Aegis Wing
A free scrolling shooter created by Microsoft interns.
Aegis Wing is a side-scrolling shooter released for Xbox Live Arcade on May 16, 2007. It was developed by Carbonated Games alongside three Microsoft interns, and was offered at no cost to all Xbox Live members in North America. As of January 21, 2016, the title is backward compatible on Xbox One, and remains free to download on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S.
In the game, players control a ship moving through side-scrolling stages, facing waves of enemies and stationary mines. The backgrounds do not interact with gameplay. Some stages end with a boss that requires many hits to defeat. The ship has one main weapon that cannot be upgraded, but players can collect one of four power-ups to gain a limited-use super weapon; only one super weapon can be held at a time.
Up to four players can play cooperatively on the same console or via Xbox Live. When multiple players are present, they can temporarily attach their ships together. One player then pilots the combined ship, while the others can fire in a full 360-degree arc. Super weapons grow more powerful with each ship added. If a player dies in co-op, defeated enemies may drop a "back ship" power-up, which surviving players can use to revive a teammate.
The story is set in 2105. Earth’s environment is ruined, and humanity travels space seeking a new home. After settling on the planet Europa, colonists are attacked by the Araxians, an alien colony’s military. Studying downed Araxian fighters, humans build a powerful ship to fight back in the war for Europa.
Development began when Microsoft’s J Allard proposed a summer internship focused on game design. Three interns—Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer, and Matt Monson—created Aegis Wing in the summer of 2006. Dyer and Monson were members of the Texas Aggie Game Developers at Texas A&M University. The small team handled initial development, with artwork and audio support from other sources. Carbonated Games later helped bring the game to Xbox Live Arcade.
Because the Microsoft XNA toolkit was not yet ready, the team built several of their own tools. With only three months to work, they cut planned features to stay on schedule—for instance, a multi-configuration ship-merging system was reduced to a single configuration. The interns finished the game by summer’s end, handing it to Carbonated Games for final polish.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Aegis Wing
- Collapsible
- yes
- State
- expanded
- Developer
- Carbonated Games, / Microsoft
- Publisher
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Platforms
- Xbox 360
- Released
- May 16, 2007
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place in 2105 where Earth's environment is devastated and humankind travels through space in search of a new home world. Upon finding and settling on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, the human colonists are attacked by the space military of an alien colony-people known as the Araxians. After studying downed Araxian fighter technology, the humans develop a powerful space ship capable of using great firepower to be used against the Araxia in the war for Europa.
Reader's Guide
Aegis Wing is notable as a free Xbox Live Arcade title developed by three Microsoft interns—Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer, and Matt Monson—during a summer internship proposed by Microsoft's J Allard in 2006. The interns, two of whom were active in the Texas Aggie Game Developers at Texas A&M University, created the game in just three months, handing it to Carbonated Games for final polish. Despite mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic, the game's free availability and later inclusion as an Xbox One Backwards Compatible title ensured its continued accessibility. Its cooperative gameplay, allowing up to four players to attach ships and resurrect teammates, offered a unique social experience. The game's legacy lies in its demonstration of a successful intern-led project within a major company, resulting in a fully released commercial product that remained free for over a decade.
Did You Know?
- Aegis Wing was created by three Microsoft interns in the summer of 2006.
- The game was released free to all Xbox Live members in North America.
- It supports up to four players cooperatively, with the ability to attach ships together.
- As of January 21, 2016, it remains an Xbox One Backwards Compatible title.
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