Sinclair User


Xecutor

Author: Chris Jenkins
Publisher: ACE
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Sinclair User #76

Xecutor

Re-released incredibly quickly after its full-price launch, Xecutor was described in its original SU review as, "A blinding technical achievement... looks good and plays even better." Although basically it's a straightforward vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-up, it has a couple of features which make it stand out from the crowd. For start there's a two-player simultaneous option. As the wonderfully-detailed backgrounds scroll past you, you just zap the waves of enemy fighters, and knock out laser bases. These leave behind weapons pods which you can pick up to add multiple lasers, smart bombs and shields to your arsenal. In two-player mode, you can either play co-operatively or competitively, destroying the weapons you don't need so your partner can't pick them up.

At the end of each level you get a lovely multi-weapon mothership to destroy, and on later levels dodging through the ironmongery becomes as challenging as seeing off the fighters. Excellent buy.

Overall Summary

SU Classic vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-up, excellent graphics make it a bargain.

Chris Jenkins

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