X-Multiply (ARC/PS1, 1989/1998)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5 Control-8 Challenge-8* Story-5
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8.5* Fun-6.5 Originality-6
Overall-6.5
*Easy
+ Good art direction (alien-inspired, biological theme with a human's insides making up the environments (pretty abstract and fictional take on it though)), unique shield mechanic for the time (similar to the pod in R-Type but in the form of two squid-like tentacles which you only have semi-control over), pretty intense and varied action, good bosses overall, little to no slowdown with tons of sprites on screen, large and detailed bosses, difficulty options (easy, normal, hard + starting lives number options), somewhat different ending on normal/hard?
+/- No smart bombs, need to manually scroll down the GUI to see the entire level on PS1, most bosses go down rather quickly (Easy only?),
- The yellow weapon kinda sucks, slow rate of fire for the auto-fire (decent with the pink weapon), lose all weapons and speed upgrades after dying once, only three different weapons and only one level for each one, speed up/down power ups instead of manually adjustable speed, it's fairly easy to pick up something you don't want, trial & error (attacks from behind, some fast and poorly signalled attacks, later scenery traps, boss patterns), somewhat far between checkpoints, the tentacles feel like a less effective version of the pod from R-Type (most annoying part is keeping the arms in place for optimal fire power in tight spots - there could've been a button that locked them in place or changed how they behave), some pure black backgrounds
Notes:
-The game frequently locks up in ePSXe
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8.5* Fun-6.5 Originality-6
Overall-6.5
*Easy
+ Good art direction (alien-inspired, biological theme with a human's insides making up the environments (pretty abstract and fictional take on it though)), unique shield mechanic for the time (similar to the pod in R-Type but in the form of two squid-like tentacles which you only have semi-control over), pretty intense and varied action, good bosses overall, little to no slowdown with tons of sprites on screen, large and detailed bosses, difficulty options (easy, normal, hard + starting lives number options), somewhat different ending on normal/hard?
+/- No smart bombs, need to manually scroll down the GUI to see the entire level on PS1, most bosses go down rather quickly (Easy only?),
- The yellow weapon kinda sucks, slow rate of fire for the auto-fire (decent with the pink weapon), lose all weapons and speed upgrades after dying once, only three different weapons and only one level for each one, speed up/down power ups instead of manually adjustable speed, it's fairly easy to pick up something you don't want, trial & error (attacks from behind, some fast and poorly signalled attacks, later scenery traps, boss patterns), somewhat far between checkpoints, the tentacles feel like a less effective version of the pod from R-Type (most annoying part is keeping the arms in place for optimal fire power in tight spots - there could've been a button that locked them in place or changed how they behave), some pure black backgrounds
Notes:
-The game frequently locks up in ePSXe
