Difference between revisions of "Zaxxon"

From Sega Retro

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:''For the home computer conversions, see ''[[Zaxxon (home computers)]]''.''
 
{{Bob
 
{{Bob
 
| bobscreen=Zaxxon Arcade Title.png
 
| bobscreen=Zaxxon Arcade Title.png
| publisher=[[Sega]], {{2600}} [[Coleco]], {{APPLE2}} {{A8B}} {{Dragon}} {{TRS}} {{TRSCOCO}} [[Datasoft]], {{MSX}} [[Philips]] (EU), [[Pony Canyon]] (JP), {{C64}} {{TRS}} [[Cogito]], {{Spectrum}} [[U.S. Gold]]
+
| publisher=[[Sega]], {{2600}} [[Coleco]]
| developer=[[Sega]], {{Arcade}} [[Ikegami Tsushinki]], {{2600}} [[Coleco]], {{C64}} [[Synsoft]]
+
| developer={{SG}} [[Sega R&D2]], {{Arcade}} [[Ikegami Tsushinki]], {{2600}} [[Coleco]]
| distributor={{A8B}} [[Callisto Computers]] (UK)
+
| distributor=
| system=[[Sega Zaxxon hardware]], [[SG-1000]], Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, DOS, Dragon 32, Intellivision, MSX, TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo, [[Virtual Console]], ZX Spectrum
+
| system=[[Sega Zaxxon hardware]], [[SG-1000]], Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision, [[Virtual Console]]
 
| romsize={{Arcade}} 104.5 KB
 
| romsize={{Arcade}} 104.5 KB
 
| peripherals=
 
| peripherals=
| releases={{releases
+
| genre=Shoot-'em-Up
| arcade_date_us=1982
+
| releases={{releasesArcade
| arcade_date_jp=1982-01{{ref|http://sega-interactive.co.jp/special/history/title/zaxxon.html}}
+
| zaxxon_date_us=1982
| arcade_date_de=198x
+
| zaxxon_date_jp=1982-01{{ref|http://sega-interactive.co.jp/special/history/title/zaxxon.html}}{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20091216173519/http://vc.sega.jp:80/vca_zaxxon}}
 +
| zaxxon_date_de=198x
 +
}}
 +
{{releases
 
| 2600_date_eu=1982
 
| 2600_date_eu=1982
 
| 2600_rrp_uk=29.95{{fileref|CVG UK 032.pdf|page=53}}{{fileref|TVGamer UK 02.pdf|page=42}}
 
| 2600_rrp_uk=29.95{{fileref|CVG UK 032.pdf|page=53}}{{fileref|TVGamer UK 02.pdf|page=42}}
Line 21: Line 25:
 
| coleco_date_eu=1983
 
| coleco_date_eu=1983
 
| coleco_rrp_uk=29.95{{fileref|TVGamer UK 02.pdf|page=18}}
 
| coleco_rrp_uk=29.95{{fileref|TVGamer UK 02.pdf|page=18}}
}}
 
{{releasesHC
 
| a8b_date_eu=1984
 
| a8b_date_uk_c=1983
 
| a8b_rrp_uk_c=14.95{{fileref|CVG UK 031.pdf|page=42}}<!--29.99{{fileref|CVG UK 019.pdf|page=18}}-->
 
| a8b_date_us=1983
 
| c64_date_uk_d=1984
 
| c64_rrp_uk_d=14.95{{fileref|CVG UK 035.pdf|page=14}}
 
| c64_date_uk_c=1984
 
| c64_rrp_uk_c=9.95{{fileref|CVG UK 035.pdf|page=14}}
 
| c64_date_us=1984
 
| c64_rrp_us=39.95{{fileref|Zaxxon C64 US PrintAd.jpg}}
 
| msx_date_jp=1985
 
| msx_date_uk=1985
 
| msx_rrp_uk=11.95{{fileref|CVG UK 044.pdf|page=21}}
 
| spectrum_date_uk_c=1985
 
| spectrum_rrp_uk_c=7.95{{fileref|CVG UK 036.pdf|page=94}}{{fileref|CVG UK 038.pdf|page=105}}
 
| apple2_date_us=1983
 
| apple2_rrp_us=39.95{{fileref|CGW US 012.pdf|page=7}}
 
| dos_date_us=1983
 
| dragon_date_eu=1983
 
| trs_date_us=1983
 
| trs_code_us=26-1956
 
| trscoco_date_us=1983
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{releasesSG
 
