X

This article is about the Game Boy game. For information about the Pokémon game, see Pokémon X and Y. For the Wii U game unveiled in January 2013 under the working title X, see Xenoblade Chronicles X.

X

エックス Ekkusu

Developer(s): Nintendo EAD Argonaut Games Publisher(s): Nintendo Platform: Game Boy Category: Vehicle combat Players: 1 Predecessor: N/A Successor: X-Scape

Release dates Japan: May 29, 1992

Not to be confused with Space X.

X is a Game Boy title released exclusively in Japan in 1992. Originally meant to be published by Mindscape as Lunar Chase or Eclipse, Nintendo took interest in the project as they wanted to see a 3D game on the Game Boy, and X was among the first 3D games released for a handheld system in Japan, using wireframe 3D graphics for its enemies and certain objects. A North American release of the game was planned at one point, under the title Lunar Chase, but was scrapped; according to Dylan Cuthbert, Nintendo of America had rejected the game as they deemed it too "hardcore" for the market. A full English prototype was eventually leaked during the 2018-2020 Nintendo, Microsoft data breaches.

In 2010, this game would receive a sequel, X-Scape, developed by Q-Games and released over the DSiWare service.

Story

In the year XXXX, humanity has overpopulated the earth, forcing them to search for a new world to inhabit. Their search leads them to Tetamus II, a world with a similar environment to Earth's with a powerful mineral dubbed "Power Crystals". Mining these crystals, the people create a nuclear silo to convert the crystals into energy. However, an alien force attacks a cargo ship from Tetamus II, and desire to conquer Tetamus II and establish it as their base in conquering the universe. To prevent their world from being taken, humanity sends out the space tank VIXIV to stop the alien forces.

Gameplay

X is played from a first-person perspective. The player controls a tank, and must complete mission objectives in order to clear each of the consecutive missions. The tank is controlled with the control pad, and by holding down the button the player can increase the tank's speed over time. Pressing A fires the tank's weapons, while pressing B fires one of four special weapons, depending on which one the player has equipped. By passing over a ramp at the fastest speed, the tank will start to fly, though flying requires more fuel than moving normally. The tank has a limited amount of fuel, which can be refilled by collecting the appropriate item.

Surrounding the main game screen is the HUD, which displays the player's current cardinal direction, a radar which shows the environment around the player, and a grid which displays a simplified map of the entire planet. The HUD also displays the player's current time limit on the top, and on both sides of the screen are the player's shield level and height.

At certain points the player can travel through underground tunnels, which allow the player to travel to another area of the grid. The player navigates the tunnel by steering to avoid walls and obstacles, which slow the tank down and deplete its shield.

After the player clears a mission, the player receives a certain number of stars based on their performance; ten of these stars will earn the player one regular star, which are used to continue playing after receiving a game over.

Public demos

• It is believed that an English version of X was shown at a trade show, such as at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show.

Technical details

Technical details Media: Game Boy Game Pak Input / compatible controllers: Game Boy

External links

• X on Wikipedia
• X guide on StrategyWiki

References

Games X • X-Scape Related X (Game Boy tech demo)  • SNES Glider  • Star Fox series  • Starship Defense  • Trajectile