POSTED BY

Joel Johnson

AT 7:41 AM
Friday February 6, 2009

Arcade • Retro

zaxxon

Zaxxon, I hated you

zaxxon.jpg

I would stand in awe at the foot of the Zaxxon machine, clasping and unclasping my tiny, damp claw around its oversized stick—the size and color of a genuine spaceship, I was sure—and watch the demo over and over, trying to plan my route in detail. Moving the stick in pantomime. Memorizing where enemies would appear. After minutes, I'd pop in my only quarter and launch my little isometric space fighter, only to die within seconds. I'm pretty sure it wasn't until I got a home version for my 286 Tandy that I made it past the first wall.

0

5 Comments

AirPillo

#1 – 12:21 PM February 6, 2009

One thing I don't miss about when "arcade" games really were designed for arcades:

The games were designed to make you lose frequently, and hold the gameplay hostage for another coin. Aren't you glad that games which aren't made by idiots now no longer employ that tactic?

Marshall

#2 – 8:31 PM February 6, 2009

Same here. I spent a fantastic amount of quarters on Zaxxon (man, was that the first font I ever loved) as a child. Later when I got a copy of it on 5.25" for my Apple IIC, I pretty much exploded with joy at being able to experience over and over again its monotonously difficult gameplay.

simonemarie

#3 – 10:04 AM February 7, 2009

i had this on colecovision.

Brad S.

#4 – 1:08 PM February 8, 2009

I love how the promo sheet insinuates that the ship did a little acrobatic circle around the fuel canister... talk about false advertising!!!

Futrell

#5 – 5:18 PM February 10, 2009

Ha, I just saw a Zaxxon machine for sale at an antiques store in Lynnwood, WA this weekend. It needed a little love but was working perfectly. $500

The flight-stick/joystick was quite a bit smaller than I remember it.

Great game.

Leave a comment