Xevious
Encyclopedia
is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game
by Namco
, released in 1982. It was designed by Masanobu Endō. In the U.S., the game was manufactured and distributed by Atari. Xevious runs on Namco Galaga
hardware. In Brazil the arcade cabinet was printed with the name 'COLUMBIA' for the game, while the software shows the original name 'Xevious'.
The player uses an 8-way joystick to pilot a combat aircraft called a Solvalou, which is armed with a forward-firing Zapper for aerial targets and a Blaster which fires an unlimited supply of air-to-surface bombs for ground targets. The game, presumably set in Peru, was noted for the varied terrain below, which included forests, airstrips, bases, and mysterious Nazca Line-like drawings
on the ground.
There are various aerial enemy aircraft which shoot relatively slow bullets, as well as (presumably unpiloted) fast-moving projectiles and exploding black spheres. Ground enemies are a combination of stationary bases and moving vehicles, most of which also fire slow bullets. Giant floating Andor Genesis motherships appear in certain areas; these are killed by knocking out their cores. These are considered one of the first level-bosses to be incorporated into a video game.
The game scrolls through 16 areas, looping back to Area 7 after Area 16. The Solvalou continually advances over varying terrain, and the boundaries between areas are marked only by dense forests being overflown. If the player dies, play normally resumes from the start of the area. If the player has completed at least 70% of the area before dying, play will begin at the start of the next area instead. As the Solvalou constantly flies forward, it is possible to advance without killing any enemies.
) and greatly influenced games in this genre. The graphics were revolutionary for their time, and characters were rendered with remarkable clarity and effect through careful use of shades of gray and palette-shifting
. It was one of the first games to have hidden bonuses which are not mentioned in the instructions but can be revealed by a secret maneuver. Among these was the 'special flag' which first appeared in Rally-X
. In this game the flag gave the player an extra life and this feature was carried over to numerous subsequent Namco games. In 1983, the original Xevious was the first arcade game to actually have a television commercial aired for it in the U.S. Atari promoted the game with the slogan "Are you devious enough to beat Xevious?" and closed the commercial with a tag line branding it "the arcade game you can't play at home."
While it saw limited popularity in the U.S., Xevious was a huge cult hit in Japan. Popular musicians Haruomi Hosono
(Yellow Magic Orchestra
) and Keisuke Kuwata
(Southern All Stars
) were known to be fans of the game, and the former produced an album of music from Namco video-games, with Xevious as its centerpiece. A follow-up 12" single featured in its liner notes an entire science-fiction short story by Endō, set in the world of Xevious, with even a rudimentary fictional language.
According to Namco Museum DS
, a three-part novel was written about Xevious entitled "Fardraut". However, not much is known about the book, implying that it was never even released. According to the game, some backgrounds, characters, events and even sounds were inspired by the book.
Four new versions were released for home systems (most of them being Japan-only):
to multiple other formats, including the Atari 7800
, Atari 8-bit, NEC PC Engine, and Nintendo Entertainment System
game consoles, as well as the MSX
, ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
, Apple II
and Atari ST
home computer
s.
The game has also been included in a number of classic arcade game compilations for consoles and PC, including Namco Museum Volume 2
for the original PlayStation
in 1996, Microsoft Revenge of Arcade for PC in 1998, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary
for Xbox
, PlayStation 2
, Nintendo GameCube
, and PC in 2005 (The game did not appear in the scaled-down Game Boy Advance
version of Namco Museum 50th Anniversary.), Namco Museum Battle Collection
for the PlayStation Portable
in 2005, Namco Museum DS
for the Nintendo DS
in 2007, Namco Museum Remix
for the Wii
in 2007, and Namco Museum Essentials
for the PlayStation 3
in 2009. In 2004, Xevious was also ported to the plug-n-play format as part of the Ms. Pac-Man TV Game arcade compilation, released by Jakks Pacific
and developed by HotGen Studios.
The NES version of the game was repackaged for Game Boy Advance in 2004 as part of the Classic NES Series
, was included as an unlockable bonus game in Star Fox: Assault
in 2005, and was released for the Virtual Console
on January 15, 2007.
In 2005, Namco released the game on the mobile platform for cellphones. It was released on Xbox Live Arcade
on May 23, 2007.
Paired releases with Super Xevious
include Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1, Namco Museum DS and Xevious 3D/G+ for the original PlayStation.
An Atari 2600
port was planned, but never released.
This game has also been released as part of the Pac-Man's Arcade Party
arcade machine in 2010.
While not directly a port, 3D Classics: Xevious, a 3D remake of the game, was made available for download on the Nintendo eShop
of the Nintendo 3DS
console.
Xevios is a bootleg
version of Xevious.
