I remember how absolutely blown away we were seeing Zaxxon for the first time. It had everything: full color, great sound effects, kick-ass flight stick controller, awesome 3-D graphics. Definitely one of the all-time greatest classic arcade games ever made. Thanks for the video my friend, good stuff!
I'm very impressed that you included the TRS-80 Color Computer version of Zaxxon. The CoCo was a highly underrated computer for its time but it had some real gems, and Zaxxon was one of them. A lot of people consider that version of Zaxxon to be the best version of that era. Loved the video!
My brother worked at Toys r Us in 1983 and we somehow acquired Colecovision and Zaxxon was my second favourite after Time Pilot! This video makes me realize how fortunate we were and I can remember my dad's Trs-80 and my first Commodore 64 and Gorf, Man those were the days!
Yes they were, I had a Texas instruments in between my Vic 20 and Commodore 64 and don't even recall how or why I got it. We had a few games for but not a whole lot
The Colecovision version is my childhood! The only version I've ever known or will ever need. I was so happy when I discovered it on my Legends Flashback console!
@@alanbiernacki2817 - So pictures were so cool. You would imagine in your mind how the game would be. Then you would play it. I remember the dragons on the box compared to the dragons in the game. Lol.
He's being a bit too harsh on the games - considering the ancient chips and tiny RAM they had to work with... TSR-80 version ? Wow! I am shocked their is not ZX-81 black and white version! But Zaxxon becomes a 'benchmark' demonstrating the limitations in the various platforms: scrolling, memory buffering, colors, sound, speed - Zaxxon ports show the strengths and weaknesses of every platform.
@@fatbatman7291 Some of us remember the very first game we Wrote - not much by today's standards, of course, but to sqeeze games into what's left of RAM, 64K mind you, not 64 Gigabytes, well - it was wonderful to get Anything working at all in those little 8 bit machines ! :-) Amazingly - people now have built Raspberry Pi internet interfaces to allow their old 8-bit Atari 800 / XL / 130 XE, and Commodore 64s, and even Sinclair ZX 81s to (slowly) browse the internet in text format today. :-)
@@SeaJay_Oceans dude you cant compare an arcade machine with the first computers we've ever got, arcades were superior those days, you are talking about ports? try out Zaxxon on the Sega1000 and you will see that game is trash compared to the arcade version and of course there were limitations but when it comes to comparing writing a game for a pc or a console back then and say hes being "too harsh" then.. youre out of your mind.
I always appreciated the way this game looked, and I wanted to be able to play it well and enjoy it, but I just totally sucked at it. It was frustrating and I felt like if I closed my eyes and hoped for the best I'd end up better off. I guess others caught onto the perspective and had a feel for where the ship was in 3D space, but not me.
I had to have been 5-6 when i 1st played this on the old 2600 and i was so proud of myself when i figured out how the height mechanic worked. Zaxxon was on heavy rotation at my house along with cosmic arc and track and field. Your videos bring up so many long forgotten memories. Thanks for making these things.
how did I never make this obvious connection? I played Raid Over Moscow SO MUCH. I loved the grounded setting and the changing gameplay but the Zaxxon-like stage was obviously the best
PatmanQC, I'm a new subscriber and I LOVE your work. Thank you for these! I am so happy that you were able to overcome so much and reconnect with your passions. We've all been through a lot, and I just wanted to say you are admired and very much appreciated. I can't wait to watch more of your videos. Excellent job on Zaxxon. I remember seeing that commercial, and it seemed so out of this world... when I finally came across a new machine in an arcade, it was intimidating, SO FUTURISTIC, LOUD and beautiful, it was overwhelming to my 9 year old senses... I begged mom for a quarter, which lasted 15 seconds. LOL! I was hooked tho- to this day, Zaxxon will always be one of my favorite games. I even have such memories of 2-hour delays because of snow, and playing the Atari 2600 version with a few friends, waiting for the bus to come, it still snowing outside. We were so lucky to have our childhoods in the 70s-80s, and now have that chance to look back on this magic!
