Super Zaxxon

From Sega Retro

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SuperZaxxon Title.png

Super Zaxxon
System(s): Sega Zaxxon hardware, Apple II, Atari 8-bit Family, Commodore 64, DOS
Publisher: Sega,
Commodore 64
(disk) HesWare (US), US Gold (EU)
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code
Commodore 64
US
Commodore 64
US
(Disk)
Commodore 64
UK
(Cassette) 		£9.959.95[1]
Commodore 64
UK
(Disk) 		£14.9514.95[1]
IBM PC compatibles
US
Apple II
US
Atari 8-bit Family
US
Atari 8-bit Family
US
(Disk)
Atari 8-bit Family
UK
(Cassette) 		£9.959.95[1]
Atari 8-bit Family
UK
(Disk) 		£14.9514.95[1]

Super Zaxxon is a sequel (or perhaps "update") to Zaxxon, produced by Sega in 1982. It is an arcade game that also runs on the Sega Zaxxon hardware.

Gameplay

Super Zaxxon is extremely similar to the original Zaxxon, running on identical hardware and having almost identical gameplay. Like its predecessor the game uses isometric projection, where the player can not only control the ship's left and right movements, but also adjust its height. Primarily Super Zaxxon offers slightly faster gameplay, a different set of graphics, different stage layouts and a few more enemies (including the "Mine Layer" in level 2, and indestructible turrets in level 1). The game is otherwise structured very similarly and has similar goals, but is considered to be the harder game of the two.

In the original Zaxxon, the player is confronted at the end by a large walking machine (called Zaxxon). In Super Zaxxon, it is three robot dragons, with Zaxxon not appearing in the game at all. There are also no space battles in Super Zaxxon, with all action taking place on an asteroid base.

History

Legacy

Super Zaxxon is a much rarer game than its predecessor, and saw fewer ports to home systems. The game was brought to Apple II, Atari 8-bit Family, Commodore 64 and IBM PC (as a PC booter), and like the previous game, each version makes cutbacks due to the weaker hardware.

Many arcade Super Zaxxon cabinets exist as converted Zaxxon cabinets, and can be identified by a different cabinet design.

Promotional material

  • Arcade US flyer

  • Arcade US flyer (alt)

  • Arcade JP flyer

  • Home systems US print advert

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #47: "September 1985" (1985-08-16)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Photos

  • Upright cabinet

  • Upright cabinet (converted from Zaxxon)

Magazine articles

Main article: Super Zaxxon/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Arcade version

Zaxxon hardware, US
SuperZaxxon Arcade US Manual Preliminary.pdf
Manual
Zaxxon hardware, US (Alt)
Zaxxon hardware, JP

Apple II version

Apple II, US
SuperZaxxon AppleII US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngSuperZaxxon AppleII US Box Front.jpg
Cover

Atari 8-bit Family version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
75 №50, p33[4]
Atari 8-bit Family
 75
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
75
[4]
Atari 8-bit Family
 75
Based on
1 review

Super Zaxxon

Atari 8-bit family, US (cartridge)

SuperZaxxon Atari8bit US Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 8-bit family, US (disk)
SuperZaxxon US A8B Box Back Disk.jpgNospine.pngSuperZaxxon US A8B Box Front Disk.jpg
Cover
Atari 8-bit family, UK (cassette)
SuperZaxxon EU A8B Box Cassette.jpg
Cover
Atari 8-bit family, UK (disk)
SuperZaxxon EU A8B Box Disk.jpg
Cover

Commodore 64 version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
75 №50, p33[4]
Commodore 64
 75
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
75
[4]
Zzap!64 (UK)
57
[5]
Commodore 64
 66
Based on
2 reviews

Super Zaxxon

Commodore 64, US
SuperZaxxon C64 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngSuperZaxxon C64 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
SuperZaxxon C64 US Cart.jpg
Cart
Commodore 64, US (disk)
SuperZaxxon C64 US Box Front Disk.jpg
Cover
Commodore 64, UK (cassette)
SuperZaxxon C64 UK Box Cassette.jpg
Cover
SuperZaxxon C64 UK Cassette.jpg
Cassette
Commodore 64, UK (disk)
SuperZaxxon C64 EU Box.jpg
Cover
SuperZaxxon C64 EU Disk.jpg
Disk

DOS version

DOS, US
SuperZaxxon US DOS Box Back.jpgNospine.pngSuperZaxxon US DOS Box Front.jpg
Cover
SuperZaxxon IBMPC US Disk.jpg
Disk

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 File:CVG UK 047.pdf, page 121
  2. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1985" (UK; 1985-09-16), page 52
  3. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "January 1986" (UK; 1985-12-16), page 132
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 File:CVG UK 050.pdf, page 33 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 050.pdf_p33" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 050.pdf_p33" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 050.pdf_p33" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ Zzap!64, "October 1985" (UK; 1985-09-12), page 23



Games in the Zaxxon Series
Zaxxon (1981) (home computers) | Super Zaxxon (1982) | Zaxxon Super Game (1984) | Zaxxon 3D (1987) | Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 (1995) | Zaxxon Escape (2012)
Others
Zaxxon (LCD) (1982) | FL Zaxxon (1982) | Zaxxon (tabletop) (1982) | Zaxxon (board game) (1982)
Zaxxon related media
Book
 The Official How to Win at Zaxxon (1982)
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