The title graphic in the form a graphic representation of the name has been shortened rather crudely by removing the vertical slice of the graphic that contains the letter "U". The cut is evident in the multi-colour graphic where there are some discontinuities in the graphic.
The placement of both the multi-colour graphic and the yellow graphic have not been changed, so neither are no longer centered.
The copyright notice was changed by the replacement of the "(C) (P) 1982 NAMCO LTD." string with "(C) 1980 WATSON CO.", and the removal of the red Namco logo underneath.
The Watson date is obviously wrong, since the clone cannot have been made prior to Namco releasing the game.
The bootlegger failed to remove the trick for generating a message right at the beginning of the game. As soon as Solvalou (player's ship) appears, move to the far right edge of the screen and begin bombing constantly. Continue bombing until the first set of attacking rings is very close to you and then shoot the rings. The message "DEAD COPY MAKING, copy under NAMCO program" will appear on the screen, as proof of the copyright violation.
The explosion sound is also different from the original Xevious machine.
The Zapper and Blaster buttons were reversed between the Japanese and U.S. arcade versions.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, released in 1982. It was designed by Masanobu Endō. In the U.S., the game was manufactured and distributed by Atari. Xevious runs on Namco Galaga
Namco Galaga
The Namco 8-bit Galaga is an arcade game system board. It was first used by Namco in 1981.-Namco Galaga specifications:*Main, graphics and sound CPU : three Z80 processors...
hardware. In Brazil the arcade cabinet was printed with the name 'COLUMBIA' for the game, while the software shows the original name 'Xevious'.
Gameplay
Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The high, arid plateau stretches more than between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana about 400 km south of Lima...
on the ground.
There are various aerial enemy aircraft which shoot relatively slow bullets, as well as (presumably unpiloted) fast-moving projectiles and exploding black spheres. Ground enemies are a combination of stationary bases and moving vehicles, most of which also fire slow bullets. Giant floating Andor Genesis motherships appear in certain areas; these are killed by knocking out their cores. These are considered one of the first level-bosses to be incorporated into a video game.
The game scrolls through 16 areas, looping back to Area 7 after Area 16. The Solvalou continually advances over varying terrain, and the boundaries between areas are marked only by dense forests being overflown. If the player dies, play normally resumes from the start of the area. If the player has completed at least 70% of the area before dying, play will begin at the start of the next area instead. As the Solvalou constantly flies forward, it is possible to advance without killing any enemies.
History
Xevious was one of the earliest vertical scrolling shooters (it was preceded by at least the 1981 Atari 8-bit computer game Caverns of MarsCaverns of Mars (computer game)
Caverns of Mars is a computer game for the Atari 8-bit computers, programmed by Greg Christensen and published by Atari Program Exchange in 1981. Christensen, a high-school student at the time, won a $3,000 prize from Atari, and his first royalty check was $18,000...
) and greatly influenced games in this genre. The graphics were revolutionary for their time, and characters were rendered with remarkable clarity and effect through careful use of shades of gray and palette-shifting
Palette-shifting
Color cycling, also known as palette shifting, is a technique used in computer graphics in which colors are changed in order to give the impression of animation...
. It was one of the first games to have hidden bonuses which are not mentioned in the instructions but can be revealed by a secret maneuver. Among these was the 'special flag' which first appeared in Rally-X
Rally-X
Rally-X is a maze driving arcade game that was released by Namco in 1980. It runs on Namco Pac-Man hardware, and was the first Namco game to feature "Special Flags", which would become a recurring object in later games .It was the first game to ever feature a "bonus round." The object is to...
. In this game the flag gave the player an extra life and this feature was carried over to numerous subsequent Namco games. In 1983, the original Xevious was the first arcade game to actually have a television commercial aired for it in the U.S. Atari promoted the game with the slogan "Are you devious enough to beat Xevious?" and closed the commercial with a tag line branding it "the arcade game you can't play at home."
While it saw limited popularity in the U.S., Xevious was a huge cult hit in Japan. Popular musicians Haruomi Hosono
Haruomi Hosono
, also known as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a key member of the rock band Happy End and the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra.-Biography:...
(Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
) and Keisuke Kuwata
Keisuke Kuwata
has gained fame as a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All-Stars, as well as his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin University....
(Southern All Stars
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations or SAS, is a Japanese pop/rock band that formed in the mid 1970s.The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata , Yuko Hara , Kazuyuki Sekiguchi , Hiroshi Matsuda and Hideyuki "Kegani" Nozawa...
) were known to be fans of the game, and the former produced an album of music from Namco video-games, with Xevious as its centerpiece. A follow-up 12" single featured in its liner notes an entire science-fiction short story by Endō, set in the world of Xevious, with even a rudimentary fictional language.
