Namco did divide the game up into vague areas, something you will only notice at the title screen as there are no noticeable transitions from one area to the next. Unlike most top-down shooters, there are no set levels or major bosses. There are a ton of secrets on the map which can be revealed by bullets and bombs for extra points and lives. Like most top-down shooters, hoards of enemies with various attack patterns flood the screen, and you must shoot them down and dodge their slow-moving bullets. The Solvalou comes equipped with a blaster to shoot at aerial targets as well as an unlimited supply of bombs for ground-based enemies. In Japan, Xevious is still considered one of the great arcade games of all time. The story of Xevious is surprisingly deep. But when every other classic game on XBLA is getting enhanced graphics and sound and some kind of new feature, if only because we have the technology to improve these classics, it's hard to let Xevious slide despite its fun gameplay. The catchy jingle that plays at the beginning of every life is almost ring-tone worthy. The green forests, deep blue rivers and lakes and spinning buzz saw enemies were amazing in 1982. The same goes for the graphics and sound. While fans will appreciate the faithful port of Xevious, some additional multiplayer element could have made an XBLA version even better. Really, how hard is it to add two-player co-op to this game? It's only included in, like, every other top-down shooter ever. Those hoping that Namco would add some kind of multiplayer to Xevious will be disappointed. Thank goodness Memorial Day is around the corner and fans can spend a good 15 minutes of their holiday with the simplistic (and fun) gameplay and graphics of their old friend Xevious. But hey, the throngs of Xevious groupies that have been clamoring for its release on XBLA finally get their wish. As such, this game needs to cost 100 points. Xevious, on the other hand, features only its classic single-player game and an online leaderboard. Sure, it's only 400 Microsoft Points, but even bare-bones ports like Rush'n Attack and Contra come with enhanced graphics and sound as well as some type of multiplayer mode. The Namco arcade classic arrived on Xbox Live Arcade this week and it is unfortunately among the worst values to come along since the $4-gallon of gas.

Xevious nes release date