Exolon
Encyclopedia
Exolon is a run and gun game programmed by Raffaele Cecco
and published by Hewson in 1987 for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
and Amstrad CPC
8-bit
computers. It was later converted to Enterprise 128 and to the 16-bit Amiga
and Atari ST
platforms.
levels of gameplay. The screens that make up these levels are filled with various generic aliens as well as gun emplacements, homing-missiles, land-mines and other hazards. The player can defend themselves with both a gun and rocket-propelled grenades. The two different weapons are effective against different enemies.
The enemies themselves are very varied taking the form of flying aliens of the type traditionally found in shoot 'em ups as well as homing missiles, fixed guns, tanks, land mines, swarming red pods and "crushers" which shoot out of the ground.
Part-way through each level, there is a pod in which the player can "upgrade" until the end of the current level to an armoured exoskeleton
with improved weapons and armour. Attempting to finish the level without this upgrade results in a score bonus.
released an updated remake of Exolon for Windows
-based computers. It can be downloaded from their websitehttp://retrospec.sgn.net/. It was also one of the games featured on the C64 Direct-to-TV
, released in 2004.
Raffaele Cecco
Raffaele Cecco, born 10 May 1967, is a British video games developer who has created numerous video games since 1984, including Cybernoid and Exolon. He grew up in Tottenham in North London....
and published by Hewson in 1987 for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
computers. It was later converted to Enterprise 128 and to the 16-bit Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
platforms.
Gameplay
The player takes control of a futuristic soldier across several flick-screenFlip-screen
In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...
levels of gameplay. The screens that make up these levels are filled with various generic aliens as well as gun emplacements, homing-missiles, land-mines and other hazards. The player can defend themselves with both a gun and rocket-propelled grenades. The two different weapons are effective against different enemies.
The enemies themselves are very varied taking the form of flying aliens of the type traditionally found in shoot 'em ups as well as homing missiles, fixed guns, tanks, land mines, swarming red pods and "crushers" which shoot out of the ground.
Part-way through each level, there is a pod in which the player can "upgrade" until the end of the current level to an armoured exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
with improved weapons and armour. Attempting to finish the level without this upgrade results in a score bonus.
Legacy
In December 2005, RetrospecRetrospec
Retrospec is an internet based collective of coders, graphics artists and computer musicians. They specialise in taking popular games from the eighties and rewriting them using the extra power that is available in more modern computers, whilst attempting to stay true to the feel and gameplay of the...
released an updated remake of Exolon for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based computers. It can be downloaded from their websitehttp://retrospec.sgn.net/. It was also one of the games featured on the C64 Direct-to-TV
C64 Direct-to-TV
The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games. The design is similar to the Atari Classics 10-in-1 TV Game...
, released in 2004.