XX Mission (Arcade - PlayStation 4 - Nintendo Switch)

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Another break from XB1 shooters, and this time is UPL's 1986 shooter XX Mission. Since this is game that doesn't have too much to offer, this might be a short review. So sit, read and enjoy this review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Z6rBOnmk8

The popularity of Xevious gave rise to clones like any other popular shooter, and UPL (Short for Universal Playland, or "Uninspired, Pathetic and Lackluster" for me) came up with their own contender to Namco's shooter.

Unlike Xevious futuristic Sci-Fi setting, XX Mission is more of a modern day one, as the ship was changed into the F-14 Tomcat, the jet everyone wanted to fly, thanks to Top Gun.
Unfortunately, this game is not the Highway to the Danger Zone that you and your Mighty Wings are looking for. Being a Xevious clone, the game gives you a basic Anti-Air Twin Shot and an Air-to-Ground vulcan to destroy ground and sea targets. One of the worst problems is that power-up enemies doesn't appear with frequency. Yeah, those green jet formations that occasionally appear they have to been destroyed all of them to release a badge that can change by shooting at it: From a red bage to a 2,000 Bonus point giving "WAP" to a two-star decorated red badge that gives you a longer vulcan shot, or one that gives you a 4 Anti-Ground Vulcan. It's two player feature is the alternate Super Mario Bros.-esque gameplay, so your chances of "Playing with the Boys" in simultaneous F-14 action are less than zero. Also, dying in this game result in a checkpoint returning. However, recovering in this game is much easier due to its simple attack patterns, if you get shot down in this game is not because you're lacking skills, is because you're getting bored and hell, this is one hell of a boring game that you'll rather prefer to watch who's dumb enough to give this game a try.

As part of the Arcade Archives, the game features two more options: Hi-Score Mode and Caravan Mode. Hi-Score Mode is your "How far you can reach?" where you only have two lives and no continues, focusing the gameplay on reaching the highest score possible. Caravan Mode is the Starship Hector-like game mode where you only have 5 minutes to reach a high score, the only way to lose there is losing all of your F-14's.


Graphically, the game is terrible to look, the F-14 didn't looked as horrible as in this game, where it looks like a sprite of a Commodore 64 game. The only good thing about it is the animated swing-wing change as the player is goes up or down across the screen, something that we will saw later (and better) in Grid Seeker: Project Storm Hammer. Like i said before, the game's main theme is the "modern day military" as we have fighter jets, tanks, submarines and ships. Although there's some sci-fi elements like the blue cores on the ground. The jungle scenery feels just like the entire game, a rip-off of Xevious with some slight detailing like the inclusion of fields of trees and more rivers. The glowing score and high-score numbers look quite fancy in an attempt of making the game visually attractive. Only a few things look decent like the B-1 Lancer boss and the blue Cores. The rest is completely forgettable.


The sound is really harmful to the ears. The soundtrack of this game has to be the worst that i've heard. One single track that loops again and again is the only thing that you'll hear until you get Game Over and reach the Name Entry screens which where the only other two songs this game has to offer. I've heard better chiptunes in the NES than this game. Also, something that i've noticed is that the music mutes when you destroy a large enemy due to the big explosion they leave when they're destroyed.


Ironically, the game's engrish-packed ending invites you to "Try anything else without the video game". Well, if they mean this game, it means they know they're making a bad, sorry excuse for a shooter. If you're looking for some good F-14 vertical shooting action, try Grid Seeker, or Aero Fighters, just don't bother playing XX Mission on either arcade, PS4 or Nintendo Switch, even if you're "Feeling the Need" for PS4 or Switch Trophies, XX Mission is just a waste.

End of the review, i'll try something else without XX Mission, and that's watching the upcoming NASCAR season, it's more thrilling than this game.