According to Namco Museum DS
Namco Museum DS
Namco Museum DS is a classic arcade game compilation published by Namco Bandai Games. It features seven games: Xevious, Galaga, Galaxian, Pac-Man, Dig Dug II, The Tower of Druaga, and Mappy. Super Xevious and the old version of Dig Dug II are also included as secret games.There is also a remake of...
, a three-part novel was written about Xevious entitled "Fardraut". However, not much is known about the book, implying that it was never even released. According to the game, some backgrounds, characters, events and even sounds were inspired by the book.
Series
There were several arcade sequels and a spin-off, though none achieved much popularity:- Super XeviousSuper Xeviousalso is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1984. As the name suggests, it is the sequel to Xevious, which was released 2 years earlier.-Gameplay:...
(1984) was practically the same game made significantly harder, and with a few rarely-seen new enemies. - SolvalouSolvalouis a shoot 'em up arcade game that was released by Namco in 1991. It is the 3rd title in the Xevious series.Solvalou is the name of the ship that the player controls in all five games, including the later Xevious 3D/G and Xevious Arrangement...
(1991) presented the same game with a pilot's-eye view. The game used 3-D flat shaded polygon graphics. Released in Japan only. - Xevious 3D/GXevious 3D/G-3D/G+: is a compilation of the Xevious arcade games for the PlayStation. The main game is Xevious 3D/G, a port of the 3D polygonal scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game but it also includes accurate ports of the arcade games Xevious, Super Xevious and Xevious Arrangement from Namco Classics...
(1995) was an update on the classic with 3-D texture mapped polygon graphics and a simultaneous two-player feature. Released in Japan only. - Xevious Arrangement (1995) was part of the Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1 game collection (along with the original Xevious and Super Xevious). The arranged version had improved music and graphics and different levels.
- GrobdaGrobdais a multi-directional shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1984. It is a spin-off from Xevious, as the player's tank first appeared in that - as an enemy.-Gameplay:...
(1984) was a spin-off starring an enemy character—the tank with corkscrew treads.
Four new versions were released for home systems (most of them being Japan-only):
- Super Xevious: GAMP no NazoSuper Xevious: GAMP no Nazois a video game released for the Nintendo Family Computer and the Nintendo Vs. System series on the Arcades.-Summary:The only way to progress through the game is to solve challenging riddles in each stage, each one more difficult than the last...
(1986) was released for the Nintendo FamicomNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and the Nintendo Vs. series on the Arcades. You must solve riddles in each stage in order to progress. Unless you meet certain criteria the stage loops indefinitely, getting harder and harder in the process. - Xevious: Fardraut SagaXevious: Fardraut Sagais the name given to two separate video games developed by Compile and published by Namco, and are part of the Xevious series. The two versions were released for the MSX2 and PC Engine platforms only in Japan.-MSX version:...
(1988) was released for the MSX2MSX2MSX2 may refer to:* Msh homeobox 2, a human gene* The second generation of the MSX home computers...
computers and developed by CompileCompile (software company)Compile Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game company established on April 7, 1982, under the name Programmers-3. Founded by Masamitsu Niitani , they were famed for developing shooters and puzzle games such as Aleste and Puyo Puyo.Compile filed for bankruptcy and disbanded in 2003, but the franchise...
. You can select between two modes at the title screen, Recon (port of the original arcade Xevious) and Scramble, which is a new 16-area game with new enemies and 4 different ships to play with (Solvalou, Solgrado, Zeodalley and Gampmission). - Xevious: Fardraut Densetsu (1990) was released for the PC EngineTurboGrafx-16TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
and also developed by Compile. This is the sequel to Fardraut Saga and it features two modes of play selectable from the title screen, Original (port of the original arcade Xevious) and Fardraut, which is a 4-stage story mode with cut-scenes, power-ups and a different ship on each level. - Xevious ResurrectionXevious ResurrectionXevious Resurrection is a modern update of Xevious which uses 3D graphics while still retaining 2D gameplay. It was released in Japan on January 29, 2009, North America on July 16, 2009 and Europe and Australia on April 1, 2010 as part of Namco Museum Essentials for the PlayStation 3....
(2009) is part of the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
downloadable title Namco Museum Essentials (Namco Museum.comm in Japan). - An RTS game titled New Space OrderNew Space OrderNew Space Order is an RTS currently in production in Japan by Bandai Namco Games. It contains elements from the Xevious video game series. In the game, there is an interplanetary nation called the "Military Empire," which the population speaks the Xevi language, the same language spoken by the...
, currently in production in Japan by Namco Bandai GamesNamco Bandai Gamesis an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
, contains elements from the Xevious video game series. In the game there is an interplanetary nation called the "Military Empire," in which the population speaks the Xevi language, the same language spoken by the dwellers of planet Xevious. Their theme song, sung in Xevi, can be downloaded from the game's homepage.
