Insector X/Development

Back to: Insector X.

Development process

HOT-B was originally contracted by Taito to produce a game called Insector X for arcades. The Family Computer port is entirely credited to Taito, but the Mega Drive port is almost entirely credited to Hot-B, with a small mention on the back of the US box being the only exception. Informed speculation points to HOT-B buying the rights to Insector X back from Taito in 1990, proceeding to create this Mega Drive version. A similar situation seems to have happened with the otherwise unrelated Fire Mustang.

The port itself has an even stranger premise. The original arcade game used cute graphics with cartoony expressions, as does the Family Computer port. This Mega Drive port, on the other hand, has an almost complete aesthetic overhaul, now with a more serious player character and enemy force, and a completely replaced soundtrack. At the same time, most of the basic mechanics are the same, and enemy patterns are almost identical.

The final retail version comes in June and July builds; differences are and release information is unknown.