About |
- Overview
- Features
- Reviews
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| Genre: | 2D Space Shooter; vertical scroll |
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| Environment: | Windows XP - 8; 32 and 64-bit |
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| Players | 1/2 local co-op |
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2. Overview
X-Bomber is a free video game for Windows PCs. It is a 2D, vertical-scrolling 'Space Shooter'. It is based on the 1980s Japanese sci-fi show X-Bomber, (known as Star Fleet in the UK and US). X-Bomber is the main spacecraft in the show and in the game.
The game has sharp controls, fast and smooth gameplay, attractive graphics, explosive sound, diverse mission objectives, a huge variety of enemies, weapons, ships and environments and diligent balancing.
X-Bomber is more than just a shoot-em-up, combining fast movement with a wide view of your surroundings, incorporating multiple mission objective types; attack, defend, escape, survive - constantly changing throughout the mission.
Unlike other games of its type - you choose when to change craft. Choose whether to use firepower, mobility, durability, a balance of each, or force of numbers. Use amazing special and upgrade weapons, devastating secondary attacks or even call in airstrikes for support.
I want as many people as possible to enjoy X-Bomber. Distribute it and mention it to as many people as you can. You can also download the game's source files. If you're a fan of Star Fleet, science fiction or action games, be sure to try X-Bomber.
It is written as an spare-time computer-science experiment of a Northumbria Law Student with my Dell XPS M1730 and is tested using a handful of other machines. I'm writing the game because I want to play it myself. Its development is sped along by kind comments and encouragement from its fans.
For System Requirements, see the Manual. For Credits, see the X-Bomber's Credits Screen.
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3. Features
3.1. GamePlay
- Legendary Player Ships:
Use the Dai-X System to switch between the X-Bomber space battleship, Dai-X mech, all three Dai-X Fighters at the press of a button at any time during any level. Your unselected ships self-repair and re-arm in the background.
Play as The Skull space sailer or WingBlade assault ship for variety and replayability.
Double-up with co-operative 2-Player.
- Diverse challenges:
17 hectic, varied, story-driven missions (3 chapters with 5 missions each plus training and finale) with different enemies, bosses, environments and objectives, introducing different gameplay styles, multiple game modes and online high-score table.
- Overwhelming action:
Frantic storms of strong, relentless enemies and hazards onscreen at any time. Semi-randomising level engine and enemy AI for fluid gameplay - Levels never play-out quite the same way twice.
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3.2. Visual and Universe
X-Bomber tries to resemble classic shooters (i.e. Raiden, Raptor and Zone 66), echo Star Fleet's distinctive look and 'feel' but with the gloss of a of modern, sci-fi anime:
- X-Bomber Universe:
Hundreds of vicious custom-drawn enemies and powerful allies; familiar and original, ranging from fighters to capital ships and beyond, ground targets and alien creatures
- Attractive Visuals:
Detailed spriting; dense multi-layer starfields and parallax backgrounds; particles; alpha-channels and blending for smoke, dust, fog and shadows; additive blending for fire, energy weapons and lighting; Smooth lasers, Muzzle and impact flashes, Track-marks and dust clouds for ground vehicles and drop shadows for aircraft.
- Vast variety of weapons:
Every single weapon from the show (including Laser Torpedoes, Turrets, X-Impulse and Dai-X Chest Cannons) plus 2 sets of 10 devastating Upgrade weapons for X-Bomber and Dai-X (including spread guns; homing/lock-on weapons; rockets; machineguns and pulse weapons).
- Involving plot: Cutscenes; Characters, both familiar and new; Mission briefings.
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3.3. Engine
I began X-Bomber using Europress Games Factory™. In January 2003, I ported X-Bomber to IMSI Multimedia Fusion 1.5™. Since March 2007 X-Bomber has been written using Clickteam's Multimedia Fusion 2™. In 2008, I began using the Hardware Acceleration Runtime for MMF2. I also use Photoshop CS4 and a few other bits and pieces.