Thank you so much, I appreciate the nice words. Thanks for watching my intro video, a lot of people don't so I really do appreciate it. Glad you are enjoying my content. That's the way it was back in the day, arcade games that only last a few minutes and that was back to begging your parents for more quarters :-) Thanks for sharing your story, I always love reading about the memories of growing up. Cheers
I played a lot to that game, in the early 80's, on an apple II, version you forgot in your video. In my remembers, the version looked close to the trs 80 color.
I also has the Apple II version and thought it was very close to the arcade version. I wish he had been able to cover it. Patman, Great job on the video despite not have the Apple II version.
Great video that brings back great memories. My stomach and ribs are killing me from throwing up because of a stomach flu, and I laughed about ten times from your commentary, which made killer pain shoot through my rib cage. Thanks!
I think everyone sucked at this game. I did okay on the Coleco version, only because you could turn down the difficulty setting. Playing in the arcade, I was lucky to get past the first wall! :-p
This is yet another favorite from when I was a kid, I even had the board game at one point, wishing I knew what happened to it now after watching this.
When I was in the Air Force in the early 80's we had a Zaxxon arcade game in the Alert Facility. I can't even *begin* to estimate how many quarters I dropped into that machine. But I mastered that game after some time... It got to the point where we would all compete for a perfect score :-) Still, to this day, one of my favorite video games,
Outstanding overall picture of zaxxon throughout its many iterations. Thank you for that. The title did mislead me though and I'm happy for it. I actually thought I was going to see the history of the creation of the game zaxxon for the arcade version. There's a little bit of informative detail in there but this is no story about the programmers and they're laboring to create the game. It is though a very thorough and enjoyable walk through all of those consoles. I was s kid through the whole era and it brought back a lot of memories of garbage games in the home. Lol. Nothing ever beats the original arcade. Thank you for this video.
I had a lot more technical information on the creation of the game from the programmers themselves but I try to find the perfect balance when it comes to these videos. Some people say I don't give enough information and other say I give too much and they are bored. I'm glad you ended up enjoying the video though
Another Zaxxon collectable from those days was a series of cards & stickers released by Topps in 1983 called "Turbo City" that had Zaxxon, Frogger, DK Jr & Sega Turbo.
Zaxxon's 3D perspective was always tough to control, as are nearly any game using this Isometric 3D view. I suspect you could get really good with some practice. But dang, this was a beautiful game at the time, and really stood out from the crowd. It felt like a legitmate 3D play experience, actual movement in 3 dimensions. I actually think arcade game makers of the time failed to use this design as they could have. While there were some (Atari was really big on this with Marble Madness, 720, and even some of Temple of Doom), there were not a selection of clone shooters. For example, designers could have taken away the up and down and moved to just a left right and maybe forward and back like a traditional shooter, and had a game which primarily took place in the 2D plane but with some 3D elements with weapons or jumping. This would have removed some of the control issues with Zaxxon and created a unique experience. This would have been well within the tech of the time. Or something like the Desert Strike games with more freeform movement. And I guess Sega never felt like doing a sequel during the arcade years, which would have been great with the mid 1980's arcade tech. Anyway, here's to Zaxxon, a big step forward.
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries Oh, there's no doubt, I'm just surprised more arcade games of the time didn't try to copy this formula for shooters, given how much the early arcade games built upon each other.
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries dont forget QBert, I read that the creator of that game watched in panic as the first people were dying over and over; then he returned to the bar one week later and the machine was full with coins, great game that needs a little of practice with the perspective view
I've been waiting for this one! It was sometimes (most of the time) a hard one to get through the levels, but I still hold it as a top 5-10 all time. When I built my home arcade system, it was one that that I knew I needed to have on there.
ColecoVision user reporting. In addition to Zaxxon, there was a good Donkey King port, Ladybug, and Mousetrap. I never had Donkey Kong Jr but it looked amazing.
Hey Patman, greetings from BC, Canada. Just wanted to thank you very much for your awesome videos, I grew up with these games like you and I love 'em. Much appreciated!
