Last year, you might remember, I attempted to alleviate the misery of the Government squeezing our finances by taking the day off and spending it writing about 8-bit budget games. And it seemed to be quite popular... so much so that I'm doing it again this year! So on Wednesday 21st March 2012, there will be another A Gamer Forever Voyaging Budget Day!
On the last budget day, I managed to play and write about nine games in total. Not bad, but I'd like to beat that this time around... at least make it into double figures, anyway.
I've got a shortlist of potential games, although to be honest, the word "shortlist" seems a bit misplaced. The reason? The list currently has 108 games on it. Yeah... not much chance of getting through all them.
So between now and then, I'm cherry-picking titles for consideration. Ideally, I want that list down to about 20. And I want you to help. Yes, really! See that poll to the right? All you have to do is vote for the games on the list that you'd like me to write about on March 21st. The three that get the most votes will become part of my Budget Day... so get voting!
Follow me on my quest to play and write about videogames from throughout gaming history.
Showing posts with label Zeppelin Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zeppelin Games. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Zybex (Commodore 64)
Remember an arcade game called Side Arms? It was a horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up for one or two players, where you flew fellas in suits across the landscape blasting all and sundry, and collecting bolt-on power-ups to upgrade your weaponry. It was an alright blaster, if nothing special.
Hey! Didn't I see you in Delta?
The Commodore 64 version, though, was a bit rubbish. And then, from out of nowhere and from an unassuming little budget software house, came a game called Zybex. It was the first release from Zeppelin Games, and it was a hell of a way to announce their arrival.
Zybex is a one or (simultaneous!) two-player game that sees you blasting your way across sixteen worlds. You always begin your game on the first world, Arcturus, but if you can get to the end, you can choose any of the levels from two to twelve in any order. It's an excellent progression system, and it almost guarantees that you won't get bored. You can also spend a bit of time figuring out a preferred route... it's likely that you'll find some worlds easier than others.
Aargh! UFOs! Kill them all!
A horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up would be nothing without extra weapons though, and Zybex has plenty. Shooting certain enemies will release these weapons, five in total, and picking up more than one will increase the power of that weapon. Again, it's a great system, with some weapons working better on some enemies, meaning you'll need to switch on the fly, or you can develop your own playing style. Careful though... if you die, you'll lose a power level from the weapon you were using at the time...
This world is called Diablos. Oddly, it's not that difficult.
As you progress, you'll need to keep an eye out, as the only way you can access levels thirteen to sixteen is by collecting tokens that can be found throughout the levels. They're not that difficult to spot, they look totally different from anything else in the game.
Zybex is a tough game, but a really fun one. Even unlocking one of the later levels takes a heck of a lot of doing, but you'll have a good time trying. Again, this is a game I owned and loved back in the day, and it didn't disappoint when I played it again. Another tremendous bargain at £1.99.
Hey! Didn't I see you in Delta?
The Commodore 64 version, though, was a bit rubbish. And then, from out of nowhere and from an unassuming little budget software house, came a game called Zybex. It was the first release from Zeppelin Games, and it was a hell of a way to announce their arrival.
Zybex is a one or (simultaneous!) two-player game that sees you blasting your way across sixteen worlds. You always begin your game on the first world, Arcturus, but if you can get to the end, you can choose any of the levels from two to twelve in any order. It's an excellent progression system, and it almost guarantees that you won't get bored. You can also spend a bit of time figuring out a preferred route... it's likely that you'll find some worlds easier than others.
Aargh! UFOs! Kill them all!
A horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up would be nothing without extra weapons though, and Zybex has plenty. Shooting certain enemies will release these weapons, five in total, and picking up more than one will increase the power of that weapon. Again, it's a great system, with some weapons working better on some enemies, meaning you'll need to switch on the fly, or you can develop your own playing style. Careful though... if you die, you'll lose a power level from the weapon you were using at the time...
This world is called Diablos. Oddly, it's not that difficult.
As you progress, you'll need to keep an eye out, as the only way you can access levels thirteen to sixteen is by collecting tokens that can be found throughout the levels. They're not that difficult to spot, they look totally different from anything else in the game.
Zybex is a tough game, but a really fun one. Even unlocking one of the later levels takes a heck of a lot of doing, but you'll have a good time trying. Again, this is a game I owned and loved back in the day, and it didn't disappoint when I played it again. Another tremendous bargain at £1.99.
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