Developer: Jorudan Co. Publisher: Asmik Released: 1992 Genre: Action
Never underestimate the power of good marketing. I remember the magazine ads for Xardion featuring the intricate mecha designs of the main characters. The game looked extremely cool and how could it not? You were controlling three giant robots! But somehow despite an all-star lineup of creators from Japan and America Xardion is not the great game it could have been. There are some good ideas present but the total package is not very good.
The three planets that comprise the Alpha 1 Star System have been embroiled in a losing war with the planet NGC-1611. To turn the tide the Alpha 1 Federation pool their resources and create three mecha to search for the legendary Xardion, an ancient super weapon sealed away long ago.
The main hook in Xardion is its three playable characters. Much like TMNT NES you can switch characters at will with each specializing featuring specific strengths and weaknesses. Triton is more of less the default. He is well rounded, has the strongest special weapons and can fire upward, a seemingly quaint but critical skill. Alcedes is an odd one. His whip like staff strikes enemies on both sides and his special abilities focus on crowd control. Panthera is the smallest is the smallest and weakest. But his size allows most attacks to miss and to squeeze in to narrow passages.
As enticing as they all sound in practice Triton is the only worthwhile character initially. His straightforward attack might be boring but it gets the job done. The other two have frustrating hit boxes that make using them for extended periods annoying. But to an extent you have to use the entire party to survive. Each character gains experience and levels individually which increases your maximum hit points and special weapon ammo. You will want a reasonably leveled party to switch between as the game does not refill health between levels and to avoid a swift death. Once you obtain Xardion he becomes a jack of all trades and the rest fall by the wayside even at level one.
Xardion is nonlinear despite its initial map. Most levels have branching paths and areas inaccessible until later in the game. The special weapons for each character require some exploration to find which calls to mind Metroid. Unlike that game these are completely optional and only make life easier. Regular items like health, missiles, and bombs respawn upon entry and since you can leave a level at any time it becomes a viable option to replenish your supply. Once you obtain Xardion the game forces you to revisit prior levels to find its mandatory final weapon to progress and to build its levels. This is obvious padding in what would otherwise be a short game. It does not break the game but is annoying nonetheless.
In many ways Xardion reminds me of Mega Man X. The structure of both is similar as you can tackle the levels in any order and revisit them to collect items along the way. Unfortunately the controls and general feel in Xardion do not match up to Capcom’s classic. All characters control like bricks and are slow in their actions. They drop like a brick when you jump which makes platforming a chore. There are no bottomless pits thankfully; only one level has any and it simply sends you back to the beginning of that stage. The rigid limits placed on most of the characters are supposed to make them unique but in practice make them worthless. Just like TMNT you will only use Alcedes and Panthera as a last result.
It’s bad enough that the controls are merely serviceable. But the features that make the game distinct end up holding it back. The experience system ends up padding out the game due to how weak you start. Your attack and life bar are so low the best course of action is to run through each stage, die, and do it over since you keep all experience and items. Now imagine doing this for four characters. It’s tedious and not fun at all. The non-linearity of the adventure means the level design is not good. Most levels are incredibly short and only memorable because you visit them multiple times. The boss battles could have redeemed them somewhat but they repeat the same two attacks and over and over and are boring. They have so many features but had no idea how to put them together to make a compelling adventure.
In Closing
Xardion is not a good game. The myriad number of flaws in nearly every one of its aspects means it is a chore to play. I tried, I really tried to like this one but I just don’t like it and cannot recommend it. Play Mega Man X instead. It does almost everything this game does but better.