{{releasesSG
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}}
 
}}
 
{{releasesWii
 
{{releasesWii
| vca_date_us=2010-04-12
+
| vca_date_us=2010-04-12{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20101122210537/http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ZnkHCnm2XvA6xyPltLxrYMKTFCr-SGTb}}
| vca_rrp_us=800
+
| vca_rrp_us=800{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20101122210537/http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ZnkHCnm2XvA6xyPltLxrYMKTFCr-SGTb}}
| vca_date_eu=2010-03-05
+
| vca_rating_us=e
| vca_rrp_eu=500
+
| vca_date_eu=2010-03-05{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20171121001819/http://www.nintendolife.com/games/vcarcade/zaxxon}}{{ref|https://archive.is/G26Yn}}
| vca_date_jp=2009-12-15
+
| vca_rrp_eu=500{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20171121001819/http://www.nintendolife.com/games/vcarcade/zaxxon}}
| vca_rrp_jp=500
+
| vca_date_jp=2009-12-15{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20180322015442/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/12.html}}
 +
| vca_rrp_jp=500{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20091216173519/http://vc.sega.jp:80/vca_zaxxon}}
 +
| vca_rating_jp=a
 
}}
 
}}
| genre=Shoot-'em-Up
 
| esrb=e
 
 
| pegi=7
 
| pegi=7
 
| oflc=g
 
| oflc=g
| cero=a
 
 
}}
 
}}
'''''Zaxxon''''' (ザクソン) is an [[arcade]] shoot 'em up video game released by [[Sega]]. It is named after its groundbreaking use of ''axon''ometric projection (though more specifically, it uses isometric projection) and was released for [[Sega Zaxxon hardware|bespoke arcade hardware]] in 1982.
+
'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' (ザクソン) is an [[arcade]] shoot 'em up video game released by [[Sega]]. It is named after its groundbreaking use of ''axon''ometric projection (though more specifically, it uses isometric projection) and was released for [[Sega Zaxxon hardware|bespoke arcade hardware]] in 1982.
 
 
''Zaxxon'' was the first video game to use an isometric perspective, a graphical style which would see widespread use in the years which followed. It was an early attempt at adding three-dimensional depth to the shoot 'em up genre. The term "isometric perspective" was originally coined by Sega in reference to ''Zaxxon''.{{ref|1=http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/vg_ill/videogaming_ill_aug82.pdf#page=44}}
 
  
''Zaxxon'' stands as one of Sega's earliest video game successes, and is also notable for being the first arcade game to be advertised on US television, with a commercial being produced by Sega's then-owners Paramount Pictures for $150,000{{fileref|WilmingtonMorningStar US 1982-07-03 6C.png}}.
+
''Zaxxon'' was the first video game to use an isometric perspective, a graphical style which would see widespread use in the years which followed. It was an early attempt at adding three-dimensional depth to the shoot 'em up genre.
  
 
==Gameplay==
 
==Gameplay==
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==History==
 
==History==
 +
===Release===
 +
''Zaxxon'' was the first arcade game to be advertised on US television. A commercial was produced with help from Sega's then-owners Paramount Pictures for $150,000{{fileref|WilmingtonMorningStar US 1982-07-03 6C.png}}, and aired on local television stations in Los Angeles (which aired it first), Chicago, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania between July 12 (11 in Chicago) through to July 25, 1982{{magref|cb|1982-07-24|39}}.
 +
 +
[[David Rosen]] is claimed to have been the brainchild behind the project, having teamed up with Jerry Kramer Associates to produce the commercial{{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}. They, in turn, contracted Mathematical Applications Group Inc. (MAGI; best known for the special effects in the movie ''[[wikipedia:Tron|Tron]]'') to produce what was then cutting edge 3D graphics{{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}.
 +
 +
The full budget for the television campaign (including acquiring the airtime) was estimated to be between $500,000 and $1 million{{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}. In Los Angeles, the commercial aired during  syndicated repeats of ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Kung Fu'', ''MASH'', ''The Jeffersons'', ''American Bandstand'', ''Fridays'' and ''SCTV''{{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}. It ws also broadcast 15 times during a KTLA all-day ''Star Trek'' marathon (''Star Trek'' being another Paramount property){{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}.
 +
 +
The commercial was successful, and was said to not only double trade in some venues, but encourage new customers to visit the arcades specifically for the game{{magref|cb|1982-07-24|39}}. Rivals such as [[Williams Electronics]], Stern Electronics and [[Taito]] also praised the advert for attracting potential arcade customers{{magref|cb|1982-07-10|30}}.
 +
 
===Legacy===
 
===Legacy===
 
''Zaxxon'' stands as one of Sega's first big successes in the arcade video game market, and was subsequently brought to a plethora of home systems during the early 1980s, being one of the most widely ported Sega games in history. The hardware behind the game also went in to fuel other isometric arcade games, such as ''[[Congo Bongo]]'' and ''[[Future Spy]]''.
 
