Xybots (ARC, 1987)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-7 Control-7.5 Challenge-9* Story-5
Level Design-7* Frustration-9* Fun-7* Originality-7
Overall Score-7*
*1-player
+
The second third-person shooter made after "I, Robot" probably (uses 2.5D sprite scaling engine, can twist the stick to turn l/r at 45 degrees at a time with smooth animation). Also a proto-cover shooter as there are indestructible blue barrels/columns that you can take cover behind although this is almost binary - you can stand a bit too the side to be able to shoot without being shot at by some enemies but you can't pop in and out of cover while sticking to it to attack while also making it more unlikely you'll get hit unlike in proper cover shooters (you also can't lob something like grenades over the cover)
Strafing
2-player split-screen coop (only competitive in that the first player to the exit the level gets a 5k point bonus, no friendly fire). If one of the players dies and the other makes it through that particular level, the dead player is brought back with 50% energy but loses any items they may have collected
Mini-map feature with an auto-mapper (shows player location, enemies, keys and health, locked doors, exits, teleporters although some have to be bought as upgrades)
Shops in-between levels (buy stuff with coins found in the levels; movement speed, armor, 5 hit reflective shield, >100% health pack (pre-Doom), vitality/slower health drain, two shots on screen upgrade, wider+stronger shot - rare, health/energy - rare, map upgrades, warning arrows pointing towards out of view enemies, stronger zap weapon, shot speed - rare)
Enemy shots can hit other enemies
One sub weapon (zap - stuns enemies and destroys shots but costs 10% health/energy, can also use it to find random items in barrels)
Video tutorial (attract mode)
Branching paths - multiple exits in some levels which lead to different shops and levels
Some optional detours behind locked doors (buy extra keys)
Some breakable walls (no clues though?)
Some digitized speech (used in some PC games beforehand?)
Can give coins to the other player in 2-player mode
Some enemies can grab items and run away
One warp to level 7 on level 1 and one on level 4 which also takes you to level 7 (these also restore health and give you 25 coins+75k points=3 more coins)There is a sound cue for identifying certain items when near them (one of the first games to do this) however if you're facing the other way then it doesn't play so it's not that useful
+/-
Time limit due to a constantly draining health bar like in Gauntlet - restoratives are fairly easy to come by)
Mostly maze levels
Killathon element - destroying all enemies nets you a point bonus and more points leads to more coins (generally you'll want to be moving towards items and exits though because of the draining health and enemies not dropping health - I did see a few saucers carrying health but I think they took it from where it was placed)
Can't jump, crouch or dodge roll. No dashing, accelerating or sneaking. No manual blocking
Some delay when turning if you hold the button - have to keep pressing it to turn smoothly
Only two player shots on screen at once and it requires an upgrade
Levels wrap around similar to SMB2 or Defender
Sometimes randomized level layouts (and shop inventories?)
The game is endless (100+ unique levels? About 50 on Lynx)
Wider and stronger shot upgrade only lasts for about 20 seconds
Upgrading the zapper also makes each use cost more health up to 20%
Microtransactions - can buy coins with quarters however there's a limit at 25 credits (in emulation this actually makes the game a bit more manageable)
-
No health restoration after beating a level or even a boss - generally can't buy one either as the health bar increase is rare
Map upgrades, vitality and shots on screen upgrades only last for the current level (how it works is you stack them and one is lost each time you clear a floor)
Not enough keys in some levels
Trial & error (some cheap hits when opening locked doors, sometimes you start in a corridor with enemies nearby behind you, some minor teleporter mazes, some items aren't worth going for)
Some control/interface issues (super short invincibility after taking a hit, zap is mapped to start, unsmooth scaling between tiles/rooms (flip screen-style when moving sideways) - at least it doesn't interrupt your fire or sideways movement. Movement is free within each "tile", no auto-fire)
Get sent back 4 whole levels if you die against a boss+can't use your weapon upgrades against it
No difficulty options - later on you have to pick your battles unless you want to credit feed as it's not possible to clear out a level and survive. Really it becomes impossible to survive after a while unless you're really lucky
No non split-screen mode
Pretty generic sprite designs
Fairly basic sounding music considering the sound chip and there's only four in-game tracks
Bosses are rare and pretty simplistic
No alternate main weapon and no grenades or artillery style guns
Gets repetitive after about 20 levels
Notes:
-I could only get to level 22 or so in single player without relying on dying and credit feeding to get more coins before I should've