Nice work on this documentary! The ColecoVision hardware is incapable of true smooth scrolling (though it can fake it only if the playfield is really simple) so that's why they couldn't "fix this one thing".
It was such a buzz when home conversions started appearing, it seemed such an outlandish, spectacular game. I would never have guessed where its name came from, this is cool stuff! As for that advertisement, it's strange how they used so little game footage given how, even back then, the game footage was so impressive.
Nice video. I just started learning Python using Code the Classics Vol 1 and am coding a basic version of Zaxxon in space. Last program I wrote was on my Commodore 64 I bought in 1983 so it's been a learning experience
I was 13 years old in 1980, and you had to be there to really experience the golden era of arcade games. All my allowance and all my friends allowance went into those games. We loved it.
Yes, there is nothing quite like it. Walking into an arcade and seeing five Pac-Man machines lined up along with three or four donkey Kong machines and they were usually all full
Excellent choice and perfectly executed, Patman! And to be honest, I'm that desperate to escape all the bloody media and internet hysteria regards HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Sparkle's "Megxit", if you posted a video about the history of Leisure Genius's "Micro Scabble" (1985's premiere Scrabble videogame) I'd happily watch it!!! Thank you for fifteen minutes of freedom, bud! I knight thee Sir Patman of RU-vid! P.S. If Micro Scrabble ever ends up as a future episode, please ensure not to mention my name 🤣👍
@Brad Viviviyal By my calculations I'm only going to be an EU Citizen for another hour and eight minutes! Brexit starts at midnight! "God Save the Queen" etc etc... Upon further reflection, I completely understand how you feel regards the Kartrashians.... They make my skin crawl, and genuinely believe they are solely responsible for the mutilation of a generation of girls who have been brainwashed into thinking that their buttocks need to be the size of a small car in order to appear desirable. I *don't* like big butts and I cannot lie...
Great review! I was lucky enough to play this in an arcade when it was released…I built a 60-1 a few years back and would say only thing missing is the flight stick. I was blessed that my parents bought my brother and I a Coleco Vision for Christmas one year. The games that CV offered was next level and the closest to Arcade at the time.
Thanks for sharing. Yes, I was mesmerized by the ability to play pretty darn good version of donkey Kong at home and to make it a pack in title for the Coleco vision was the icing on the cake. I got it for Christmas one year as well and played the heck out of donkey Kong all Christmas day
They're heavy nickel blocks mined from.....errr asteroids. That's it. Just being stored until they can melt them down and make starships out of them. :D
I just found this Channel and went through a couple of your videos. Super high-quality keep up the great work hope you can do Moon Patrol, Tempest, Burger Time, some of the lesser-known cabinets such as Atari space War
The ADAM!!!!!! I remember seeing that in Kay Bee. $600! My dad worked in computers and said, we can’t get a computer yet....do you know how fast computers are developing? This will be out of date in no time. I swear, next time we were at the mall it was $300! Then it was gone. More updated computers came within the year. He NAILED it! 😀
Great review of a classic 80s game. I remember buying this on the Coleco Vision with my accumulated birthday money. Unfortunately I clocked it the first day I got it but I still loved playing it afterwards anyway.
played this every chance i got. even as newer games came out, i always enjoyed this one. great video. I didn't realize there were that many conversions. as bad as some of them were, maybe it's a good thing i didn't know. keep up the great work!
@@jumbo4billion My recollection was of having to bazooka St Basil's in order to play the Tron phase, but it certainly made for a broad variety of gameplay. And you had to do the Zaxxon bit for four separate launch sites.
There was also a version made for the BBC Micro, but its name was Fortress, took about 10 minutes to load, from tape, and about 15 seconds of play time before I died, and had to start from the beginning. Ahh, the (very short) memories!
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries I never knew what Zaxxon was, but I knew Fortress. Mine was a copied tape. perhaps a copy tape game piracy idea? Early Commodore64
The perspective made this a very challenging game. Many times, errors occurred due to misjudging the location of the object collided with. Lots of practice on the Coleco version.
