Ludography
Zybex cover

1989 · Arcade · Shoot 'em up

Zybex

A horizontally scrolling 'always firing' shoot 'em up game with an emphasis on power ups and notable for the fire button only being used to change weapon.

Released
1989
Platforms
Atari 8-bitCommodore 64Commodore C64/128/MAXZX Spectrum
Genres
ArcadeShoot 'em upShooter
Developers
—
Publishers
Eutechnyx
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
United Kingdom
Composers
Adam Gilmore

About

Zybex is a 1988 horizontally scrolling shooter for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, and ZX Spectrum. Zybex was one of the first games released by Zeppelin Games, a UK-based budget game developer.

Keywords

  • aliens
  • shoot 'em up
  • spaceship
  • side-scrolling
  • boss fight
  • auto-scrolling levels

Media

Zybex screenshot 1

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Firing is automatic - the fire button changes the current weapon. Collecting a weapon icon increases that weapon's power level, up to the maximum of 4. Dying reduces the current weapon by 1 power level, or removes a weapon if it has only one power level. The players start with level 1 Orbiter (and never lose it), the other four weapons are 8-way (starts as 2-way, upgrades to 4-way, 6-way and then 8-way), Rail-gun (solid beam which gets stronger), Pulse (upgrades to include diagonal fire) and Wall (starts with a narrow field and gets larger).

Story

The player takes the role of two convicts, Rinser and Cassalana, escaping from an execution in intergalactic prison. To buy their freedom, the convicts must collect tokens to open later levels by destroying the big end of level bosses. There are 16 levels, with a choice of "open" levels when one is completed. First level, Arcturus, is always the first level to be played.

The last level is called Zybex. Two players can play simultaneously in all versions.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Atari 8-bit31 December 1988Europe
Commodore C64/128/MAX31 December 1988Europe
ZX Spectrum31 December 1989Europe

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.