Ports
Xevious has been portedPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to multiple other formats, including the Atari 7800
Atari 7800
The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a video game console re-released by Atari Corporation in January 1986. The original release had occurred two years earlier under Atari Inc. The 7800 had originally been designed to replace Atari Inc.'s Atari 5200 in 1984, but was temporarily...
, Atari 8-bit, NEC PC Engine, and Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game consoles, as well as the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s.
The game has also been included in a number of classic arcade game compilations for consoles and PC, including Namco Museum Volume 2
Namco Museum
Namco Museum refers to the series of video game compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s and early 1990s...
for the original PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
in 1996, Microsoft Revenge of Arcade for PC in 1998, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary
Namco Museum
Namco Museum refers to the series of video game compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s and early 1990s...
for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, and PC in 2005 (The game did not appear in the scaled-down Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version of Namco Museum 50th Anniversary.), Namco Museum Battle Collection
Namco Museum Battle Collection
Namco Museum Battle Collection is a collection of Namco arcade games such as Dig Dug, Pac-Man and Galaga. It was released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on February 25, 2005 and contained eleven classic games from Namco's game history. The game was developed by Namco Tales Studio Ltd...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in 2005, Namco Museum DS
Namco Museum DS
Namco Museum DS is a classic arcade game compilation published by Namco Bandai Games. It features seven games: Xevious, Galaga, Galaxian, Pac-Man, Dig Dug II, The Tower of Druaga, and Mappy. Super Xevious and the old version of Dig Dug II are also included as secret games.There is also a remake of...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in 2007, Namco Museum Remix
Namco Museum Remix
Namco Museum Remix is a video game compilation for the Wii, featuring a wide array of classic and updated Namco arcade games. Featured in the compilation are the original arcade versions of Cutie Q, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Gaplus, Mappy, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania, Super Pac-Man and Xevious...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2007, and Namco Museum Essentials
Namco Museum
Namco Museum refers to the series of video game compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s and early 1990s...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in 2009. In 2004, Xevious was also ported to the plug-n-play format as part of the Ms. Pac-Man TV Game arcade compilation, released by Jakks Pacific
Jakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
and developed by HotGen Studios.
The NES version of the game was repackaged for Game Boy Advance in 2004 as part of the Classic NES Series
Classic NES Series
The Classic NES Series in North America are a series of Game Boy Advance games that were originally released on the Nintendo Entertainment System emulated on the Game Boy Advance...
, was included as an unlockable bonus game in Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault is a third-person shooter video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth released title in the Star Fox series. It was released on February 14, 2005 in North America, on February 24, 2005 in Japan, on April 29, 2005 in Europe,...
in 2005, and was released for the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on January 15, 2007.
In 2005, Namco released the game on the mobile platform for cellphones. It was released on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on May 23, 2007.
Paired releases with Super Xevious
Super Xevious
also is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1984. As the name suggests, it is the sequel to Xevious, which was released 2 years earlier.-Gameplay:...
include Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1, Namco Museum DS and Xevious 3D/G+ for the original PlayStation.
An Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
port was planned, but never released.
This game has also been released as part of the Pac-Man's Arcade Party
Pac-Man Anniversary Arcade Machines
On special anniversaries for Pac-Man and/or Ms. Pac-Man . Namco has released compilations of their classic arcade games as arcade machines....
arcade machine in 2010.
While not directly a port, 3D Classics: Xevious, a 3D remake of the game, was made available for download on the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
of the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
console.
Bootleg version
The arcade gameArcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
Xevios is a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
version of Xevious.
The title graphic in the form a graphic representation of the name has been shortened rather crudely by removing the vertical slice of the graphic that contains the letter "U". The cut is evident in the multi-colour graphic where there are some discontinuities in the graphic.
The placement of both the multi-colour graphic and the yellow graphic have not been changed, so neither are no longer centered.
The copyright notice was changed by the replacement of the "(C) (P) 1982 NAMCO LTD." string with "(C) 1980 WATSON CO.", and the removal of the red Namco logo underneath.
The Watson date is obviously wrong, since the clone cannot have been made prior to Namco releasing the game.
The bootlegger failed to remove the trick for generating a message right at the beginning of the game. As soon as Solvalou (player's ship) appears, move to the far right edge of the screen and begin bombing constantly. Continue bombing until the first set of attacking rings is very close to you and then shoot the rings. The message "DEAD COPY MAKING, copy under NAMCO program" will appear on the screen, as proof of the copyright violation.
The explosion sound is also different from the original Xevious machine.
Differences between Japanese and U.S. version
The names appearing by default in the Japanese version's high-score list are pseudonyms of the game designers and music composers. The U.S. version only allowed three characters for high-score names.The Zapper and Blaster buttons were reversed between the Japanese and U.S. arcade versions.