrammersTatsuo Fujii
Tetsuya Wada
ArtistsChiyoko Hanano
Kuniaki Kakuwa
M. Machiguchi
ComposersHidenori Maezawa
Motoaki Furukawa
Satoko Miyawaki
Ayako Nishigaki
PlatformArcade
Release
  • JP: October 1991
  • EU: 1991
  • NA: 1991
GenreScrolling shooter
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Xexex[a], released as Orius in North America[1], is a 1991 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was released in Japan in October 1991 and the same year internationally.[2][3] It draws on Irem's R-Type and Konami's other shoot 'em up Gradius, while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up X Multiply. In the game, players take control of the Flintlock space fighter (which is armed with the mysterious alien life form "Flint") in a mission to rescue Princess Irene La Tias of Planet E-Square, who has been captured by the evil galactic warlord Klaus Pachelbel.[4]

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. Hamster Corporation released the game as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in December 2021.[5]

Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to R-Type and X-Multiply.[6][7][8] The player's ship, the Flintlock, has a detachable orb attachment called the Flint, which behaves similar to R-Type's Force Device. Power-ups can be obtained to increase the Flint's tentacles, movement speed, change the main weapon, or even give the player an extra life or energy.

There are different gameplay mechanics between the original Japanese release and the overseas releases. The overseas versions introduce a variety of changes, with the most notable being the removal of all but one upgradable weapon, as well as the removal of a lives system, which is replaced with an energy bar. The enemy patterns are also changed slightly and the bosses have more health.

  • In the Japanese version, the player starts with the Proton Laser, a thin stream of weak bullets. Defeating certain enemies will drop other weapons. The name of the current weapon is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The game uses a traditional lives system, and when a life is lost, the player continues play from a checkpoint.
  • In the overseas versions, the only available weapon is the Proton Laser, with Missiles acting as a secondary weapon; powering up the Proton Laser increases its spread, and powering up the Missiles increases the amount fired. The Flint's tentacles have been shortened in this version, and it now can only be shot forward and released instead of being able to be detached near the ship. This version opts for an energy bar instead of lives, and the Flintlock can take multiple hits before being destroyed. If the ship's energy reaches zero, the player must insert another credit, and then can begin immediately where they left off with a newly restored energy bar.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Xexex on their November 15, 1991 issue as being the fifth most-popular arcade game at the time.[14] In the January 1992 issue of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine, the game was ranked on the number ten spot in popularity.[15] At the 1992 Gamest Awards, Xexex was awarded Best Graphics (beating Virtua Racing) and Best VGM (beating Metal Black). Xexex was also nominated for Game of the Year (ranked 4th), Best Shooter (ranked 2nd), and Best Direction (ranked 6th), but lost to Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Aero Fighters, and Art of Fighting, respectively.[13]

Xexex has been met with positive reception from critics since its initial launch.[8]

Konami released four Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game cards as a reference to Xexex: Flint, Flint Lock, Flint Attack (Flint Missile) and King of Destruction Xexex.

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: ゼクセクス, Hepburn: Zekusekusu

References

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference XXXhg1012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム): ゼクセクス". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 113. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. November 1991. p. 258.
  3. ^ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). コナミ（コナミ工業）Konami (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. p. 28. ISBN 978-4990251215. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Ishii, Zenji; KAL; Koken, Sato; Sakai, Hajime (February 28, 1993). "コーナー: 開発者インタビュー - イレーネ (ゼクセクス)". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 87. Shinseisha. p. 83. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine).
  5. ^ McFerran, Damien (October 4, 2021). "Four More Classic Shmups Confirmed For Switch, Including Konami's Cult Hit, Xexex". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Kalata, Kurt (September 11, 2017). "Xexex". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Xexex operator's manual (Arcade, EU)
  8. ^ a b C. Mylonas, Eric (April 2000). "The Graveyard - Xexex". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 4. Shinno Media. pp. 94–95.
  9. ^ "Arcade Action - Xexex". Computer and Video Games. No. 123. EMAP. February 1992. p. 89.
  10. ^ Ishii, Kenji; Y, Mēryoku; Ishii, Zenji; Yamakawa, Yuri; Umemura, Zuru (December 1991). "グッドなゲームはかく語れ!!AMショー持選版クロスレビユー!!: ゼクセクス". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 66. Shinseisha. p. 113.
  11. ^ Wilson, David (February 1992). "Kill Zone - Xerex". Game Zone. Vol. 1, no. 4. Dennis Publishing. p. 74.
  12. ^ Stokes, Doris (March 1992). "Dosh Eaters: Xexex (Konami)". Zero. No. 29. Dennis Publishing. p. 59.
  13. ^ a b ザ・ベストゲーム2 - アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史: ゲーメスト大賞11年史 (in Japanese). Vol. 5 (4th ed.). Shinseisha. January 17, 1998. pp. 14–15. ISBN 9784881994290. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 415. Amusement Press, Inc. November 15, 1991. p. 25.
  15. ^ Yamashita, Nobuyuki (January 1992). "Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム) - Hot 20". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 115. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 241.
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