X-Out is a video game released by Rainbow Arts

Rainbow Arts

Rainbow Arts is a German game developer company founded in 1984 in Gütersloh by Marc Ulrich which was later bought by Funsoft, and eventually absorbed by THQ in 1999...

 in 1989 for the 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 in 1990 for the 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...

, 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...

, 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...

 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,...

.

Gameplay

X-Out is a horizontally scrolling shoot-em-up

Shoot 'em up

Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...

 with eight levels and an underwater setting.

Between levels, the player visits a shop and use their game score to purchase new submarines and equipment. The submarines come in four different variants, and additional purchases act as additional "lives". Each can be equipped with a one-way, two-way or three-way fire weapon of increasing power (and thus cost). Secondary weapons include sonic waves, powershots and target-seeking missiles. The player can also purchase auxiliary satellites and specify their movement pattern, which can be circular orbits, vertical and horizontal movements, or an intercepting action.

Critical reception

The ZX Spectrum version achieved good critical success. Your Sinclair

Your Sinclair

Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...

 awarded 84%, highlighting the comprehensive shop sequence and large, well-animated enemies. Criticisms included the monochrome graphics which were said to be a little confusing, and the lack of a sense of danger.

During the time of release, there was some debate as to whether the game was actually pronounced "cross out" or "X out" ("ex out"). However the cassette version of the Commodore 64 release displays "Loading Crossout" at the beginning of the loading process. Also, in the Amiga version (as well in the C64 version), the synthesized voice in the intro says "Get ready for Crossout". The sequel Z-Out

Z-Out

Z-Out is a 1990 side-scrolling shoot 'em up released for the Amiga and Atari ST by Rainbow Arts. It is the sequel to X-Out. Unlike its predecessor, the game features a co-operative two-player component. While its critical reception was positive—particular praise went to its graphics—many reviewers...

abandons this pronunciation pattern.