Play Xevious Video Game Online - Classic Xevious Web Game
Xevious is a legendary vertical scrolling shooter arcade game created by Namco and released in 1982. Designed by Masanobu Endo, this game took the gaming world by storm. Interestingly, in North America, Atari handled the manufacturing and distribution of Xevious, adding another layer to its international journey. Running on Namco Galaga hardware, Xevious had a unique identity, especially in Brazil, where the arcade cabinet was labeled as "Columbia," while the software retained its original name, Xevious. This fascinating twist adds to the game's mystique and global appeal. Have fun!
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How to Play Xevious Game
Use the arrow keys to play and the x key to shoot.
Xevious - Game Play
The player controls a combat aircraft called a Solvalou using an 8-way joystick. The aircraft is armed with a forward-firing Zapper for aerial targets and a Blaster that fires unlimited air-to-surface bombs for ground targets. Xevious is known for its diverse terrain, including forests, airstrips, bases, and mysterious Nazca Line-like drawings on the ground. A variety of aerial enemy aircraft shoot slow bullets, while others fire fast-moving projectiles and exploding black spheres. Ground enemies consist of stationary bases and moving vehicles, most of which also shoot slow bullets. Giant floating Andor Genesis motherships serve as level-bosses and are destroyed by knocking out their cores. Xevious features 16 scrolling areas, looping back to Area 7 after Area 16. If the player dies, they resume play from the start of the current area. If they have completed at least 70% of the area before dying, play begins at the start of the next area. Since the Solvalou constantly moves forward, players can advance without defeating all enemies.
The History of the Classic Xevious Video Game
The classic Xevious game was one of the earliest vertical scrolling shooters and greatly influenced video games in this genre. Its graphics were revolutionary, with characters rendered in remarkable clarity and effect through the careful use of shades of gray and palette-shifting. Xevious was also among the first video games to feature hidden bonuses not mentioned in the instructions, which could be revealed by a secret maneuver. For example, the flag in Xevious awarded an extra life, a feature later seen in many Namco games.
In 1983, Xevious became the first video game to have a television commercial aired for the North American market. Atari promoted the game with the slogan "Are you devious enough to beat Xevious?" and closed with the tagline "the arcade game you can't play at home." This marked a milestone as possibly the first TV commercial for an arcade video game. Atari even produced a specific TV commercial just for Xevious. Today, you can play this classic game online for free.