''Zaxxon'' stands as one of Sega's first big successes in the arcade video game market, and was subsequently brought to a plethora of home systems during the early 1980s, being one of the most widely ported Sega games in history. The hardware behind the game also went in to fuel other isometric arcade games, such as ''[[Congo Bongo]]'' and ''[[Future Spy]]''.
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The Atari 2600 and Intellivision versions of the game (published by [[Coleco]]) are the most radically different, opting for a third-person "behind the ship" view rather than an isometric one, presumably due to hardware limitations. It has been suggested, however, that Coleco purposely dumbed down these versions for competition purposes - their ColecoVision port was for many years the most accurate home copy of the game, however skipped a few levels due to cartridge restrictions (something later fixed with ''[[Zaxxon Super Game]]'' for Coleco's Adam computer).
 
The Atari 2600 and Intellivision versions of the game (published by [[Coleco]]) are the most radically different, opting for a third-person "behind the ship" view rather than an isometric one, presumably due to hardware limitations. It has been suggested, however, that Coleco purposely dumbed down these versions for competition purposes - their ColecoVision port was for many years the most accurate home copy of the game, however skipped a few levels due to cartridge restrictions (something later fixed with ''[[Zaxxon Super Game]]'' for Coleco's Adam computer).
  
For a while, [[Datasoft]] had the rights to computer cassette and disk versions of the game in North America and Europe, producing ports to the Apple II, Atari 8-bit computer line, Commodore 64 Dragon 32, TRS-80 and TRS-80 CoCo. ''Zaxxon'' was among the first licensed TRS-80 (and TRS-CoCo) video games to be released - up until this point few major video game developers supported either of Tandy's machines, so it was more common to see unofficial clones (and indeed many clones of ''Zaxxon'' would emerge in the following years, such as ''Zaksund'' and ''Z-89'').
+
An Atari 5200 version similar to the Atari computers copy was also released.
 
 
As well as Datasoft's version, another official port of ''Zaxxon'' produced for the Commodore 64 and released on cartridge. The cartridge version has more accurate visuals but is generally regarded as less playable. [[U.S. Gold]] also published versions of ''Zaxxon'' for the ZX Spectrum, while an MSX version was published by [[Pony Canyon]] (on cartridge) in Japan and by [[Philips]] (on cassette) in Europe. Also released was an IBM PC version in the "PC Booter" format. An Atari 5200 version similar to the Atari computers copy was also released.
 
 
 
[[Amsoft]] picked up the rights for an Amstrad CPC version of ''Zaxxon'' for release in 1986{{fileref|AmstradComputerUser UK 32.pdf|page=5}}, but no such port materialised.
 
  
 
Sega produced their own home port of the game for Japanese [[SG-1000]]s in 1985, however held back from bringing the game to more modern Sega platforms. ''Zaxxon'' was not seen again until a surprise appearance in the ''[[Sega Mega Drive Collection]]'' and ''[[Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection]]'' compilations, and in more recent times, the arcade version has been made available through the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console]] service.
 
Sega produced their own home port of the game for Japanese [[SG-1000]]s in 1985, however held back from bringing the game to more modern Sega platforms. ''Zaxxon'' was not seen again until a surprise appearance in the ''[[Sega Mega Drive Collection]]'' and ''[[Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection]]'' compilations, and in more recent times, the arcade version has been made available through the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console]] service.
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==Production credits==
 
==Production credits==
===Apple II version===
 
'''Game Programming by:''' John Garcia<br/>
 
'''Assisted by:''' Jim Ratcliff<br/>
 
'''Graphic Artist:''' Kelly Day<br/>
 
'''Documentation:''' Jean Stedman
 
 
===Commodore 64 version===
 
C64 Version by Peter Adams
 
  
 
==Magazine articles==
 
==Magazine articles==
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==Promotional material==
 
==Promotional material==
<gallery>
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Promotional material}}
Zaxxon Arcade US TVAdvert 1.mp4|Arcade TV advert
 
