X-Zone

"One of the most underrated shooters for SNES"

When we bought our SNES, a nifty thingy followed it. The SNES Scope, nicknamed "the bazooka". One of my favorite Super Scope games is X-Zone. It had what I needed to be entertained for hours straight and was a definite favorite in my childhood and still is.

Let's start with the basics:

STORY: 5/10

A simple, yet cool sci-fi story:

"Unknown circumstances have caused the malfunction of the Compound X's central bio-computer that controls all systems hooked to "X-Tra", the External Threat Recognition Assault System. The bio-computer has activated all of the robotic defense forces, and has initiated "The Nation's" global launch retaliation sequence. If global retaliatory strike is launched, the resulting chain reaction will X-tinguish all life on this planet...

Enter the X-termination zone, infiltrate Compound X, and activate the bio-computer's system shutdown sequence before it is too late."

I give it a 5 because, well, it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's enough to give you a reason to plunge into action.

So basically, you're an armed soldier with a SNES Scope looking gun ordered to shutdown a computer gone wild. Sounds cool enough for me.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

Graphics are strikingly well drawn and animated in cool ways. It has multi-layered backdrops, and when you see the Compound X moving closer towards you in the first stage where you descend into the zone, it gives you a feeling of falling down, which is awesome. It did impress me the first time.

SOUND: 8/10

The sound effects are good enough for a shooter. Not excellent, but industry standard. The music is the bright side though. Different versions of the theme comes at a couple of levels, but otherwise it's many different styles, mostly synthesizer rock through the stages which helps get the adrenaline up and a funky jazz melody when you come to the high score screen, so it's fitting perfectly.

GAMEPLAY: 6/10

The game is a little short(only 4 stages), but it's cool to finish at Hard and get a special ending. The gameplay is basically aim and shoot, like any good lightgun game should be, and even offers an extra on-screen aim so you don't have to use the eyesight when playing, which is kinda a relief for me. The aim can also lock on enemies and when you let go of the fire-button, your gun sends a plasma-missile right on the enemy, wherever it is. Useful when fighting bosses and multiple tough enemies.

OVERALL: 7/10

An overall good SNES-scope shooter and it will always have a special place in my heart. Though nothing extraordinary, it's entertaining and beautiful in it's own way.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/07/07