kuan@iris.Berkeley.EDU (Frank [Who me?] Kuan) (05/26/90)
In my opinion, Xenon II is the best shoot-em-up ever written for any computer or video game system in the history of the universe. Can anyone dispute that? Does anyone know if a sequel is in the works?
nv89-rbi@nada.kth.se (Ron Birk) (05/26/90)
I came to level FIVE in xenon II, and do not really hold with you. There are some games that are better, like BloodMoney and SILKWORM!! The Bitmaps Brother (Who made the game) are busy with other games just now, like Speedball II and the long waiting Cadaver, which will be a very very good game. Anyone who played fairligt on the spectrum or the c64 will be ver excited!! Ron Birk, nv89-rbi@nada.kth.se
6600mict@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Rigby) (05/31/90)
In article <1990May26.074300.7173@nada.kth.se> nv89-rbi@nada.kth.se (Ron Birk) writes: >I came to level FIVE in xenon II, and do not really hold with you. >There are some games that are better, like BloodMoney and SILKWORM!! >The Bitmaps Brother (Who made the game) are busy with other games just >now, like Speedball II and the long waiting Cadaver, which will be a >very very good game. Anyone who played fairligt on the spectrum or the >c64 will be ver excited!! I disagree. Bloodmoney was too hard to be any fun and Silkworm was such a poor translation that I disliked it. Silkworm is an awesome arcade game but is a poor game on the Amiga. Level 5 on Xenon II? So what. I solved it and got to level 4 a second time before I got bored. No, I did not use a trainer! I did use an auto-fire joystick, though. Without one, the final challenge monster is impossible.
marco@gensof.strhold.sublink.ORG (Marco Dabbene) (06/01/90)
in article <7409@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, kuan@iris.Berkeley.EDU (Frank [Who me?] Kuan) says: > > In my opinion, Xenon II is the best shoot-em-up ever written > for any computer or video game system in the history of > the universe. Can anyone dispute that? I think Xenon II is one of the best games, but not the BEST. There are two things i really hate: the collision routine (the one for PC version is better) and the waiting syndrome for every level which has to be loaded. > Does anyone know if a sequel is in the works? I read that the Bitmap Brothers decided to write another kind of games (just like Knight Lore for the Spectrum) and that for the moment they are not going to write another shoot-em-up. Bye, Marco. P.S.: Sorry for the bad english!
nv89-rbi@nada.kth.se (Ron Birk) (06/01/90)
I must say that both Silkworm and Bloodmoney is far better than Xenon II. Maybe the arcade vesrion of silkworm is better but have you seen the arcade version of Xenon II?? (If there has been one!!). You can't compare!! And about bloodmoney, I see you need more train on the game. I got 212000 and enjoy the game very much! In xenon II I didn't use any cheat at all, including autofire. In fact my fire is famous to be very bad, accoring to my friends.
6600mict@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Rigby) (06/02/90)
The Amiga version of Silkworm is good but the graphics are all in low res and the game play is not true to the original. Also, where the Amiga version ends, the arcade game goes on for quite some time....friends have played it for 6 levels past the end of the Amiga version and never saw the same level. The Amiga version is just not the same for me and, thus, I am somewhat displeased with it. Bloodmoney, I never really played that one too much...after I got the trained version it was not worth it. But Shadow of the Beast! I could almost get out of the first dungeon and know people that could get out of that dungeon and into the castle without using the trainer. I bought the auto-fire joystick to kill the final challenge monster....I was able to reach him without it but was not able to kill the thing without that much extra help. As far as I know, there is no arcade conversion of Xenon II out (at least the video arcade that I work in has heard nothing of it).
nn86302@tut.fi (Niilo Neuvo) (06/06/90)
In article <5569@hub.ucsb.edu> 6600mict@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Rigby) writes: > Level 5 on Xenon II? So what. I solved it and got > to level 4 a second time before I got bored. No, I > did not use a trainer! I did use an auto-fire > joystick, though. Without one, the final challenge > monster is impossible. No it's not. Try drilling a hole on your table and placing an 'arcade' button in the hole and screw the joystick on the table as well. It's a lot better than holding the joystick on your hand. I simply couldn't get past the last monster without doing that. Couldn't tap fast enough. Did you notice that the monsters are twice as tough after level 5 when the game starts again. Try killing the beast on level 5 (or is it 10) after the monsters have been boosted up. -- NN NN NN NN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNN N NN N NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNN N NN N NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNN NN NN NN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
6600mict@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Rigby) (06/07/90)
You drilled a hole in your desk? You musta really liked that game! I did, too. I didn't notice that the monsters/opponents were any harder after the first time around-I was to busy watching for incoming missiles! After all, it does take about 1/2 hour to solve and, after that, one tends to forget what the beginning was like.