Zaxxon Arcade US Flyer.pdf|Arcade US flyer
 
Zaxxon Arcade US Flyer Alt.pdf|Arcade US flyer (Alt)
 
Zaxxon Arcade FR Flyer.pdf|Arcade FR flyer
 
Zaxxon Arcade DE Flyer.pdf|Arcade DE flyer
 
ArcadeGames US PrintAdvert.jpg|Home versions US print advert
 
Zaxxon Computers US PrintAdvert.jpg|Apple II/Atari 8-bit family/TRS-80 CoCo US print advert
 
Zaxxon Computers FR PrintAdvert.jpg|Home computers FR print advert
 
Zaxxon C64 US PrintAd.jpg|Commodore 64 US print advert
 
Zaxxon ColecoVision IT PrintAdvert.jpg|ColecoVision IT print advert
 
Zaxxon ColecoVision NL PrintAdvert.jpg|ColecoVision NL print advert
 
</gallery>
 
{{gallery
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 031.pdf|cvg|31|42
 
|CVG UK 032.pdf|cvg|32|80
 
|CVG UK 033.pdf|cvg|33|53
 
|text=Atari 8-bit print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 022.pdf|cvg|22|102-103
 
|CVG UK 025.pdf|cvg|25|10
 
|CVG UK 026.pdf|cvg|26|34
 
|TVGamer UK 02.pdf|tvgamer|2|12
 
|text=ColecoVision print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 035.pdf|cvg|35|14
 
|CVG UK 036.pdf|cvg|36|113
 
|CVG UK 037.pdf|cvg|37|76
 
|text=Commodore 64 print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 035.pdf|cvg|35|135
 
|CVG UK 036.pdf|cvg|36|2
 
|CVG UK 037.pdf|cvg|37|16
 
|text=Commodore 64 print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 038.pdf|cvg|38|10
 
|CVG UK 039.pdf|cvg|39|65
 
|text=Commodore 64 print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 040.pdf|cvg|40|121
 
|CVG UK 041.pdf|cvg|41|96
 
|text=Commodore 64 print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 036.pdf|cvg|36|94
 
|CVG UK 037.pdf|cvg|37|197
 
|text=Atari 8-bit/Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 038.pdf|cvg|38|105
 
|text=Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 038.pdf|cvg|38|123
 
|CVG UK 039.pdf|cvg|39|48
 
|text=Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 039.pdf|cvg|39|98
 
|text=Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 040.pdf|cvg|40|97
 
|CVG UK 041.pdf|cvg|41|44
 
|CVG UK 042.pdf|cvg|42|56
 
|CVG UK 043.pdf|cvg|43|87
 
|text=Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 044.pdf|cvg|44|98-99
 
|CVG UK 045.pdf|cvg|45|34-35
 
|text=Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|CVG UK 047.pdf|cvg|47|38-39
 
|text=Atari/Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum print advert
 
}}
 
}}
 
  
==Photos==
+
==Photo gallery==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Zaxxon Arcade US Cabinet.jpg|US arcade cabinet
 
Zaxxon Arcade US Cabinet.jpg|US arcade cabinet
 +
Zaxxon Arcade US Cabinet Front.jpg
 
Zaxxon Arcade DE Cabinet.jpg|DE arcade cabinet
 
Zaxxon Arcade DE Cabinet.jpg|DE arcade cabinet
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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==Physical scans==
 
==Physical scans==
 
===Arcade version===
 
===Arcade version===
 
 
{{ScanArcade
 
{{ScanArcade
 
| type=upright
 
| type=upright
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| marquee=Zaxxon Arcade DE Marquee.jpg
 
| marquee=Zaxxon Arcade DE Marquee.jpg
 
| controlpanel=Zaxxon Arcade DE ControlPanel.jpg
 
| controlpanel=Zaxxon Arcade DE ControlPanel.jpg
 +
}}{{ScanArcade
 +
| console=Zaxxon hardware
 +
| region=JP
 +
| instructionsR1=Zaxxon Arcade JP InstructionCard.jpg
 
