Many years have passed since the last Xenite invasion. The Earth has partially rebuilt its defences and is once again prosperous. The Xenit?s, however, were well-peeved that their last invasion didn’t work out quite as planned. If it hadn’t been for one meddling Earth fighter, it would have been a walkover. The Xenites are once again casting their jealous eyes over the Earth, but this time they have come up with a new plan.

A warped scientist has discovered the secret of time travel and the Xenites have used this power to travel back through time and plant time bombs in each major era. When these bombs are detonated, they will cause a series of natural disasters that will devastate the planet and leave it ripe for plundering. You have been called up to travel back through time and destroy the bombs... and anything else that happens to be around. Buckle up, kid, time is running out.

If you’re looking for a slick, stupendous, striking shoot-’em-up for your Master System, then X truly does mark the spot. If you’ve seen any other versions of Xenon, you will find it hard to fault the first 8-bit console version. From the title screen to the level guardians to the character set, the graphics are virtually identical to all the other versions. In fact, you have to keep reminding yourself that this is just the MS version, and the 16-bit version won’t be available till early next year.

The title screen sets the scene for this simple, yet fiendishly addictive blast. Your only option is to choose whether you want David Whittaker’s soundtrack blasting out of the speakers or not. (Personally, I believe a thumping soundtrack always increases the fun.)

Into the game, the first impressive thing is the graphics. Slap-bang identical to the original, yet still smoothly animated - even when you change direction very quickly. The only thing missing is the ornate backgrounds, which will appear on the Mega Drive version, but this isn’t to the MS’s detriment. Just like in the original, the enemy sprites start off simple but get uglier the further you get. However, if you do happen to encounter a large swarm of alien intruders, the screen tends to slow down a bit, although this doesn’t hamper the play. The only time you really notice it is when you let go of a smart bomb, which will clear the screen and miraculously increase your speed two-fold.

At the end of each flying stretch, you get to see the guy who’s been dispatching all these aliens. The massive blob at the end of the first level is quite easy, so it’s a shame to see the blob man repeated at the end of level three. After getting rid of this guy, you enter what is probably one of the most fun parts of the game: the shop. There’s plenty of decent weaponry available, in fact everything from the original has been included. You can pick and choose whatever suits your style of play, but always go for at least one Super Nashwan which only lasts for a few seconds but gives you every weapon available, all at once! Not bad.

The slick gameplay and presentation is sadly let down by the poor collision detection. Many a time I cursed the day I discovered the joypad, when my fighter seemingly exploded from hitting the side wall which was actually miles away. Iit’s fortunate that every other aspect of Xenon II is perfect. It’s great to see a classic game like this being perfectly translated onto the Master System. With the arrival of Xenon II, at last there’s a great vertical scroller on the MS -even if it is only five levels long.

• Les Ellis

GRAPHICS

92
▲ Colours are vivid and detail is astounding.
▲ Great animation and smooth scrolling.

SOUND

83
▼ Effects are disappointingly average.
▲ Loud, blasting tune throughout play

GAMEPLAY

84
▼ Inaccurate collision detection tests patience.
▲ Quick and responsive..

CHALLENGE

84
▼ Not enough levels for the price.
▲ Gameplay flaws increase challenge.

PROSCORE

85
Despite its flaws, Xenon II is destined to become the most successful shoot-'em-up on the MS.

Rating

85

Reviewer

Sega Pro magazine

Region

UK

Scans

SegaPro-Magazine-Issue01?gallerypage=38

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