PFREY%DREW.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (PETER C. FREY) (02/27/91)
For those of you playing Xenon II, here are some tips on what to buy.
I've read the so called 'help' message that's been going around on Xenon II.
Well, it's got a lot of flaws. Mostly because they don't know it inside and
out like I do! :)
Well, I win at the game every time I play, though it takes me all three men to
do it, and sometimes I have to continue the game. But I have lapped it twice
and plan on doing it three times. Here goes:
These hints are targeted at those who are at intermediate or expert level.
Beginners need other info. I'm concentrating only on shops.
Buy a rapid fire joy stick. You get a continuous line of fire. It's a cynch
to master levels 1-3 when you get it.
Shops:
*Equipment/Weapons not mentioned are inferior to those I tell you to buy.
The rockets launchers are pathetic compared to lasers, and they cost the same.
Homing missiles are slow and weak. By the time you get a drone, it's pea-
sized pellets are ineffective.
*Leftover money cannot be saved for the next shop. If you have 1000 left
over, and there is no reason to spend it on side/rear shot as described later,
buy a mine. This way, you can sell it at the next shop. This is a "savings
account" of sorts.
Shop 1a: buy a small heart if you need it. Buy autofire if you have money
left. Ignore Nashorn. It only lasts a few seconds. It's only a
ego boost.
Shop 1b: Sell your rear fire. You gain 500 more. Don't buy a small heart
unless you have less than half energy. Reason: You get a heart
early into level 2a with no real challenges before it. Buy side
shot and double shot.
Shop 2a: Sell any mines you have to get more money. Buy a heart if you need it.
Do not buy sideshot enough to power to 3. It wastes your money because
you'll get a free side shot towards the end of the level.
Shop 2b: Sell any mines you have to get more money. Buy a heart if you need it.
Sell your side shot! Sell your rocket launcher! Buy laser and power
ups. Get two lasers if you can. Power them up to 2 power rather than
getting a third. Do not buy rear shot unless you have 1000 with
nothing else to buy. The reason: 2 rear shots appear immediately on
the screen.
Shop 3a: Sell your rear shot. Buy side shot at _least_ power 2. If you buy
power up, it ups powers the double shot before the laser. Buy side
laser. Buy power ups as much as possible. Never forget to
get a heart. Buy mines for future expenses with any money left over.
Shop 3b: Buy laser, heart, power up. A nashorn proves useful for the first time
on the coming screen, though only minimally. If you still have only
power 2 sideshot, do not power it to 3. You get a free one at the
dragon.
Shop 4a: Sell mines, if any. Buy power up and laser. If all expenses go well,
you should have: double shot power 3, side shot power 3, 3-4 lasers
of which at least 2 are power 2. You may power your lasers to power
3 if you are lucky. Caution: do not pick up the rear shot in the
beginning of the coming screen. Otherwise, you cannot defeat the
chameleon at the end of level 4, part 2. You do this by waiting for
the tongue to retract (staying out of its range) then zipping upwards
to where the laser cannot reach you (there are only two positions the
eye-lasers can hit). Then, you just side shot it.
Shop 4b: If you learned the trick of gathering as much money as possible from
the bats, then you should have a field day! You do this by getting
caught downstream from the bats, firing at them, and then picking up
the coin bubbles in the middle. I usually spend 45 minutes or more
getting through the bat section. I've gotten 94,000 coins that way!
You can then buy the optimum of equipment: all 4 lasers power 3,
double and side shot power 3, up to 9 lives, and large mines fully
powered. Don't forget to buy a full heart if needed. A full heart
means a life at 1/6 the cost. If you get over 100,000 coins, you can
buy the other offerings: maximum protection, dive, homing missiles,
and full autofire (you can shoot rapidly while setting mines).
Shop 5a: Everything is half price, but Crispin still buys items at the usual
prices (ranging from 1/2 to 2/3 price). Buy more lives. Sell mines.
Get your ship up to max as listed above, if you did not previously
do so.
Make it through level 5b and you've won! It sends you back to level 1a with
no weapons and everything twice as hard to kill. I've lapped it twice so far.
I'm working on getting through it a third time.
- Peter C. Frey
PFREY@DREW.BITNET