}}
 
}}
  
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| region=TW
 
| region=TW
 
| cart=
 
| cart=
}}
 
 
===Apple II version===
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=Apple II
 
| region=US
 
| front=Zaxxon AppleII US Box Front.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon AppleII US Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| manual=Zaxxon AppleII US Manual.pdf
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Apple II
 
| region=US (alt)
 
| front=Zaxxon AppleII US Box Front Alt.jpg
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
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| spinemissing=yes
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| cart=Zaxxon Atari2600 US Cart.jpg
 
| cart=Zaxxon Atari2600 US Cart.jpg
| manual=
+
| manual=Zaxxon Atari 2600 US Manual.pdf
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 2600
 
| console=Atari 2600
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| cart=Zaxxon Atari5200 US Cart.jpg
 
| cart=Zaxxon Atari5200 US Cart.jpg
 
| manual=Zaxxon 5200 us manual.pdf
 
| manual=Zaxxon 5200 us manual.pdf
}}
 
 
===Atari 8-bit Family version===
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=US (cartridge)
 
| front=Zaxxon A8B US Box Front.jpg
 
| back=
 
| spinemissing=
 
| cart=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Cart.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=US (cassette)
 
| front=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Cassette Box Front.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Cassette Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| cassette=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Cassette.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=US (cassette) (alt)
 
| front=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Alt Cassette Box Front.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Alt Casette Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| cassette=Zaxxon Atari8bit US Datasoft Cassette.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=US (disk)
 
| front=Zaxxon A8B US Box Front Disk.jpg
 
| back=
 
| spinemissing=
 
| disk=Zaxxon A8B US Disk.jpg
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=UK (cassette)
 
| front=Zaxxon Atari8bit UK Datasoft Box Front.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon Atari8bit UK Datasoft Box Back.jpg
 
| cassette=
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Atari 8-bit family
 
| region=FR (cassette)
 
| cover=Zaxxon A8B FR Box Cassette.jpg
 
| cassette=
 
| manual=
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
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| icon=Coleco
 
| icon=Coleco
 
| ae=90
 
| ae=90
| ae_source={{num|8|page=6|pdf=ArcadeExpress US 0108.pdf}}
+
| ae_source={{magref|ae|8|6}}
 
| joystik=90
 
| joystik=90
 
| joystik_source={{num|3}}
 
| joystik_source={{num|3}}
 
| telematch=83
 
| telematch=83
| telematch_source=[http://www.kultpower.de/archiv/heft_telematch_1983-05_seite25 {{num|5/83|page=25-27}}]
+
| telematch_source={{num|5|page=25,27|pdf=TeleMatch DE 05.pdf|pdfpage=27}}
 
| tilt=100
 
| tilt=100
 
| tilt_source={{num|6|page=36-37}}, ''[http://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=28&num=286&album=oui]''
 
| tilt_source={{num|6|page=36-37}}, ''[http://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=28&num=286&album=oui]''
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| cover=Zaxxon ColecoVision AU Box.jpg
 
| cover=Zaxxon ColecoVision AU Box.jpg
 
| cart=
 
| cart=
}}
 
 
===Commodore 64 version===
 
{{ratings
 
| icon=C64
 
| cuser=80
 
| cuser_source=[http://archive.org/stream/commodore-user-magazine-15/Commodore_User_Issue_15_1984_Dec#page/n66/mode/1up {{num|15|page=67}}]
 
| cvg=87
 
| cvg_source={{num|33|page=50|pdf=CVG UK 033.pdf}}
 
}}
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=Commodore 64
 
| region=US (cartridge)
 
| front=Zaxxon C64 US Box Front.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon C64 US Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| cart=Zaxxon C64 US Cart.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Commodore 64
 
| region=US (disk)
 
| front=Zaxxon C64 US Box Front Disk.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon C64 US Box Back Disk.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Commodore 64
 
| region=US<br/>(disk) (Thunder Mountain)
 
| front=Zaxxon C64 US Box Front Disk TM.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon C64 US Box Back Disk TM.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Commodore 64
 
| region=UK (cassette)
 
| front=Zaxxon C64 EU Box.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Commodore 64
 
| region=UK (disk)
 
| front=Zaxxon C64 EU Box Front Disk.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon C64 EU Box Back Disk.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
}}
 
 
===DOS version===
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=DOS
 
| region=US
 
| front=
 
}}
 
 
===Dragon 32 version===
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=Dragon 32
 
| region=EU
 
| front=
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
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| joystik_source={{num|9}}
 
| joystik_source={{num|9}}
 
| telematch=67
 
| telematch=67
| telematch_source=[http://www.kultpower.de/archiv/heft_telematch_1984-02_seite29 {{num|2/84|page=28-29}}]
+
| telematch_source={{num|9|page=28/29|pdf=TeleMatch DE 09.pdf|pdfpage=28}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{Scanbox
 
{{Scanbox
Line 561: Line 338:
 
