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| GENRE |
| Arcade |
| DEVELOPER |
| Namco |
| PUBLISHER |
| Nintendo |
| NUMBER OF PLAYERS |
| 1-2 |
| CONNECTIVITY |
| No |
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Xevious
Namco's Xevious has been re-licensed to Nintendo for distribution purposes on the Game Boy Advance, as a part of their special Classic NES series of titles. Xevious stands in a class of its own, however, as it may very well have transcended the passage of time better than any of its seven companions, if only due to its impeccable control and chaotic arcade gameplay.
visuals
Programmed on to this game pak is a modest display of greens, greys, whites, and browns to color the terrain and various combat craft. Missiles and bombs -- the latter perpetually slower and on an angular motion to emulate the act of descension -- are both displayed as white dots. From the get-go, you are given a dual-missile system. As with most primitive NES titles, explosions look something more like a shatter of sorts, your vehicle buristing into four or more pieces.
audio
Splendidly classic, Xevious hosts a catchy start up theme that you may find yourself whistling in the shower or in the car on the way to work (or wherever else you find yourself going). As well, when you unleash a bomb from your Solvalou, a low and bellowing notification will ring through your ears. When a bomb or missile successfully connects with an enemy, you will hear one and/or both of the respective sounds. As the game speeds up and such audio becomes more of a constant, the hail of artillery will formulate into a deadly chorus that is easy enough on the ears.
gameplay
Your mission is to fly behind enemy lines on a quest to destroy XEVIOUS. To accomplish this task, you've been given access to a state-of-the-art Solvalou fighter equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and guided bombs. As you fly over the surface of the planet, the screen will scroll upward as enemies' air and ground forces attempt to shoot you down-- destroy these enemies and dodge hostile fire! Use the target reticule in front of your fighter to aim your bombs -- it will flash red when it passes over a target. Your mission will take you through several game areas. These areas are divided by a thick band of forest terrain. If you get shot down within the first 70% of an area, and have lives to spare, you'll reappear at the very beginning of the level. If you have proceeded past said point and are shot down, you will reappear at the halfway, or "70%" mark. Ground forces are many in the form of standard missile turrets and larger high-powered machine guns. Four other types of ground enemies are included as well. Still more aircraft consists of saucers (torroids) and more advanced fighters of various shapes. These include the Talken, Jiara, Zkart, and Zoshee. As you infiltrate deeper and deeper behind enemy lines, enemy resistance will become more fierce. To counter this stiff resistance, destroy Solbak nodes to reduce the enemy's fighting capabilities and "bring Xevious to it knees". Enemy fighters attack in formations -- memorize these patterns and formations and learn the best way to counter them to defeat large numbers of enemies with greater ease. The most deadly enemy is easily the Ando Ageanesis -- these floating fortresses are the backbone of the enemy Xevious -- attack their core to complete your mission and ultimately destroy Xevious.
multiplayer
Two people can work together to bring down the opposing forces -- if using a single game pak, the second player can even disconnect from the original host and continue playing. The experience is markably less difficult if two people work cooperatively. You by yourself can also net extra lives by selecting the two-player option (if using a Game Boy Player) and taking both turns for yourself.
overall
I won't lie to you -- Xevious is some tough shit. Even so, it is a relished experience that hasn't made itself as readily available as some of the other Classic NES titles out there, and is worth a purchase if you've never had the chance to play it before. Xevious is, without a doubt, a prized old-school shooter that stacks up against Gradius and others with great fortitude. Though simple, the game is some of the most fun $20.00 can net you.
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