For the six people who didnt know, here's a computer funfact: The Colecovision, SG-1000 and MSX all had the same basic architecture inside (the MSX standard), so were theoretically compatible machines. The Spectrum used the same Z80 CPU, as did the TRS-80. The Tandy Colour Computer and Coleco Adam both used a Z80A. The Spectrum CPU ran at twice the speed of the other three, and the Intellivision was actually 16bit! Just shows how programmer skill and other factors often contribute more to the final product than raw power.
I have a Zaxxon arcade machine that I picked up a couple of years ago for my collection. I personally like it, but oddly enough in the arcade community, there is apparently a huge divide...people either love it or hate it. Anywhoo...cool video. Thanks for sharing. :)
In 1982 Zaxxon was my favorite game. Once I spent over four hours or so on a single quarter at Victory Foods grocery store and turned it over. I was 14.
I recall waiting in line at the Electronic Corrall back in 1982 (Lakewood, CA) to play this awesome arcade game! Now, I am very happy to have it in my personal collection: currently, both the CV and Adam sg versions, as well as the arcade!:)
Thanks for the memories. This was basically the only game where I was good. It was in a popular pool hall. I was 16, and I could make a game last forever. I basically stunk at everything else (even pool).
Coleco version for me. Getting through the walls and hitting the plane formations was so frustrating. I'd just avoid the planes. Loved the sound when you hit stuff on the ground.
To add, the Sega Master System's 3D glasses were a must! They plugged into the console in order to achieve the 3D effect, so the images were synchronized to appear in 3D through the electronic connection as opposed to using color. The result featured missiles flying off the screen into your living room! It was a step forward, very ahead of it's time and it worked extremely well. I don't know why it was discontinued when the Genesis came out, it was a good step towards VR, which in my opinion, could have been appropriated for home use a lot sooner but was limited due to financial constraints, I think. The Missile Command 3D game used the glasses and phaser gun attachment. It was like Duck Hunt but wayyyy more intense. Family members looked on in excitement, waiting their turn as they tried to imagine what it felt like to have missiles flying around you as you began to jump from the couch pointing the gun into thin air. It was nuts. I never had Zaxxon 3D. So I cannot comment much. it looks like the entrance of the trench and spaceship would have been in 3D adding to the feeling that you were passing through the trench behind the ship. Probably not as fun. I just feel like more could have been done with the concept.
Colecovision, Adam, and MSX definitely look like the best of the ports. But the reason for the choppy scrolling is the TMS992x graphics chip, which used tile-based backgrounds and had no fine tuning for start horizontal or vertical position, and only had 2 I/O ports for programming. So you'd literally have to write a new image for each frame in order to implement smooth isometric scrolling.
ZaXXon on the ColecoVision was sensational. Even though in retrospect the playability was not that good, which didn't matter , having almost the arcade version in the home was all that mattered. Well done presentation . How you managed to get all the versions is great.
I first saw this game in a little shack on a mini golf course. The scrolling looked so weird, at first I didn't see the isometricity and thought wow what a weird direction to scroll the background!
My grandparents had this game on ColecoVision. They had Subroc also and that was a similar, popular game in our household. The perspective was challenging for me to play as a kid, where I was able to play Subroc a lot easier.
Brilliant video, really interesting as well as being amusing! Your voice and accent adds something to it, look forward to seeing more of your game histories having found this one. Zaxxon amazed and fascinated me, I wasn't very good at it but I loved the whole idea and visual concept. It was massively exciting when home version started appearing. Good memories!
This was one of the few arcade games I was reasonably good at. The nearest arcade was about an hour’s walk from my house, and I would make that trek in the middle of a San Antonio summer just to play this game. Unfortunately, after a couple of years most of the cabinets developed problems with the stick - it would either get very stiff, or one of the contacts would get stuck so you always had to apply pressure in some direction just to fly straight. I tried to replicate the isometric look in a BASIC program on my TI-99/4A, but having no concept of the computations involved it didn’t go very well.
