Xenon 2: Megablast
60K plays 1992 #Shooter
Xenon 2: Megablast is a 1989 shoot 'em up video game developed by The Bitmap Brothers and published by Image Works for the Amiga and Atari ST. It was later converted to the Master System, PC-98, X68000, Mega Drive, Commodore CDTV, Game Boy, Acorn Archimedes and Atari Jaguar platforms. The game is a sequel to Xenon and takes place a millennium after the previous title. The goal of the game is to destroy a series of bombs planted throughout history by the Xenites, the vengeful antagonists of the first game.
Xenon 2: Megablast is the third major video game release by The Bitmap Brothers. Its subtitle is derived from the Bomb the Bass track "Megablast (Hip Hop on Precinct 13)", which serves as the game's theme music. The original release of Xenon 2: Megablast was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, with reviewers praising the detailed visuals, addictive gameplay, variety of weapons and innovative soundtrack.
From Wikipedia's article Xenon 2: Megablast, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Keyboard controls
| Genesis | Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| D-pad | ↑↓←→ | IKJL |
| A | Z | N |
| B | X | M |
| C | C | , |
| X | A | Y |
| Y | S | U |
| Z | D | O |
| Mode | Shift | B |
| Start | Enter | Space |
Hotkeys
- 1 Quick save state
- 2 Quick load state
- 3 Change save slot
X, Y and Z are for six-button games such as Street Fighter II.
Gamepads are detected when you press a button. Remap any key from the emulator’s Controls menu (gear icon).
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Keyboard controls
| Genesis | Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| D-pad | ↑↓←→ | IKJL |
| A | Z | N |
| B | X | M |
| C | C | , |
| X | A | Y |
| Y | S | U |
| Z | D | O |
| Mode | Shift | B |
| Start | Enter | Space |
Hotkeys
- 1 Quick save state
- 2 Quick load state
- 3 Change save slot
X, Y and Z are for six-button games such as Street Fighter II.
Gamepads are detected when you press a button. Remap any key from the emulator’s Controls menu (gear icon).
2.5 Could be better
Players 67 · 103 votes
No critic scores found for this game: this is the players' rating.
Review scorecard
- Graphics 2.5 out of 5 Overall fallback
- Sound 2.5 out of 5 Overall fallback
- Control 2.5 out of 5 Overall fallback
- Fun Factor 2.5 out of 5 Overall fallback
Overall fallback: Players 67 · 103 votes. The same 67/100 overall rating fills missing categories using the face scale; these are not separate category scores. Player rating; no critic scores available.
What the reviews talk about
Key wordsaddictiverealisticrelentlessimpressiveinnovativesmooth
What the critics said
Warren Lapworth of The Games Machine deemed the game "a superlative shoot-'em-up" and "a classing sounding, looking, and playing blaster, wholly deserving of the prefix 'Mega'".
— The Games Machine (Warren Lapworth)
Duncan MacDonald of Zero declared that the game "is (to date) the DEFINITIVE vertical scrolling shoot 'em up", while David McCandless of the same publication said that the game "has the best music, graphics, gameplay and doner kebabs this side of Crewe".
— Zero (Duncan MacDonald)
Brian Nesbitt of The One commended the game's variety of weapons, and felt that the game "will undoubtedly have the same effect on the games scene as its predecessor did over a year ago".
— The One, 1989 (Brian Nesbitt)
Pete Connor of ACE decided that the game "is one of the most accomplished shoot-em-ups you're likely to come across this side of Christmas", and that the challenge provided by the amount of detail and action balanced out the low amount of levels.
— ACE, 1989 (Pete Connor)
Gary Barrett of ST Format called the game "extremely addictive and exciting" in spite of its lack of new concepts, and considered it to be "in the same elite class as Blood Money".
— ST Format, 1989 (Gary Barrett)
ST Format included the game in its "50 Games of the Year", saying that "Flawless graphics, nightmarish wriggly sprites, and instantaneous addiction made it the gamester's rave of the year."
— ST Format, 1990
Mike Pattenden of Commodore User observed that "Xenon II pursues the relentless quest for an arcade quality shoot'em up on the Amiga, and it's probably the closest yet."
— Commodore User (Mike Pattenden)· about another version
From the Reception section of Wikipedia's Xenon 2: Megablast article, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The words are the critics'; their full reviews are on the publishers' pages.
Scores
- ACE 1989 AMI: 91% ; AST: 90.5% (other versions)
- Computer and Video Games 1989 AMI: 96% ; AST: 94% (other versions)
- Zzap!64 1989 AMI: 97% ; (other versions)
- Amiga User International 1989 AMI: 9/10 (other versions)
- Atari ST User 1989 AST: 10/10 (other versions)
- Commodore User 1989 AMI: 88% (other versions)
- ST Format 1989 AST: 90% (other versions)
- The Games Machine 1989 AMI: 96% ; AST: 95% (other versions)
- The One 1989 AST: 93% (other versions)
- Zero 1989 AMI: 94% ; AST: 93% (other versions)
- Nintendo Power 1993 GB: 11.7/20 (other versions)
- Amiga Format 1992 CDTV: 32%
- Mean Machines 1991 MS: 84% ; MD: 82%
From the review table of Wikipedia's article. The face takes, first that applies: the Metascore for this platform, GameRankings' average, our average of the critics (one number per publication, a panel averaged), one review alone, the players' rating. Critics and players are never mixed.
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