Exolon
| Industry | Video game publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980s |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Video games, including Exolon |
Exolon is a run and gun game created by Raffaele Cecco and launched by Hewson in 1987. Initially released for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC, it was subsequently adapted for the Enterprise 128, Amiga, and Atari ST platforms.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of Vitorc, a futuristic combatant navigating through numerous flip-screen stages populated with diverse alien adversaries, stationary gun turrets, homing missiles, landmines, and other perils. Vitorc wields both a firearm and rocket-propelled grenades, each suited to counter specific enemy types.
Opposition includes airborne alien foes reminiscent of classic shoot 'em ups, guided missiles, fixed artillery, armored tanks, explosive mines, clusters of swarming pods, and subterranean "crushers" that surface unexpectedly. Midway through each level, players have the option to enter a pod that upgrades Vitorc into an armored exoskeleton, enhancing offensive capabilities and defense until the level concludes. Opting to complete a stage without this upgrade rewards players with additional points.
Reception
In September 1987, the ZX Spectrum edition achieved the top position on the Woolworths Top 30 chart, while the Commodore 64 version reached number 29. The game garnered widespread critical praise, receiving accolades including Crash Smash, Sinclair User SU Classic, Your Sinclair Megagame, and Amstrad Action Mastergame awards.
Legacy
Following his work on the two Cybernoid games in 1988, Cecco developed Stormlord, regarded as a spiritual successor to Exolon. During its development, it featured the same main character sprite as in Exolon.
Exolon was bundled with the C64 Direct-to-TV console in 2004. Later, in December 2005, Retrospec released a modernized remake for Microsoft Windows, which was made available for download via their official website.
External links
- 1987 review of Exolon from Crash magazine.
- Enterprise 128 conversions (in Hungarian) adapted from ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions