Xenon 2: Megablast (Master System) Playthrough [4K]
8"Xenon 2: Megablast" for the Sega Master System is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by The Bitmap Brothers and published by Image Works in 1992. Players assume the role of a starship pilot tasked with destroying five bombs planted throughout history by the villainous Xenites.
The player controls the Megablaster, a nimble battlecraft equipped with a raygun and a temporary shield that protects against enemy attacks and collisions. The game consists of five levels, each with a distinct theme, ranging from the Cambrian era to futuristic metallic spaceways. These levels are populated by mutated lifeforms, altered by radiation from the bombs located at the end of each level. A unique feature is that players can momentarily reverse the scrolling direction by pulling back on the directional input when the ship is at the bottom of the screen.
Throughout the levels, players can find capsules that release various tokens when destroyed. These tokens can enhance the ship's weaponry or speed, restore part of the shield, or allow the ship to dive into the background for a limited time. Enemies drop currency known as Real Cash, the amount and value of which depend on the enemy's size. Real Cash can be used to buy or sell tokens at "Crispin's Swop Shop," accessible twice per level.
Overall, "Xenon 2: Megablast" for the Sega Master System has great graphics and the ability to upgrade the ship add replayability. But the detailed grahpics means there are slowdowns when many enemies are on the screen at once. The slowdown affects controller responsiveness and the playability. Evn when there's no slowdown, the scrolling speed is too slow for a shooter of this type.