Xevious 3D/G
A 3D polygonal update to the classic Xevious shooter.
Xevious 3D/G is a 1996 arcade shooter from Namco, the eighth in the Xevious series. It blends 2D gameplay with 3D polygon graphics and runs on Namco's System 11 hardware. The soundtrack, a mix of techno, was co-composed by Ayako Saso and Shinji Hosoe.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter
- Series
- Xevious
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- Namco System 11
- Platforms
- Arcade, PlayStation
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Xevious 3D/G is a vertically scrolling shooter that swaps the original game's sprites for 3D polygonal graphics. One or two players take control of the Solvalou starship, which is blue for the first player and red for the second, on a mission to defeat the Xevious forces and their leader before humanity is enslaved. The Solvalou is armed with a projectile weapon for airborne targets and a bomb for ground-based ones. New to this title are power-ups stored inside cylindrical ground stations called Poladomes, which players must bomb to release. These power-ups include a blue double shot, a green concentrated beam that cuts through enemies, and a red heat-seeking laser that locks onto any visible foe. The game is divided into seven areas, such as grassy plateaus, vast oceans, mechanical bases, and outer space. Each area ends with a boss fight, including the Andor Genesis mothership from the original Xevious, while the final stage pits players against GAMP, the supercomputer leader of the Xevious forces. As in the first game, players can bomb specific ground spots to reveal large Sol towers and Rally-X Special Flags that grant an extra life. Easter eggs reference other Namco games, like a Pooka from Dig Dug, and a cheat code that swaps both Solvalou for Heihachi and Paul from Tekken, complete with their own endings.
Development
In the late 1980s and 1990s, as 3D arcade hardware emerged, Namco became a major force in polygonal gaming with hits like Tekken, Ridge Racer, and Alpine Racer. Their System 11 board, though less powerful than rivals, was popular with arcade operators due to its low cost. After a slump earlier in the decade, the shoot-'em-up genre was rebounding with profitable titles such as RayStorm, G-Darius, and Radiant Silvergun. Hoping to capitalize on this trend, Namco developed a 3D follow-up to Xevious for the System 11, incorporating mechanics from other shooters to attract new players. The original Xevious had been a massive success—its Family Computer port sold over a million copies and earned platinum status—giving Namco confidence in the project. A growing market for arcade game remakes also suggested commercial viability. Xevious 3D/G was promoted as the System 11’s first shooting game. Its soundtrack was largely a joint effort by Shinji Hosoe and Ayako Saso. For her final Namco project before moving to Arika, Saso crafted a techno score reminiscent of her earlier work X-Day, while preserving the classic Xevious sound rather than making radical changes. Nobuyoshi Sano and Hiroto Sasaki each contributed two tracks. The hardware’s 3D capabilities allowed for environments closer to those in earlier sequels, including large Aztec-style structures and deserts drawn from original concept art. Namco avoided texture mapping, believing a realistic look would clash with Xevious’s futuristic, flat-shaded aesthetic.
Release
Namco first showed Xevious 3D/G at the 1996 AOU tradeshow in February, alongside Prop Cycle, Ace Driver Victory Lap, and Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2. Marketing highlighted its 3D computer-generated visuals, cinematic cutscenes, and low price. It launched in Japan on May 1, sold only as a conversion kit for existing System 11 arcade games or Namco cabinets. A North American version arrived later that year in plain black cabinets. Edge magazine’s August 1996 issue listed a European release as “TBA,” but it’s unclear if that ever happened. In early March 1997, GameFan reported Namco was working on a PlayStation port alongside Time Crisis. That version, called Xevious 3D/G+, came out in Japan on March 28. Namco showed it at E3 1997 with Ace Combat 2, Treasures of the Deep, and Namco Museum Vol. 5, then released it publicly on June 30. Europe got it later that year. The PlayStation port includes the original Xevious, Super Xevious, and Xevious Arrangement (previously part of Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1), plus a new arranged soundtrack, minor graphical tweaks, and full-motion video cutscenes between levels. Since the System 11 arcade board was based on PlayStation hardware, the port was straightforward. The Japanese version suffered from heavy slowdown, which was fixed for the North American release. It works with the Namco NeGcon controller. In October 1997, Namco and Pony Canyon jointly released a techno soundtrack album, Xevious 3D/G+ Techno Maniax, alongside Tekken 3 Battle Trax, featuring original tracks and remixes under Pony Canyon’s DigiGroove brand. Xevious 3D/G+ was re-released digitally on the PlayStation Store in Japan on June 26, 2013, as part of the Game Archives line for PS3 and PS Vita, followed by a North American release on February 25, 2015, alongside other Namco PlayStation titles.
Reception
Xevious 3D/G saw success in its first few months on the market but was seen as inferior to other shooters and not as successful as Namco hoped. According to the May 1996 issue of Gamest, Xevious fans disliked it for straying from what made the original famous, particularly the inclusion of highly-destructive power-ups and pre-placed enemies. Edge magazine claimed that aside from a well-made presentation, it was an average shooter not as polished as other games. The PlayStation version had mixed reception. It was a commercial success with nearly 100,000 copies sold and received Famitsu's Silver Hall of Fame award, but was characterized as inferior to the shoot'em up catalog on the console. Critics disliked its short length and lack of power-up variety. Next Generation expressed disappointment at the small number of levels, saying it could be finished in under an hour. GameSpot echoed that its low difficulty made it easy to beat in a day. Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers said its weakest point was the low amount of power-ups. Most reviewers found the slowdown so prevalent it interfered with enjoyment.
More in Namco Games of the 1990s 1-24
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