Nostalgic! I recall seeing it for the first time at the arcade as a new arrival, not even plugged in, and fascinated by the cabinet art. Definitely took some getting used to the perspective, and I could only make it past the 4th Robot, quickly running out of fuel after.
When I saw the TV commerical, I couldn't wait to find a Zaxxon arcade box and try it myself. When the arcade play was isometric, I was wondering if I need to get some distance into the game to get the 3D stuff - but it never happened. I was really disappointed.
On the 32X version, the jump button was used to hop onto certain enemies, at which point you took them over and played as them, kinda like the old Paradroid game for the C64. No mini-game though, it happened as soon as you landed on them. The 32X version wasn't very good, but that was a fun feature. I played the arcade version a lot back in the day, so much so that I invert the Y-axis control in all modern games because I'm so used to it.
You have fantastic content and a great sense of humour, too :) I have the original arcade flyers of several top hit you reviewed.. The double paged Zaxxon and the triple folded A4 full colour Tron come to mind as they stick out! It saddens me that all that beautiful paperwork is a thing of the past.
Thanks for the nice words. It's amazing that every arcade game had some sort of paper flyer for it. Thankfully most of these have been preserved. I love looking at those old flyers
I remember trying to play the CGA version of this on and off for years on a PC in the 80's using keyboard and it was diabolical. Only being able to go up and down or left and right at one time made for difficult play and it sounded horrible. The arcade version looked like a fun challenge.
Zaxxon 3d for Sega when using the 3D glasses was FANTASTIC, though - my favorite version of the game. I wish the 3D glass had been more durable, because they were really onto something - we would be ducking & dodging missiles as they came out of the screen. I love it!
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries The 3D effect was great. We broke our glasses because we'd impulsively duck out of the way of incoming fire, often flipping our chairs or tripping over things, jerking the cable out of the system. It was great, while it worked!
The jump button on the 32X version only works with the small ship. You can jump over bullets or onto enemies and take their ship. Once you highjack a bigger ship you're stuck to the ground unless you abandon ship. So yea. Very different from Zaxxon. It's original Japanese title is Parasquad, since you're a parasite that hacks into ships. I think they changed it to Zaxxon for the West just to make it sound familiar. And because of the view point.
After having regular access to an original Zaxxon machine in the early 00s and recently playing the 2600 version by emulation, I'm impressed that the 2600 version feels as much like Zaxxon to me as it does. The game mechanic of constantly shooting to gauge height and clearance seems as necessary in both versions. The height of enemies always seemed somewhat sketchy in the original too.
when this game hit the arcades in my town i was 17. i would spend a fair amount of my extra money playing it every day. high score of the month rec'd a huge pile of game tokens. every week, i came in 2nd place. i was amazed when i finally found out the high scorer was a middle aged guy in a suit and tie. i would love to own this game for my house
This game’s graphics blew me away back in the day. As did Congo Bongo, which I see you covered recently. Funnily enough, I don’t think I ever played them. Maybe I was too intimidated by their awesome graphical power!
My parents before they had kids, bought a Colecovision so they could play ZAXXON because it was their favorite game and this was the best version. Also came with Donkey Kong. Very disappointed SEGA never made a 16 bit port
imagine what it could have been in a cockpit cabinet ! also, the ColecoVision port was rushed to be one of the launch titles. it was really important in '82 to "bring the arcade home", marketing-wise (i would'nt be surprised if it was the prototype version for the MSX)
I grew up with the real-deal arcade ZAXXON in our front room. I still have it today, it is about 15 feet behind me. still works when you plug it in! I am going to lube the joystick soon and try for a high score.
The ColecoVision and MSX are jerky because the play field is tile based and scrolls in 8 pixel increments. The F18A FPGA mod has smooth scrolling registers and I challenged OpCode Games to rrrrlease Zaxxon with smooth scrolling on their new console as it supports the F18A scroll registers. Maybe some day I’ll do it. Great game but even as a kid I hated the jerky scrolling.
