Xevious 3D/G+

Overview

Namco has released another trip down memory lane with Xevious 3D/G+. This is actually four games in one, and all should have your remembering the days of video arcades and hanging out at bowling alleys.

Three previous installments of Xevious are here as a bonus, but this game is really all about Xevious 3D, the newest, 3D polygon shooter that feels like the original game from 1982, but looks like a game from the present. Does it work? Read on and find out.

Gameplay

For those of you who have never heard of or played the original Xevious games, here's a little history lesson. These games were revolutionary in their graphics and awesome gameplay. All of them follow the same style of play and feel similar. You could always bet that the local video arcade had one of these machines and it was usually occupied. These games are what is best classified as classic arcade shooters.

I am not going to individually review each of the four games included since they are calling the three older games "bonus games." But here is a quick overview of Xevious, Super Xevious and Xevious Arrangement: You fly your little ship around, shooting flying objects with your Zapper missiles, and dropping Blaster bombs on the ground foes. The screen is constantly scrolling from top to bottom but you have the freedom to move as far left, right, up or down as the screen allows. The basic object is to stay alive by shooting the hell out of everything that crosses your path. Make it to the end of the levels and you face the big, bad boss.

While these games did bring back some good memories of the "old days," after playing one or two games, you will probably have had enough. Each of the games looks and plays identical to each other. Xevious and Xevious Arrangement are the same game but the level design is rearranged. Super Xevious looks and plays the same but also has different level design and is a bit harder. Other than that, it is also the same game. Like I said, these games were neat at first, but just don't hold up against the games of today's standards.

The fourth game on the disc is another story altogether. This is the latest Xevious game in the series and it definitely shows. The gameplay is basically the same, but you are now flying through a 3D polygon world instead of a flat, nondescript background. Also, this game has forks in the road it will randomly take you down, so the game changes up a bit. Xevious 3D/G is obviously the best of the games and it does have the look and feel of today's games. The only problem is that it's still Xevious. What I mean by this is that you are doing the same thing as the other games, only now you are doing it in 3D. Granted, the bosses look better and are much more imaginative, but the game still gets tired after awhile.

I will say that if you are still a fan of the arcade series, you will not be disappointed. Everything has been ported over fully intact so you will feel like you are standing in front of that arcade machine pumping in the quarters. I was never very good at the arcade game when I was younger, so maybe I hold a personal bias against the games.

Namco is quickly becoming the king of retro gaming. They have released all of the compilation packs and still have more in the works. I think the reason the compilation packs work better than this game is variety -- several different types of games on a single disk. All of the Xevious were so much alike, that except for the looks of thecXevious 3D/G, this compilation just did not offer enough variety.

Graphics

It would really be unfair to rate the graphics on the three classic games because they are so old. As for Xevious 3D/G, the 3D graphics are pretty cool. They do feel a bit blocky at times and the sky has no detail at all. You will definitely have a good feel for what is going on in the game and where the enemies are and the bosses are the best part.

Bottom Line

If you are a fan of the classic Xevious games, you should be happy with this collection. If not, you will get a few hours of fun -- but it will start to wear off real quick. Before you buy, I suggest a rental so you can decide if the games are really as cool as you remember them.