Axelay: What makes it work?

sfried · Post by **sfried** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:54 am

I know it's not the best of titles around, but there's something about Axelay that somehow...clicks? I know for one it's not (just) the graphics, as other titles have proven that fancy effect = bad visibility and hit detection, but that doesn't seem to Axelay's case. The whole horizontal/vertical format doesn't seem to be the reason, either... I thought It might have something to do with enemy placement, and how those weapons get used?

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:23 am

Personally, I find the audio ambiance of this game really appealing, and well matching to the visuals/gameplay.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:16 am

It's got great style, amazing graphics and some of the best audio on SNES.

The horizontal stages play really well too. The wonky controls and hit detection on the vertical stages slightly diminish its standing as a classic though, IMO.

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:13 am

The vertical stages really spoil it for me. I used to play the hori stages once in a while via savestate stage select, but the vertical ones are just too disorienting. Ah well, it was the time to show off some of the Mode 7 capabilities of the SNES, I guess. Adding to that, I never really got into the weapon system either.

The music is perfect, though.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:06 pm

The gameplay is average, but the presentation is about the best there is shmup-wise on the system.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:29 pm

In the vertical ones, every time the player stops moving the ship it will automatically scroll into the middle of the screen. I can't see the reason why they decided that way since without the auto forcing, those stages would have become more playable.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:42 pm

The game never really clicked with me... I actually prefer Super Thunder Blade more as a Mode 7 style shooter (even though it's not technically mode 7, yada yada yada). Of course Panorama Cotton blows them both out of the water, and it was on MD.

ccovell · Post by **ccovell** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:21 pm

The vertical stages in Axelay are not mode 7 either, technically.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:32 pm

Aye, apart from its excellent artistic direction and music, I think what really makes it work is that, despite not being particularly taxing, the gameplay always feels really punchy and satisfying. The weapons are beefy, and everything explodes with a sublime rumbling sound into a shower of scrap metal. What more do you need? :p

Cers · Post by **Cers** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:34 pm

I love the music !

...need the OST...

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:34 pm

It's all about Round Vulcan.

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:55 pm

an elaborate series of levers and pulleys.

Post by **Icarus** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:02 pm

Bal-Sagoth wrote:What more do you need? :p

Lots more stages.
Sequel would be nice.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:11 pm

That final stage.

It's awesome.

Everything else is meh.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:45 pm

Axelay works fine when using the mentioned wipe around shot which is a very precise and effective wep and makes this game unique. Without that shot, the gameplay wouldn't have much clicked with me. The needle laser isn't bad too but some of the weps are pretty useless like the straight laser or the cluster bombs in the vertical stages.

I always thought this game is known as a classic. Must be some tweaks why player refuse to call it that way but I don't think it has anything to do with enemy patterns. It's rather about how to use the weapon system.

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 7:03 pm

RHE wrote:In the vertical ones, every time the player stops moving the ship it will automatically scroll into the middle of the screen. I can't see the reason why they decided that way since without the auto forcing, those stages would have become more playable.

Ah yeah, now I remember why I disliked those parts so much. It´s even worse than the "skating" in games like Tyrian, where your ship doesn´t stop immediately but keeps on sliding for a bit after button release. It´s stuff that makes you scream "WHY?"

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:39 pm

I didn't have any problems with the controls in the vertical levels. I mean the 1st time I played it sure just a bit. I didn't really have to adapt much before they were intuitive....

JusteZero · Post by **JusteZero** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:17 pm

Kiken wrote:It's all about Round Vulcan.

Exactly, that weapon is the #1 thing that makes the game so damn awesome.

shinsage · Post by **shinsage** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:20 am

It's crazy, everytime you see an Axelay fan they bring up the Round Vulcan. I'll never understand the obsession with that weapon.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:55 am

shinsage wrote:It's crazy, everytime you see an Axelay fan they bring up the Round Vulcan. I'll never understand the obsession with that weapon.

It's the best thing going in a collection of weak shit.

sfried · Post by **sfried** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:22 am

Rob wrote:
shinsage wrote:It's crazy, everytime you see an Axelay fan they bring up the Round Vulcan. I'll never understand the obsession with that weapon.
It's the best thing going in a collection of weak shit.

I thought it also had some good weapon balance going for it. I mean, it's not like every weapon feels seriously gimped when the other one goes out (save for the cluster bombs), but it still has a function which can be adapted to fit the situation.

That, and some of the bosses. The giant lava monster, in particular... I wonder when we'll see more of that kind of humanoid boss flailing it's arms of instant death. (Starfox 64 also did have this, but Axelay was first.)

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:52 am

It's the best thing going in a collection of weak shit.

the vulcan is awsome but I deffinately used other weapons through the game and found them to my advantage.

axelay was/is a really nice little game. the best ever..... no but still a great little game, ESPECIALLY comparing it to it's other SNES peers. SNES sucked ofr shooters for the most part.

shinsage · Post by **shinsage** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:42 am

Rob wrote:
shinsage wrote:It's crazy, everytime you see an Axelay fan they bring up the Round Vulcan. I'll never understand the obsession with that weapon.
It's the best thing going in a collection of weak shit.

You truly are the Alaskan Gordon Ramsey.
of shooters.

Grant Windsor · Post by **Grant Windsor** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:25 am

sfried wrote:I know it's not the best of titles around

Good lord...I beg to differ. Axelay is an excellent shooter...from every vantage point that you could view it. Since it came out, I've had it in my Top 10 shmups of all time...and it's still there, even today. If you had said that about, say, Phalanx, Dimension Force or something like that on the SFC, I would've been with you on that. As it is, no.

- Grant

Macaw · Post by **Macaw** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:42 am

Yeah, I agree that its a outstanding game. I personally don't have a problem with the vertical stages myself, but the horizontal ones definitely stand out as being much better, and stages 2 and 6 are some of the most amazing shooting game stages ever in my opinion.

Many people can say how they think the game 'isn't fun' but I think its hard for anyone to deny that from a technical, artistic and musical standpoint the game is amazing.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:48 pm

shinsage wrote: You truly are the Alaskan Gordon Ramsey.
of shooters.

Awesome. I never could cut it as the Jack Bauer of shooters.

sfried · Post by **sfried** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:53 pm

Grant Windsor wrote:
sfried wrote:I know it's not the best of titles around
Good lord...I beg to differ. Axelay is an excellent shooter...from every vantage point that you could view it.

Some would beg to differ, hence I meant "around here at shmups.com". I know some people can be very spazzed up by standards.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:58 pm

Rob wrote:
shinsage wrote:It's crazy, everytime you see an Axelay fan they bring up the Round Vulcan. I'll never understand the obsession with that weapon.
It's the best thing going in a collection of weak shit.

good point rob. still never understood why people get so juiced over axelay. not very exciting stuff at all. more people need to play the "of thunder" series.

although those clearly are not on snes, perhaps wrecking the point people are trying to make.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:58 pm

The SNES does have Bio Metal, though.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:00 pm

Rob wrote:The SNES does have Bio Metal, though.

another excellent point rob. everyone go play biometal, axelay isn't worth it.

are there any snes emus that will record to a video file? i'm thinking people might be open minded to a video of a player who likes the material. most every opinion i've heard about this game has been. the first stage is slow, i hate the whole game!

shmups.system11.org

Axelay: What makes it work?

Axelay: What makes it work?

Re: Axelay: What makes it work?

Re: Axelay: What makes it work?