Xexex
Xexex, released as Orius in North America, is a 1991 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was released in Japan in October 1991 and the same year internationally. It draws on Irem's R-Type and Konami's other shoot 'em up Gradius, while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up X Multiply.
Also recorded as Orius
Xexex
- Date
- 1991.
- Publisher
- Konami.
- Genre
- shoot 'em up and science fiction video game.
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Documentary summary
Xexex, released as Orius in North America, is a 1991 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was released in Japan in October 1991 and the same year internationally. It draws on Irem's R-Type and Konami's other shoot 'em up Gradius, while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up X Multiply.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
- Identity
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Authority files
wikidata · Q2039790
In this article
Gameplay
Gameplay
In the game, players take control of the Flintlock space fighter (which is armed with the mysterious alien life form "Flint") in a mission to rescue Princess Irene La Tias of Planet E-Square, who has been captured by the evil galactic warlord Klaus Pachelbel. It did not see a home port until 2007, when it was included in the compilation Salamander Portable, released only in Japan for the PlayStation Portable. Hamster Corporation released the game as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in December 2021.
The gameplay is similar to R-Type and X-Multiply. The player's ship, the Flintlock, has a detachable orb attachment called the Flint, which behaves similar to R-Type's Force Device. Power-ups can be obtained to increase the Flint's tentacles, movement speed, change the main weapon, or even give the player an extra life or energy. There are different gameplay mechanics between the original Japanese release and the overseas releases. The overseas versions introduce a variety of changes, with the most notable being the removal of all but one upgradable weapon, as well as the removal of a lives system, which is replaced with an energy bar. The enemy patterns are also changed slightly and the bosses have more health. In the Japanese version, the player starts with the Proton Laser, a thin stream of weak bullets. Defeating certain enemies will drop other weapons. The name of the current weapon is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The game uses a traditional lives system, and when a life is lost, the player continues play from a checkpoint. In the overseas versions, the only available weapon is the Proton Laser, with Missiles acting as a secondary weapon; powering up the Proton Laser increases its spread, and powering up the Missiles increases the amount fired. The Flint's tentacles have been shortened in this version, and it now can only be shot forward and released instead of being able to be detached near the ship. This version opts for an energy bar instead of lives, and the Flintlock can take multiple hits before being destroyed. If the ship's energy reaches zero, the player must insert another credit, and then can begin immediately where they left off with a newly restored energy bar.
History of the object
Dated record
History of the object
The full dated record · 2 entries
1991
Xexex published.
1991
Xexex is recorded as published in 1991.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Xexex on their November 15, 1991 issue as being the fifth most-popular arcade game at the time. In the January 1992 issue of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine, the game was ranked on the number ten spot in popularity. At the 1992 Gamest Awards, Xexex was awarded Best Graphics (beating Virtua Racing) and Best VGM (beating Metal Black). Xexex was also nominated for Game of the Year (ranked 4th), Best Shooter (ranked 2nd), and Best Direction (ranked 6th), but lost to Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Aero Fighters, and Art of Fighting, respectively. Xexex has been met with positive reception from critics since its initial launch. Konami released four Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game cards as a reference to Xexex: Flint, Flint Lock, Flint Attack (Flint Missile) and King of Destruction Xexex.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム): ゼクセクス. Micom BASIC Magazine. 113. 258. November 1991.
- 2.Akagi, Masumi. コナミ(コナミ工業)Konami. アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005). Amusement News Agency. 28. 13 October 2006. 978-4990251215.
- 3.Ishii, Zenji. コーナー: 開発者インタビュー - イレーネ (ゼクセクス). Gamest. Shinseisha. 87. 83. 2018-01-17.
- 4.McFerran, Damien. Four More Classic Shmups Confirmed For Switch, Including Konami's Cult Hit, Xexex. Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. October 4, 2021.
- 5.Kalata, Kurt. Xexex. Hardcore Gaming 101. 11 September 2017.
- 6.Xexex operator's manual (Arcade, EU)
- 7.C. Mylonas, Eric. The Graveyard - Xexex. GameFan. Shinno Media. 8. 4. 94–95. April 2000.
- 8.EMAP. Arcade Action - Xexex. Computer and Video Games. 123. 89. February 1992.
- 9.Ishii, Kenji. グッドなゲームはかく語れ!!AMショー持選版クロスレビユー!!: ゼクセクス. Gamest. Shinseisha. 66. 113. December 1991.
- 10.Wilson, David. Kill Zone - Xerex. Game Zone. Dennis Publishing. 1. 4. 74. February 1992.
- 11.Stokes, Doris. Dosh Eaters: Xexex (Konami). Zero. Dennis Publishing. 29. 59. March 1992.
- 12.Amusement Press, Inc. Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos). Game Machine. 415. 25. 15 November 1991.
- 13.Yamashita, Nobuyuki. Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game (ビデオゲーム) - Hot 20. Micom BASIC Magazine. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. 115. 241. January 1992.
- 14.Shinseisha. ザ・ベストゲーム2 - アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史: ゲーメスト大賞11年史. Gamest Mook. 5. 14–15. 17 January 1998. 9784881994290.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
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