- Superior realism:
Individual bullet collisions; Player vessel hit-zones; shields and armour guages and splash damage; camera shake; power transfer; limited ammunition and power
- Wall of sound:
32-channel wave sound mixing with hundreds of brilliant audio effects, Included MP3 soundtrack. X-Bomber automatically indexes and uses any media files that you place in its MP3 folder.
- Polished high performance:
50 fps @ 800x600 resolution in 16 million colours, Multimedia Fusion provides a stable runtime engine with DirectX9 hardware acceleration. X-Bomber benefits from relentless coding, aggressive performance optimisation, diligent playtesting and fanatical balancing.
- Extensive options:
Keyboard mapping, Joystick control with support for 4 triggers, Moveable HUD, Display options, Diagnostics, Updater.
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4. Feedback
- "Features an extensive array of combat craft, lots of powerups, excellent graphics, good sound effects, and more" ...
"This is a terrific space shooter in a typically Japanese style. The action is fast and furious and you can grab powerups for things like shields." ...
"This version is technically an "alpha" and, while there are things still to be done, it is quite stable and ran flawlessly on our test computer." ...
"We loved playing X-Bomber. It is fast moving with lots of eye candy and good sound effects. If you like space shooters then this is one we highly recommend. Grab a copy and see for yourself!" - Completely Free Software
- "From the start of the game you get to see a very well made menu system which gets you in the mood. The next thing you notice are the AWESOME weapons and great effects. Switching between weapons is a breeze, and all of them look fantastic." ...
"Sounds are perfect, from music to sound effects, this feels like you are in an arcade. Perfect" - Daily Click
- "X-Bomber 0.34 is a typical alien killing game, where you shoot and bomb the whole fleet you fly over, at the same time as avoiding enemy attacks. It has all the charm and feel of the classic 2D games that created such a furor in the 1980īs and 1990īs." ★★★★★★★★★☆ - Software & Games
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- "A cracking fangame made to commemorate the show. Do give this a go. It's a great example of what a good Japanese-style shoot-em-up should look like and takes off many of the show's great and unique ideas." ...
"very playable and has buckets of charm and variety. Swapping ships at the touch of a button or combining the Dai-X craft to make the mighty Dai-X robot is pretty cool! Not to mention the variety of enemies to chop down" - Mark Radon
- "The game is great & getting better all the time. Keep up the good work! ... can't wait for new levels" - Ben P.
- "Thanks for the addiction" - By email
- "Laser Torpedoes rock, we need more!" - 'The Phantom Hack'
- "Addictive fan-made freeware with a 2-D scrolling shooter format" - Counter-X
- "Enoki Films asked a fan-made game to shut down, on the basis that Go Nagai was 'very unhappy' about it." - SciFiNow, March 2009, Issue 24, p104
- "The game graphics look great." ... "Great retro feel to the whole thing" - Andy Thomas
- "Only one word can describe this game: absolutely amazing (well, that's two really)." - David Surridge
- "Brilliant layout, graphics are clean and sharp and most importantly the controls are very responsive." - Shane Perry
- "... and the coolest free game ever; http://www.xbomber.co.uk/."
- "X-Bomber 2.0 ... Brilliant!" - Douglas Kohler
- "That is SUPERB." - Matt Darcy
- "Oh, that's uber-cool." - Richard Sims
- "This really could be a professional game." ... "Awesome fun" - Steven Richardson
- "Help! I'm addicted to X-Bomber." - Claire Philips
- "X-Bomber, you can get that online at xbomber.co.uk." - GAME™ Sales Representative
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5. Star Fleet
Star Fleet was a sci-fi animation series, like a Japanese version of Terrahawks or Thunderbirds with a resemblance to Star Wars. Star Fleet is remembered for its remarkable spacecraft, dark storyline, characters, action and special effects, but above all: the giant, red robot; Dai-X that assembled from 3 smaller fighters. It was produced in 1980 by Go Nagai and Jin Productions.
For more informtion about Star Fleet, I refer you to the Star Fleet resources on the Links Page.
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