Xexex

Xexex[lower-alpha 1] is a 1991 side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game by Konami. It draws on Irem's R-Type and Konami's other shoot 'em up Gradius, while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up XMultiply. It did not see a home port until 2007, when it was included in the compilation Salamander Portable, released only in Japan for the PlayStation Portable.

Xexex
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Toshiaki Takatori
Programmer(s)T. Fujii
Tetsuya Wada
Artist(s)Chiyoko Hanano
Kuniaki Kakuwa
M. Machiguchi
Composer(s)Akiko Hashimoto
Hidenori Maezawa
Motoaki Furukawa
Platform(s)Arcade
Release
Genre(s)Horizontally scrolling shooter
Mode(s)
CabinetUpright

Gameplay
Arcade version screenshot.

The gameplay is similar to R-Type and X-Multiply.[3][4][5] The player's ship, the Flintlock, has a detachable orb attachment called the Flint, which behaves similar to R-Type's Force Device. Power-ups can be obtained in the Japanese version to increase the Flint's power, movement speed, change the main weapon, or even give the player an extra life.

There are different gameplay mechanics between the original Japanese release and the overseas releases. The overseas versions introduce a variety of changes, with the most notable being the removal of all but one upgradable weapon. The enemy patterns are also changed slightly.

  • In the Japanese version, the player starts with the Proton Laser, a thin stream of weak bullets. Defeating certain enemies will drop other weapons. The name of the current weapon is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
  • In the overseas versions, the only available weapon is the Proton Laser; picking up power-ups increases the spread of the weapon. Missiles are a secondary weapon.

Plot

In the game, players pilot a ship called the Flintlock in order to save a blue-haired princess named Irene of the planet E-Square from an evil lord named Klaus. Each stage is punctuated with a cutscene of the princess crying for help.

Development and release

Xexex was developed by Konami.[6][7]

Reception and legacy
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG(Arcade) 72%[8]
Zero(Arcade) [9]
Award
PublicationAward
Gamest Mook (1998)Grand Prize 3rd, Best Shooting Award 2nd, Best Performance Award 6th, Best Graphic Award 1st, Best VGM Award 1st, Popular Player 9th, Annual Hit Game 10th (Arcade)[10]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Xexex on their November 15, 1991 issue as being the fifth most-successful table arcade game of the year.[11] In the January 1992 issue of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine, the game was ranked on the number ten spot in popularity.[12] At the 1992 Gamest Awards, Xexex was awarded Best Graphics (beating Virtua Racing) and Best VGM (beating Metal Black). Xexex was also nominated for Game of the Year (ranked 4th), Best Shooter (ranked 2nd), and Best Direction (ranked 6th), but lost to Street Fighter II′: Champion Edition, Sonic Wings, and Art of Fighting, respectively.[10] The game has been met with positive reception from critics since its initial launch.[5]

Konami released four Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game cards, Flint, Flint Lock, Flint Attack (Flint Missile) and King of Destruction - Xexex, as a reference to this game.

Notes
  1. Japanese: ゼクセクス Hepburn: Zekusekusu, also known as Orius in North America[3]

References
  1. "Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム): ゼクセクス". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 113. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. November 1991. p. 258.
  2. Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). コナミ（コナミ工業） Konami. アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. p. 28. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  3. Kalata, Kurt (11 September 2017). "Xexex". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  4. Xexex operator's manual (Arcade, EU)
  5. C. Mylonas, Eric (April 2000). "The Graveyard - Xexex". GameFan. Vol. 8 no. 4. Shinno Media. pp. 94–95.
  6. Ishii, Zenji; KAL; Koken, Sato; Sakai, Hajime (28 February 1993). "コーナー: 開発者インタビュー - イレーネ (ゼクセクス)". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 87. Shinseisha. p. 83. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine).
  7. グラディウスII -GOFERの野望-. Gradius Portable Official Guide -Legend of I・II・III・IV・Gaiden-. Konami Official Books (in Japanese). Konami. 28 March 2006. pp. 1–192. ISBN 4-86155-111-0. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-12-30 at the Wayback Machine).
  8. "Arcade Action - Xexex". Computer and Video Games. No. 123. EMAP. February 1992. p. 89.
  9. Stokes, Doris (March 1992). "Dosh Eaters: Xexex (Konami)". Zero. No. 29. Dennis Publishing. p. 59.
  10. ザ・ベストゲーム2 - アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史: ゲーメスト大賞11年史. Gamest Mook (in Japanese). 5 (4th ed.). Shinseisha. 17 January 1998. pp. 14–15. ISBN 9784881994290.
  11. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 415. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 November 1991. p. 25.
  12. Yanma (January 1992). "Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム) - Hot 20". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 115. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 241.
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