Xexyz

Nintendo exclusivePort

The game centers around the main character of Apollo who progresses through the game in an alternating format that switches between platform, side-scrolling action and side-scrolling shooter action. The goal of the series is, stereotypically, to destroy an evil boss Goruza, rescue a princess (in this case, Princess Maria) and save the planet.

Released: 26 August 1988
Platforms: NES
Genres: Platformer Post-apocalyptic Shooter
Developers: Hudson Soft
Publishers: Hudson Soft
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action Fantasy Science fiction
Country: Japan
Languages: English

About

Xexyz (pronounced ZEKS-iz, -⁠eez), known in Japan as Kame no Ongaeshi - Urashima Densetsu (亀の恩返し〜ウラシマ伝説〜, Turtle's Repayment: Urashima Legend), is a 1988 video game published by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in Japan on August 26, 1988, and saw a North American release sometime in April 1990. The game was never released in Europe and the game is not playable on PAL consoles.

The story takes place in the post-apocalyptic year of 2777, after Earth has been devastated by nuclear war and natural disasters, with the island nation of Xexyz now being threatened by alien robots.

Keywords

shoot 'em up
robots
gambling
flight
side-scrolling
fairy
boss fight
shopping
damsel in distress
upgradeable weapons
auto-scrolling levels
regional port

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game revolves around the main character Apollo, who progresses through the game in an alternating format that switches between platform, side-scrolling action (similar to the Super Mario Bros. series) and side-scrolling shooter action (similar to Konami's Gradius series). The goal of the game is to destroy the evil Goruza, rescue Princess Maria, and save the planet.

In the platforming levels, defeated enemies drop life ('L' blocks) or money ('E' blocks) power-ups. Apollo can collect the currency of the land ('Balls'/'E Ball') in order to exchange it for power-ups and information, as well as access to minigames. Vendors are scattered throughout the platforming levels through doors or hidden gates. In the shooter levels, the player can obtain 'S' and 'P' items that upgrade speed and weapons, respectively.

Reception

Xexyz was met with generally positive reception from critics, but public reception in Japan was mixed; in a poll taken by Family Computer Magazine, it received a score of 18.38 out of 30.