Retro Weekends Episode 31: Xenon

"I really enjoyed the gameplay of Xenon and the way that you can morph between tank and jet, I didn't however enjoy the times when the controls would cause you to morph when you didn't want to. The controls in the game are just so unintuitive, they really needed a second button to work. I like that the game allows you to choose between two main set-ups for your power-ups, the two set-ups have their own strengths and are useful on different sections and the graphics, as you find with all Bitmap Brothers games were also excellent."

"At the time of release in 1988 there wasn't a helluva lot of 4th generation shmups around bar a handful of early PC-Engine titles, so graphically this looks better than most of its peers. The bosses look very imposing and the power-ups are more impressive than was commonly seen that year, with hectic, screen-filling weapons. I like the inclusion of being able to change between a tank and a jet on the fly, I think its a quite interesting gameplay mechanic but the implementation here leaves a lot to be desired. Musically the soundtrack is fantastic, but I find the fact that the sound effects cut out the lead of the music a bit distracting. The game is also a little bit short for 1988 in my opinion and the diffulculty curve is off."