}}
 
}}
  
===MSX version===
+
==Technical information==
{{ratings
+
===ROM dump status===
| icon=MSX
+
{{romtable|
| cvg=98
+
{{rom|SG|sha1=E32F536C3576D41AB485E07809C4404E6B462443|md5=52BBF5336C190610A0FB1AB0BDACA455|crc32=905467E4|size=32kB|date= |source=Cartridge (JP)|comments=|quality=|prototype=}}
| cvg_source={{num|44|page=21|pdf=CVG UK 044.pdf}}
+
{{rom|SG|sha1=172A8FF1A574D7920906C5CF60E1D39F31B9B639|md5=BB1C5B1071D5B9224B7733D60465E769|crc32=49CAE925|size=32kB|date= |source=Cartridge (TW)|comments=|quality=|prototype=}}
}}
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=MSX
 
| region=EU
 
| front=Zaxxon MSX Box.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon MSX EU Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| cassette=Zaxxon MSX EU Tape.jpg
 
| manual=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=MSX
 
| region=JP
 
| front=Zaxxon MSX JP Box Front Cart.jpg
 
| cart=
 
| manual=
 
}}
 
 
 
===TRS-80 version===
 
{{ratings
 
| icon=TRS
 
| kpower=80
 
| kpower_source=[https://archive.org/stream/k-power-magazine-01/K-Power_Issue_01_1984_Feb#page/n59/mode/2up {{num|1|page=59-60}}]
 
}}
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=TRS-80
 
| region=US (cassette)
 
| front=
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=TRS-80
 
| region=US (disk)
 
| front=Zaxxon TRS80 US Box.jpg
 
| back=Zaxxon TRS80 US Box Back.jpg
 
| spinemissing=yes
 
| disk=Zaxxon TRS80 US Disk.jpg
 
}}
 
 
 
===TRS-80 CoCo version===
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=TRS-80 CoCo
 
| region=US
 
| front=Zaxxon TRS80CoCo US Box.jpg
 
}}
 
 
 
===ZX Spectrum version===
 
{{ratings
 
| icon=Spectrum
 
| homecomputing=80
 
| homecomputing_source=[https://archive.org/stream/home-computing-weekly-052/Home_Computing_Weekly_052#page/n7/mode/1up {{num|52|page=8}}]
 
| tilt=80
 
| tilt_source={{num|23|page=61}}, ''[http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Tilt/tilt_numero023/TILT%20-%20n%B023%20-%20juillet%20aout%201985%20-%20page060%20et%20page061.jpg]''
 
}}
 
{{Scanbox
 
| console=ZX Spectrum
 
| region=UK
 
| front=Zaxxon Spectrum EU Box.jpg
 
| cart=
 
| manual=
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* [http://vc.sega.jp/vca_zaxxon/ Sega of Japan Virtual Console Arcade page (Japanese)]
+
* Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: [http://vc.sega.jp/vca_zaxxon/ Arcade]
 +
* Nintendo catalogue pages: [https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ZnkHCnm2XvA6xyPltLxrYMKTFCr-SGTb US]
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{multicol|
 
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
|cols=3}}
 
  
 +
{{ZaxxonOmni}}
 
{{Zaxxon}}
 
{{Zaxxon}}
[[Category:Zaxxon hardware games]]
 

Revision as of 20:48, 22 January 2019

For the home computer conversions, see Zaxxon (home computers).

n/a

Zaxxon Arcade Title.png

Zaxxon
System(s): Sega Zaxxon hardware, SG-1000, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision, Virtual Console
Publisher: Sega,
Atari 2600
Coleco
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code
Arcade (Zaxxon hardware)
JP
¥? ?
Arcade (Zaxxon hardware)
US
$? ?
Arcade (Zaxxon hardware)
DE
? ?
































ColecoVision
US
1982 $? ?
ColecoVision
EU
1983 £29.95[3] ?
Intellivision
US
1983 $? ?
Intellivision
EU
1983 £? ?
SG-1000
JP
¥4,3004,300 G-1038
SG-1000
TW
B-038
Wii Virtual Console
JP
(Arcade)
500pts500[2]
CERO: A
Wii Virtual Console
US
(Arcade)
800pts800[4]
ESRB: Everyone
Wii Virtual Console
EU
(Arcade)
500pts500[5]

Zaxxon (ザクソン) is an arcade shoot 'em up video game released by Sega. It is named after its groundbreaking use of axonometric projection (though more specifically, it uses isometric projection) and was released for bespoke arcade hardware in 1982.

Zaxxon was the first video game to use an isometric perspective, a graphical style which would see widespread use in the years which followed. It was an early attempt at adding three-dimensional depth to the shoot 'em up genre.

Gameplay

In Zaxxon, the player controls a starship which continuously moves towards the top right of the screen - a "diagonal" sidescroller, as opposed to the horizontal or vertical shooters more commonly seen. The basic idea is to shoot at and destroy enemies within a space fortress to rank up points, while avoiding obstacles and enemy fire.

What made Zaxxon unique at the time was the ability for the player to adjust the ship's height as well as move the craft left and right, essentially creating one of the first three-dimensional shooters (though the player can still only move in two dimensions, as he/she cannot stop the ship from moving forward). With this comes the task of navigating scenery - Zaxxon has levels which take part in space stations, and the player must duck and dive to avoid crashing into objects. Furthermore missiles can be launched upwards from the ground (similar to Scramble by Konami), and the player must obtain fuel to stay airbourne.

History

Release

Zaxxon was the first arcade game to be advertised on US television. A commercial was produced with help from Sega's then-owners Paramount Pictures for $150,000[8], and aired on local television stations in Los Angeles (which aired it first), Chicago, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania between July 12 (11 in Chicago) through to July 25, 1982[9].

David Rosen is claimed to have been the brainchild behind the project, having teamed up with Jerry Kramer Associates to produce the commercial[10]. They, in turn, contracted Mathematical Applications Group Inc. (MAGI; best known for the special effects in the movie Tron) to produce what was then cutting edge 3D graphics[10].

The full budget for the television campaign (including acquiring the airtime) was estimated to be between $500,000 and $1 million[10]. In Los Angeles, the commercial aired during syndicated repeats of Saturday Night Live, Kung Fu, MASH, The Jeffersons, American Bandstand, Fridays and SCTV[10]. It ws also broadcast 15 times during a KTLA all-day Star Trek marathon (Star Trek being another Paramount property)[10].

The commercial was successful, and was said to not only double trade in some venues, but encourage new customers to visit the arcades specifically for the game[9]. Rivals such as Williams Electronics, Stern Electronics and Taito also praised the advert for attracting potential arcade customers[10].

Legacy

Zaxxon stands as one of Sega's first big successes in the arcade video game market, and was subsequently brought to a plethora of home systems during the early 1980s, being one of the most widely ported Sega games in history. The hardware behind the game also went in to fuel other isometric arcade games, such as Congo Bongo and Future Spy.

The Atari 2600 and Intellivision versions of the game (published by Coleco) are the most radically different, opting for a third-person "behind the ship" view rather than an isometric one, presumably due to hardware limitations. It has been suggested, however, that Coleco purposely dumbed down these versions for competition purposes - their ColecoVision port was for many years the most accurate home copy of the game, however skipped a few levels due to cartridge restrictions (something later fixed with Zaxxon Super Game for Coleco's Adam computer).

An Atari 5200 version similar to the Atari computers copy was also released.

Sega produced their own home port of the game for Japanese SG-1000s in 1985, however held back from bringing the game to more modern Sega platforms. Zaxxon was not seen again until a surprise appearance in the Sega Mega Drive Collection and Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection compilations, and in more recent times, the arcade version has been made available through the Wii's Virtual Console service.

As one of Sega's first success stories, Zaxxon was also turned into a board game by Milton Bradley in 1982. Bandai and Coleco also released VFD and LCD versions of the game, in the form of a tabletop Zaxxon, FL Zaxxon and a handheld Zaxxon. Curiously, Sega of America, through its blog, has erroneously laid claim to several other versions of Zaxxon - a homebrew Commodore Amiga version from 1995, and a version for the Dragon 32/64 computer (based on the TRS-80 CoCo version), whose legitimacy has yet to be verified.

Zaxxon was followed in the arcades by Super Zaxxon, which despite offering similar gameplay, was far less successful. Also created was Zaxxon 3D for the Sega Master System and Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 for the Sega 32X.

Production credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Zaxxon/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Zaxxon/Promotional material.

Photo gallery

Physical scans

Arcade version

Zaxxon hardware, US
Zaxxon Arcade US Marquee.jpg
Zaxxon Arcade US Manual.pdf
Manual
Zaxxon hardware, FR
Zaxxon hardware, DE
Zaxxon Arcade DE Marquee.jpg
Zaxxon Arcade DE ControlPanel.jpg
Zaxxon hardware, JP

SG-1000 version

SG-1000, JP
Zaxxon SG-1000 JP Top.jpg
Zaxxon SG1000 JP Box Back.jpgZaxxon SG-1000 JP Spine.jpgZaxxon SG1000 JP Box Front.jpgZaxxon SG-1000 JP Spine2.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon SG-1000 JP Carttop.jpg
Zaxxon SG1000 JP Cart.jpg
Cart
ZaxxonSGJPManual.pdf
Manual
SG-1000, TW

Atari 2600 version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
70 №32, p52-53[11]
Atari 2600
70
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
35
[12]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
63
[11]
Atari 2600
49
Based on
2 reviews

Zaxxon

Atari 2600, US
Zaxxon Atari2600 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon Atari2600 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Atari2600 US Cart.jpg
Cart
Zaxxon Atari 2600 US Manual.pdf
Manual
Atari 2600, EU

Zaxxon Atari2600 EU CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, UK
Zaxxon 2600 UK Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon 2600 UK Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Atari2600 UK CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, FR
Zaxxon 2600 FR Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon 2600 FR Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Atari2600 DE CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, DE

Zaxxon Atari2600 DE CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, DE (alt)

Atari 2600, CA
Zaxxon Atari2600 CA Coleco Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon Atari2600 CA Coleco Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Atari2600 CA Coleco Cart1.jpg
Cart
Zaxxon Atari2600 CA Coleco Cart2.jpg
Alternative cart
Atari 2600, BR (Tron)

Zaxxon Atari2600 BR Tron Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, BR (Intellivision)

Zaxxon Atari2600 BR Intellivision Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, BR (Dynacom)

Zaxxon Atari2600 BR Dynacom Cart Back.jpgZaxxon Atari2600 BR Dynacom Cart.jpg
Cart

Atari 5200 version

Atari 5200, US
Zaxxon Atari5200 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon Atari5200 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Atari5200 US Cart.jpg
Cart
Zaxxon 5200 us manual.pdf
Manual

ColecoVision version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
90 [13]
90 №3
83 №5, p25,27[14]
100 №6, p36-37, [1]
ColecoVision
91
Based on
4 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Arcade Express (US)
89
[15]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
55
[12]
TeleMatch (DE)
80
[14]
Tilt (FR)
100
[16]
ColecoVision
81
Based on
4 reviews

Zaxxon

ColecoVision, US
Zaxxon ColecoVision US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon ColecoVision US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon coleco us cart.jpg
Cart
Zaxxon coleco us manual.pdf
Manual
ColecoVision, EU
Zaxxon ColecoVision EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon ColecoVision EU Cart Top.jpg
Zaxxon ColecoVision EU Cart Back.jpgZaxxon ColecoVision EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Zaxxon coleco eu manual.pdf
Manual
ColecoVision, UK
Zaxxon ColecoVision UK Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon ColecoVision UK Cart.jpg
Cart
ColecoVision, FR
Zaxxon ColecoVision FR Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon ColecoVision FR Box.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon ColecoVision FR CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
ColecoVision, DE
Zaxxon Coleco DE Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon Coleco DE Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Coleco DE Cart Back.jpgZaxxon Coleco DE Cart.jpg
Cart
ColecoVision, CA

ColecoVision, AU
Zaxxon ColecoVision AU Box.jpg
Cover

Intellivision version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
20 №9
67 №9, p28/29[17]
Intellivision
44
Based on
2 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Intellivision
N/A
Based on
0 reviews

Zaxxon

Intellivision, US
Zaxxon Intellivision US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngZaxxon Intellivision US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Zaxxon Intellivision US Cart.jpg
Cart
Intellivision, EU
Zaxxon Intellivision EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
Intellivision, UK

Zaxxon Intellivision UK CBS Cart.jpg
Cart
Intellivision, DE

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
SG-1000
 ?
CRC32 905467e4
MD5 52bbf5336c190610a0fb1ab0bdaca455
SHA-1 e32f536c3576d41ab485e07809c4404e6b462443
32kB Cartridge (JP)
SG-1000
 ?
CRC32 49cae925
MD5 bb1c5b1071d5b9224b7733d60465e769
SHA-1 172a8ff1a574d7920906c5cf60e1d39f31b9b639
32kB Cartridge (TW)

External links

  • Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Arcade
  • Nintendo catalogue pages: US

References


Zaxxon

Zaxxon Arcade Title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Magazine articles | Reception | Promotional material | Merchandise | Clones


Books: The Official How to Win at Zaxxon (1982)

No results



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)