Xexex is an Arcade game released in 1991 by Konami. The game is a nice break from the Gradius series and further shows off the potential of Konami. Xexex showcases much graphical prowess and is highly regarded as being one of Konami's gems. Xexex was also noted for not having but deserving a console port, but this changed when it was included in the Salamander Portable compilation pack for the PSP. Apparently, it was released in North America under the name Orius. It is also noted for the player's ship, the Flintlock, which feels almost like a souped up R-9 due to the Flint pod and it's wide variety of weapons available.
Story
As soon as a credit is registered, the following message appears:
Please help our planet. I am Elaine of the planet E-Square.
In the days when man made it possible to easily travel between planets, the Earth received an urgent message from planet E-Square.
Round about the same time, people discovered a mysterious force.
What happened to the planet E-Square? What is the mysterious force called Flint for?
To solve the mystery, people developed a new space battleship, Flintlock and soon blasted off.
Gameplay
Xexex plays almost like R-Type in the sense that you have many enemies attempting to destroy you and you need to properly use the Flint in order to survive. The Flint is not like the Force though as you cannot connect it to the rear of the Flintlock. Instead, upon releasing it, the Flint will slowly home in on the closest enemy and attempt to connect to it upon which the enemy will be damaged. The Flint will also unleash its tendrils, which will block enemy fire.
Powerups can be picked up which will change the main weapon, upgrade the Flint, or increase speed. The proper weapon at a given point will ensure the journey is easier. The player has several lives but can only get hit once before exploding into pieces. After every stage, there is a short cutscene that further explains the plot. Some of the later stages are large, requiring the screen to scroll up/down in order to get the full scope.
Stages
- Stage 1: Planet Zuvgear
- Stage 2: Planet Dis
- Stage 3: Planet Laeau Laile
- Stage 4: Planet Artere Coeur
- Stage 5: Planet Logines
- Stage 6: Warp
- Stage 7: Planet Pachel Bell II
- Stage 8: Planet E-Square
Versions
Japan
The Japan version is the real Xexex so the gameplay is exactly as noted.
World
The World version of Xexex is different than the original Japan version. There are several changes to this version that make the game feel lacking compared to the original one. These changes are listed below.
- The Flint is slightly smaller.
- The weapons have been changed completely. There are only two available, a spread shot which looks similar to the Photon Shot, and homing missiles. Both are upgradable.
- Some of the bosses have been modified, the most notable one being the stage 5 and 6 bosses. For the stage 5 boss, it is now very difficult to get past it's defenses. For the stage 6 boss, there are now two satellites as opposed to one.
- The ship now has a energy bar as opposed to being a one-hit wonder, with energy recharge powerups available. However, there are no lives so one bar is one credit.
- Upon dying, the player starts where they died instead of going back to a checkpoint.
- The game is now simultaneous two player. The 2nd player ship looks slightly different compared to the 1st player.
- The stage intros note different planet names instead of saying "Charge the enemy".
- All text is in English as opposed to just the ship stats screens.
Minigame
In another Konami game, Ganbare Goemon 2, a minigame of stage 2 can be played for 100 gold, similar to how Gradius could be played in Legend of the Mystical Ninja.