Super Zaxxon

Super ZaxxonThe Game: That armed-to-the-teeth spaceborne fortress is back – and so are you, because you’re (of course) the only space pilot who can take it on. This time, however, you’ll be flying through the trench-like space station faster, the automated missiles and gun turrets will attack you more quickly and aggressively, and instead of flying through space between levels, this time you shoot through a tightly-enclosed tunnel at bat-out-of-hell speeds – trying to battle enemy fighters as well as minelaying hovercraft which drop indestructible mines into your path. And perhaps the biggest surprise of all? Whereas the boss waiting for you in Zaxxon‘s fortress was a big robot, this one’s an animè-cute dragon – and it’ll still kick your ass if you don’t blow it up first. (Sega, 1982)

Memories: Originally sold as a conversion kit so arcade operators could freshen up their year-old Zaxxon machines, Super Zaxxon really did nothing more than swap out the graphics set and increased the speed of the game phenomenally. If you thought Zaxxon was a breeze, this game will wake you up.

Super ZaxxonThe one thing I never really grokked with this game was the dragon. Why a dragon!? There was something appropriate about the original game’s Lego-esque killer robot with its giant missile. That said, this game’s rapid-fire fire-breathing dragon is a killer.

Sadly, Ithe Super Zaxxon variation ever went to any console systems, though it did make it to such home computers as the Apple II. Sadly, Sega has never woken up to realize that Zaxxon is still a viable property that could be exploited even more effectively 4 quarters!on modern-day consoles and PCs…well, I don’t even think I need to finish that sentence.

One more conversion kit was rolled out later for owners of Zaxxon machines, the completely unrelated modern-day air combat game Future Spy.

Super Zaxxon Super Zaxxon