219: Xenon 2: Megablast

Number 219
(6.8 points)
Xenon 2: Megablast
1991: 33

The Bitmap Brothers strike again, this time with a shooter.

Xenon 2 is a very straightforward vertical shmup, where you shoot neverending hordes of alien creatures. You can collect power-ups during the level, but mostly you need to spend money at a shop to improve your ship. As a result, while the early levels can be challenging, later levels become much easier if you can maintain your powered-up state. The game was popular at the time due to its soundtrack consisting of a rendition of Megablast by Bomb The Bass, one of the first times a computer game had music that could compare with real life. On the downside, there are a lot of long load times between levels, and when visiting the shop, and the game can become tedious as the levels progress.

This is a classic example of opinions changing with time. In 1991, Amiga Power rated it as high as 33 in their top 100, but it never appeared again, and this is largely down to its playability. We all loved hearing Bomb The Bass, and the graphics are very intricate, but underneath is a pretty basic shoot 'em up which can't hold a candle to those on consoles of the time. Of course, I would almost certainly have included it myself in this list if they haven't, simply due to its notoriety, but I don't think too many people go back to play it these days.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Xenon 2 - Megablast (1989)(Image Works)(Disk 1 of 2)[cr Defjam - CCS]
Xenon 2 - Megablast (1989)(Image Works)(Disk 2 of 2)