Developer: Atlus Publisher: Hudson Soft Release: 04/90 Genre: Action
Xexyz is one of many NES games I always meant to get around to back in the day like Kick Master and Vice: Project Doom. But while I eventually did play and extol the virtues of the two previously mentioned titles I only played Hudson Soft’s lost classic recently. Who would have thought the game with the weird ass title would be so good? This is an extremely cool game and an absolute hidden gem for the NES.
Xexyz takes place in the distant future. In the year 2777 Earth has been ravaged by nuclear war and is in the process of picking up the pieces. The island nation of Xexyz where most of humanity alongside faeries and spirits reside is under attack by the demon Goruza and his robotic minions. A soldier named Apollo takes up the fight against Goruza to free the world from his tyrannical rule.
Like Wurm Xexyz spans multiple genres, in this case platformer and shooter. The odd numbered stages feature a mix of traditional 2d platforming with a dash of shoot em up action. The even numbered levels are pure shooter like Gradius. It is an odd mix but does a great job of switching up the action right when it starts to become tedious. While both halves of the game are not up to the same level I will say it turned out better than I was expecting. Multi-genre mash ups did not have a good go of it on the NES, especially early on. Anyone who had the misfortune of playing Bayou Billy can attest. But Xexyz succeeds where most fail.
Each of Xexyz’s platforming stages consists of multiple parts. The initial island is one long continuous map. Enemies drop energy balls that function as the game’s currency. Each level has numerous bottomless pits, enemies, and rooms to enter as you make your way to the castle entrance. These rooms contain any number of things from information, mini-games, boss battle, to free weapons. Generally it is worth entering each one as you will get something for your effort. You begin with a weak beam but will soon gain a new weapon in each odd stage. The 45 Ball fires at a 45° angle. The wave ball can pass through walls while the moon ball provides both a shield and a long line of tiny shots that is my favorite. The laser is the most powerful but only appears at the end of the game.
While you are given these weapons if you like a particular one you can also buy it in the shop along with other items. The magic items cover a wide array of effects. The mirror creates a clone of Apollo that stands on his shoulders for double the firepower. Foot wings increase jump height and to glide briefly. The most expensive is the typhoon, which grants invincibility for eight seconds. But as impressive as that sounds it is worthless. If nothing strikes your fancy in the item shop you can spend energy to restore health or to gamble. The game practically has everything.
The goal is to find the hidden boss room to earn a force star needed to enter the island’s castle. This is easier said than done as these rooms are accessed by hitting parts of the environment. This is probably the most frustrating aspect of the game as there are no hints as to where they are. Chances are without a map you will stumble onto them by accident which is not good design. Once inside the mechanical castle it becomes a maze. But while that usually has a negative connotation it is simple here. These are generally only four or five rooms long with air vents moving you between rooms. The goal here is to find the space ship to enter a brief shooter sequence to face the end level boss.
The shooting segments of Xexyz are a nice change of pace. These levels are short and light on mechanics compared to most titles in the genre. There are only two power-ups, speed and power. Each shooting level is divided into multiple parts behind two doors. If you choose the wrong door you are sent back to repeat the section again. This is annoying but because they are so brief at least not aggravating. The most impressive point of these segments is the boss battles. These mayors can stand toe to toe with the best of the genre on the NES and a reason to tolerate this part of the game.
Xexyz is the type of game that does what it set out to do but not exceptionally well. The platforming is enjoyable but could have grown tiresome were it not for the shooter portions of the game. The shooting levels are functional but not great. It is like the game lacks that one factor that would have put it over the top. The game is long, median in its difficulty and full of variety thanks to its themed islands. But it lacks the “it” factor that would make me recommend it over some of the best games in each of is genres.
In Closing
Do not let that stop you from playing the game however. Xexyz juggles its various aspects better than most and is better than the sum of its parts and is an underrated gem. This one has flown under the radar because of its silly name but is worth your time.
