Sometimes I forget just how far back true 3D games go. I mostly find these games fascinating and endearing with how simple they are, I haven't really played many early 3D games from this era.
I was surprised to find this old rail shooter I've never heard of, with neat wire-frame graphics. It has a lot of similarities to the Star Wars arcade game while having what feels like prototype versions of gameplay styles from X and Star Fox.
The visuals are well done overall, with a cool futuristic opening and launch sequence, also very good and memorable soundtrack.
I was really caught of guard when the game suddenly ended after about 10 minutes, the game is like one continuous (changing) level, not just flying in an empty void, there's an asteroid belt, then planet surface, and tunnel section, before ending in a boss fight. Again it's very simple and has all the tropes you'd expect from a space themed rail shooter.
Most wireframe based games were very plain and lacking in personality, one aspect that really elevates this game is the style it has to it, the ship designs and small details had some thought put into them.
Playing this felt like delving into a completely different time and place within games, it was a very unique experience, even more so since my experience with this Platform is very limited, something like the X68k really had a very specific and entirely different gaming "ecosystem" from what was being seen on console.
It's somewhat rough to play and has some unrefined design, considering this predates games like Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon it's not too surprising.
For example the main projectile the player shoots moves in a cumbersome circular pattern and often the environment gets in the way, it was hard to hit anything.
Enemies can shoot the player from off-screen or even from behind, and the movement has lots of momentum to it.
Playing this took a minute or two to acclimate to it, and I did get hit by a lot of cheap shots. The game is kind of saved by it's brevity, and the very generous health bar, and on the two occasions that I did get a game over it was quick and easy to get back to where I'd lost, it makes the game very replayable.
The game has limited lock on shots that help immensely with hitting enemies and the framerate and movement are very consistent for the time, it's kind of impressive how smooth it feels to play this.
It really comes across that the developers enjoyed making this it's very much the same kind of passion for games I felt growing up with the original star fox, if it were condensed into this tiny very focused game.
It has some rough aspects and limitations, but in the end I think it was still worth experiencing even just for the novelty of it, and I just can't get enough of wireframe / low-poly games so I was going to get something out of this anyway, it ended up being a pleasant surprise overall, I'll probably regularly replay this one.
Everything from how fast and extremely short the game is, the stylistic intro and ending, and the carefree upbeat music feels like it comes from a completely different era that's long since passed, it just feels so sincere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TykN4vXukpA
The main ship design, for what it is looks pretty cool too.
The way the ending shows your ship escaping and getting picked up while this victorious/somber tune plays is not something I'll forget anytime soon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0G_CFoXfcc
There was something so specific about this game that I haven't really felt anywhere else, the way it's designed is so of it's time in the best possible way to me.
This is the kind of game I dream about it's so flawed and limited in specific ways that just make it stand out even more than it would have otherwise, it adds some "character"
If you're curious about early 3D stuff or just want to try something different, at only a ten minute playthrough there's not much to lose in trying this, and at worst it will be an aged time capsule of early 90s 3D games.
Despite everything this doesn't just feel like some experiment, there was ingenuity sure, this game has some real "soul" put into it.
I was surprised to find this old rail shooter I've never heard of, with neat wire-frame graphics. It has a lot of similarities to the Star Wars arcade game while having what feels like prototype versions of gameplay styles from X and Star Fox.
The visuals are well done overall, with a cool futuristic opening and launch sequence, also very good and memorable soundtrack.
I was really caught of guard when the game suddenly ended after about 10 minutes, the game is like one continuous (changing) level, not just flying in an empty void, there's an asteroid belt, then planet surface, and tunnel section, before ending in a boss fight. Again it's very simple and has all the tropes you'd expect from a space themed rail shooter.
Most wireframe based games were very plain and lacking in personality, one aspect that really elevates this game is the style it has to it, the ship designs and small details had some thought put into them.
Playing this felt like delving into a completely different time and place within games, it was a very unique experience, even more so since my experience with this Platform is very limited, something like the X68k really had a very specific and entirely different gaming "ecosystem" from what was being seen on console.
It's somewhat rough to play and has some unrefined design, considering this predates games like Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon it's not too surprising.
For example the main projectile the player shoots moves in a cumbersome circular pattern and often the environment gets in the way, it was hard to hit anything.
Enemies can shoot the player from off-screen or even from behind, and the movement has lots of momentum to it.
Playing this took a minute or two to acclimate to it, and I did get hit by a lot of cheap shots. The game is kind of saved by it's brevity, and the very generous health bar, and on the two occasions that I did get a game over it was quick and easy to get back to where I'd lost, it makes the game very replayable.
The game has limited lock on shots that help immensely with hitting enemies and the framerate and movement are very consistent for the time, it's kind of impressive how smooth it feels to play this.
It really comes across that the developers enjoyed making this it's very much the same kind of passion for games I felt growing up with the original star fox, if it were condensed into this tiny very focused game.
It has some rough aspects and limitations, but in the end I think it was still worth experiencing even just for the novelty of it, and I just can't get enough of wireframe / low-poly games so I was going to get something out of this anyway, it ended up being a pleasant surprise overall, I'll probably regularly replay this one.
Everything from how fast and extremely short the game is, the stylistic intro and ending, and the carefree upbeat music feels like it comes from a completely different era that's long since passed, it just feels so sincere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TykN4vXukpA
The main ship design, for what it is looks pretty cool too.
The way the ending shows your ship escaping and getting picked up while this victorious/somber tune plays is not something I'll forget anytime soon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0G_CFoXfcc
There was something so specific about this game that I haven't really felt anywhere else, the way it's designed is so of it's time in the best possible way to me.
This is the kind of game I dream about it's so flawed and limited in specific ways that just make it stand out even more than it would have otherwise, it adds some "character"
If you're curious about early 3D stuff or just want to try something different, at only a ten minute playthrough there's not much to lose in trying this, and at worst it will be an aged time capsule of early 90s 3D games.
Despite everything this doesn't just feel like some experiment, there was ingenuity sure, this game has some real "soul" put into it.