Zaxxon  (Sega)
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
_________________________

SEGA Cartridge version.

---

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 is in isometric perspective with many shades and details. The game area is scrolled from upper right to liower left. By this a virtual 3D-effect is created. The flying height can be recognized by the size of the spaceship and the distance to its shadow.

 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 (Enemy Planes). 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 
J   for joystick 
K   for keyboard 
1   for one player 
2   for two players. Both players take turns and use the same joystick plugged into port#2 
 press fire button to start the game

In the game 

RESTORE   to abort the game and go back to the starting screen 
Run/Stop   to pause the game. Press this button again to continue 
 joystick backwards or A   to ascend 
 joystick forwards or Z   to decline 
 joystick left/right or J  / K  to fly left / right 
 press fire button or Space   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

H.T.W: "In contrast to the version by Synapse the graphics look a bit better subjectively. In return, the scrolling judders a bit and the sideways movement of the spaceship looks irregular. It is a pity, that neither of the two versions has a saveable highscore list.".

Next to the version by U.S. Gold / Sega, a version by Synapse Software (which was sold in Europe by the U.S. Gold label Synsoft), was released in the same year. (see Zaxxon (Synapse))


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