Level Design-7* Frustration-9* Fun-7* Originality-7
Overall Score-7*
*1-player
+
The second third-person shooter made after "I, Robot" probably (uses 2.5D sprite scaling engine, can twist the stick to turn l/r at 45 degrees at a time with smooth animation). Also a proto-cover shooter as there are indestructible blue barrels/columns that you can take cover behind although this is almost binary - you can stand a bit too the side to be able to shoot without being shot at by some enemies but you can't pop in and out of cover while sticking to it to attack while also making it more unlikely you'll get hit unlike in proper cover shooters (you also can't lob something like grenades over the cover)
Strafing
2-player split-screen coop (only competitive in that the first player to the exit the level gets a 5k point bonus, no friendly fire). If one of the players dies and the other makes it through that particular level, the dead player is brought back with 50% energy but loses any items they may have collected
Mini-map feature with an auto-mapper (shows player location, enemies, keys and health, locked doors, exits, teleporters although some have to be bought as upgrades)
Shops in-between levels (buy stuff with coins found in the levels; movement speed, armor, 5 hit reflective shield, >100% health pack (pre-Doom), vitality/slower health drain, two shots on screen upgrade, wider+stronger shot - rare, health/energy - rare, map upgrades, warning arrows pointing towards out of view enemies, stronger zap weapon, shot speed - rare)
Enemy shots can hit other enemies
One sub weapon (zap - stuns enemies and destroys shots but costs 10% health/energy, can also use it to find random items in barrels)
Video tutorial (attract mode)
Branching paths - multiple exits in some levels which lead to different shops and levels
Some optional detours behind locked doors (buy extra keys)
Some breakable walls (no clues though?)
Some digitized speech (used in some PC games beforehand?)
Can give coins to the other player in 2-player mode
Some enemies can grab items and run away
One warp to level 7 on level 1 and one on level 4 which also takes you to level 7 (these also restore health and give you 25 coins+75k points=3 more coins)There is a sound cue for identifying certain items when near them (one of the first games to do this) however if you're facing the other way then it doesn't play so it's not that useful
+/-
Time limit due to a constantly draining health bar like in Gauntlet - restoratives are fairly easy to come by)
Mostly maze levels
Killathon element - destroying all enemies nets you a point bonus and more points leads to more coins (generally you'll want to be moving towards items and exits though because of the draining health and enemies not dropping health - I did see a few saucers carrying health but I think they took it from where it was placed)
Can't jump, crouch or dodge roll. No dashing, accelerating or sneaking. No manual blocking
Some delay when turning if you hold the button - have to keep pressing it to turn smoothly
Only two player shots on screen at once and it requires an upgrade
Levels wrap around similar to SMB2 or Defender
Sometimes randomized level layouts (and shop inventories?)
The game is endless (100+ unique levels? About 50 on Lynx)
Wider and stronger shot upgrade only lasts for about 20 seconds
Upgrading the zapper also makes each use cost more health up to 20%
Microtransactions - can buy coins with quarters however there's a limit at 25 credits (in emulation this actually makes the game a bit more manageable)
-
No health restoration after beating a level or even a boss - generally can't buy one either as the health bar increase is rare
Map upgrades, vitality and shots on screen upgrades only last for the current level (how it works is you stack them and one is lost each time you clear a floor)
Not enough keys in some levels
Trial & error (some cheap hits when opening locked doors, sometimes you start in a corridor with enemies nearby behind you, some minor teleporter mazes, some items aren't worth going for)
Some control/interface issues (super short invincibility after taking a hit, zap is mapped to start, unsmooth scaling between tiles/rooms (flip screen-style when moving sideways) - at least it doesn't interrupt your fire or sideways movement. Movement is free within each "tile", no auto-fire)
Get sent back 4 whole levels if you die against a boss+can't use your weapon upgrades against it
No difficulty options - later on you have to pick your battles unless you want to credit feed as it's not possible to clear out a level and survive. Really it becomes impossible to survive after a while unless you're really lucky
No non split-screen mode
Pretty generic sprite designs
Fairly basic sounding music considering the sound chip and there's only four in-game tracks
Bosses are rare and pretty simplistic
No alternate main weapon and no grenades or artillery style guns
Gets repetitive after about 20 levels
Notes:
-I could only get to level 22 or so in single player without relying on dying and credit feeding to get more coins before I should've