Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
X-Multiply is yet another great shooter from Irem but maybe one that many don’t remember.
Released in to the arcades back in September 1989 this shooter, similar to R-Type has you
taking on microscopic aliens that have invaded a colony planet in the year 2249.
To combat the alien queen, currently residing in a human female host, local scientists construct
and deploy the X-002, a microscopic fighter.
That’s what you control.
There are a total of 7 stages with none of them being that long.
They can be rather difficult though.
Saying that the actual stages bosses are quite a push over which is unusual for an Irem shooter.
The Saturn port from Xing actually comes on the same disc as Image Fight.
Just like image Fight this port also contains a programming line at the top of the screen
which my distract some players..
I guess when playing this on a CRT however you probably wouldn’t see this as it would
be in the overscan area of the screen.
Some of you may be thinking that this port is running a little faster than the arcade.
You’d be right in thinking that as it does.
It’s also a little tougher than the arcade.
One interesting option this port features is the ability to place the HUD at different
levels on the screen.
You can have it at the ridiculous 3/4 way up or have most of it off the screen so that
you can see more of the playing area.
Personally I like most of it off the screen but do keep changing it as I play.
Still, if you’d just like it left at one setting you can do that as it will always
remain in the same place until you move it no matter if you die or start a new stage.
The PlayStaion port also runs a little faster than the arcade game just like the Saturn
but it also seems to be either a rushed port or one that Xing just didn’t want to bother
with.
You see there are quite a few odd issues here.
The most annoying to me is that the HUD always resets back to the default position every
time you start a new stage or die.
The game also seems to skip sound effects here and there and has minor slowdown.
As to be expected the game also takes longer to load than the Saturn port like 90% of PlayStaion
games that also appear on the Saturn.
This is simply due to the slower CD drive of the console.
X-Multiply on the PlayStation isn’t rubbish by any means but it does need some polishing.