Zaxxon
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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Description 

Zaxxon is a classical space-arcade shooter with an isometric perspective, in which you control a space fighter. You need to fly through a strongly secured hostile asteroid town and destroy fuel tanks, gun emplacements, rockets and defence fighters there. With the help of an altitude indicator you need to find your way through narrow wall openings, deadly energy barriers and missile fire. After successfully flying through the asteroid town you get into free space where you need to destroy hostil space fighters. If you survive this, you fly into another asteroid town where the last fight against the treacherous robot, ZAXXON, will take place. 

If you take this hurdle, too, the game will be continued in the first asteroid town with a higher difficulty grade. 

 Design 

Perspective design with many shades and details. By this a virtual 3D-effect is created. It must be mentioned, that the programmer Peter Adams also coded Blue Max a short time before that, which uses the same visual technique. 

 Energy barriers 

In the first levels of the game you need to fly over walls and over and below enery barriers. In the further course of the game the walls get more compact and there are only small openings to fly through. These openings are then also protected by energy barriers, so that your task gets very hard. Fire your laser at the energy barriers to determine your position in relation to the openings. 

 The asteroid towns 

At the beginning of your mission you get into the first asteroid town. Here you should destroy as many hostile space fighters as possible. The more you shoot the less space fighters you will encounter in free space. Here you should also destroy the fuel tanks to raise your fuel supply. And finally you should also shoot as many radar towers, gun emplacements and missiles as possible to raise your score. 

 Free space 

After crossing the asteroid town you get into free space. Here you will encounter hostile space fighters and satellites. The size of the space fighters indicates their flying height. The smaller they are the lower they fly. The number of sace fighters to be destroyed is shown in the lower right corner of the screen (EP). If you destroy all hostile soace fighters, you will get a bonus of 1.000 points. 

 The end fight 

If you survive the fight in open space you get into another asteroid town. This is the fortress of the deadly robot ZAXXON. To destroy Zaxxon it needs three hits on his missile launcher. 

 Controls 

In the start screen 
 F5   to switch between 1 or 2 players. Both players play in turns and use the same joystick 
 F7   to start the game 

In the game 
 F7   to pause the game. Move the joystick into any direction to go on playing 
 joystick backwards to ascend 
 joystick forwards to decline 
 /  joystick left/right to fly left/right 
 fire button to shoot 
 An altitude indicator on the left of the screen helps you to determine your flying height. This is especially helpful when you fly through wall openings and electric barriers. 
 The fuel display shows how much fuel is left in the tank. By destroying fuel tanks in the asteroid towns it is filled up. 

 Points Radar tower 	 1000 points 
Fuel tank 	 300 points 
Gun emplacement 	 200 or 500 points (random) 
Missile 	 150 points 
Hostile fighter 	 100 points (increases by 50 after every round) 
Satellite 	 100 points 
Robot missile 	 200 points 
ZAXXON 	 1000 points 

 Solution 

Always keep an eye open and do not cave in to sleeping needs! 

The flight through the wall openings gets easier, if you shoot all the time. If the shoots rebound on the wall, you will also crash against the wall if you don't correct your course. 

 Cheats 

 In the title screen (with the blue letters "Zaxxon") press the keys  R    E    D   one after the other for as long as it needs until the word "RED" appears in red letters below "Score" "Top" in the upper midldle of the screen. From now on your spaceship is indestructible. 
 In the title screen press the keys  I   and  D   and the spaceship is invulnerable, so that you can fly through all scenes. (Doesn't seem to work with all versions).

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Description from the packaging:

Zaxxon for the Commodore 64, from Synapse! Incredible 3-D graphics, a diagonally scrolling screen and super sound effects combine to put you in the cockpit of a heavily armed spacecraft. Your ultimate mission- destruction of the deadly Zaxxon robot.
First, an all out attack on the enemy's floating fortress, destroying gun emplacements, fuel tanks and radar towers. It takes quick reflexes and a very steady hand to dodge the force field barriers, missiles and anti-aircraft fire. Then it's on to a deep-space dogfight with waves of enemy fighters before you finally reach Zaxxon... and his lethal homing missiles.


http://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/Zaxxon_(Synapse)
