A/X-101

n/a

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A/X-101

Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. (JP), Absolute Entertainment (US)

Genre: Shooting^[1]^[2]

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1994-03-25^[2]	¥7,8007,800	G-6031
US	1994		T-86015

A/X-101 (エーエックス１０１ or ＡＸ－１０１) is a rail shooter for the Sega Mega-CD. It uses full-motion video backdrops.

Story

In the year 2500, humanity has reached its technological zenith. The world has been at peace for centuries and space travel is commonplace. Earth makes contact with alien life for the first time as an emissary from the planet Prism warns Earth that it is soon to be attacked by a war-driven alien race called the Gurzons. The Gurzons crush Earth's cities and the Earth Defense Force.

Further investigation leads to the discovery of a weapon and computer upgrade system located on Prism called the A/X-101. The Earth Defense Force sends four of its best fighter pilots (Bob, Kelly, Chris, and their Captain) to travel to Prism, retrieve the A/X-101, and use it to repel the Gurzon.

Gameplay

The game is a rail shooter played as the Captain of the Earth Defense Force squadron. The game is played from a first-person perspective inside the cockpit of the Captain's starfighter, which flies through set paths in each stage. The player moves a targeting reticle with the D-Pad and fires the ship's Laser Cannons with or . A green crosshair appears when an enemy is directly in the line of fire. The Laser Cannons have unlimited ammunition. The laser's power weakens with continuous use but recharges quickly when holding fire. A full-strength blast can destroy most enemies in a single shot. The ship is also stocked with a supply of Fusion Warheads, which are deployed with and do not need to be aimed. These warheads destroy any smaller enemies on screen and damage larger enemies. The player starts with three warheads and gains another every 5,000 points (up to a maximum of five).

The ship has an energy shield that drains as it takes damage from enemy fire or colliding with enemies. The shield regenerates slowly over time. If the ship depletes its shield, it is destroyed and the game ends. The game can be continued from the title screen up to three times from the beginning of the current stage. When the Earth Defense Force starfighters download the A/X-101, the ship's shield and weapon power increase by 120%.

The game has three selectable difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, and Hard). The player can also change the speed of the targeting reticle or invert the vertical controls in the options before starting or continuing a game.