Robotron X
| Robotron X | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Midway Games |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Windows |
| Release | PlayStationWindows
|
| Genre(s) | Multidirectional shooter |
Robotron X is a multidirectional shooter video game released by Midway Games in November 1996 for the PlayStation. It is a 3D version of the 1982 dual-stick shooter Robotron: 2084. GT Interactive published a Microsoft Windows port in 1997. A Nintendo 64 version was released in 1998 as Robotron 64.
Gameplay
In addition to the graphical update, the game includes new audio and multiple camera angles.[2][3]
Reception
While the game features similar gameplay as the original, it was not as well-received,[4][2] though reviews for it ranged from mixed to positive.[5][6][7][8] Authors Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams considered the moving camera in the 3D environment a negative update. They felt the original format—an overhead perspective of a single screen—presented the player with all the necessary information and relied on the player's skill. The moving camera angle, however, obscured areas of the playing field and could result in the player being shot by an enemy that suddenly appeared.[2] Some critics cited this as the game's one major flaw.[7][8] Vince echoed similar statements, stating that the gameplay suffered from the loss of important aspects from the original.[9] Rollings and Adams, however, attribute the fad of classic video game remakes in the late 1990s in part to Robotron X's release,[2] though at the time of that release it was believed this fad was already in place.[5]
Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it three stars out of five.[7]
Aaron Curtiss for the Los Angeles Times wrote that "For fans of the original, this one is better--although the original is still available on Williams' Arcade's Greatest Hits. For newcomers, Robotron X is the kind of game the critics decry as mindless. But it sure is fun."[10]
Bro' Buzz for GamePro said that "for Robotron hunters seeking something X-tra, X marks the spot."[11]
Malcolm Mayhew for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram gave the game 2 1/2 stars and called it a "Good idea, bad execution."[12]
Reviews
- GameFan #49 (Vol 5, Issue 1) - January 1997
- NowGamer - Mar 01, 1997[13]
- PC Zone - Aug 13, 2001[14]
- GameSpot - Dec 01, 1996[15]
References
- ^ "Online Gaming Review". 1997-02-27. Archived from the original on 1997-02-27. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ a b c d Rollings, Andrew; Adams, Ernest (2003). Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design. New Riders. p. 283. ISBN 1-59273-001-9.
- ^ Weiss, Brett Alan. "Robotron X - Overview - allgame". Allgame. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
- ^ GamesTM Staff (October 2005). "Robotron: 2084 Behind the Scenes". GamesTM (36): 146–149.
- ^ a b "Review Crew: Robotron X". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 90. Ziff Davis. January 1997. p. 66.
The first rule of gaming: All things must go 3-D. The second rule: All classics must be revived. Like it or not, that's the trend.
- ^ "Robotron X Review". GameSpot. December 1, 1996. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Robotron X". Next Generation. No. 27. Imagine Media. March 1997. pp. 88, 90.
- ^ a b "PlayStation ProReview: Robotron X". GamePro. No. 101. IDG. February 1997. p. 72.
- ^ Vince, John (2002). Handbook of Computer Animation. Springer Science+Business Media. pp. 19–20. ISBN 1-85233-564-5.
- ^ Curtiss, Aaron (1997-05-01). "Blast Chamber Explodes Without Impact". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- ^ "GamePro Issue 091 February 1997".
- ^ "Article clipped from Fort Worth Star-Telegram". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 25 January 1997. p. 65.
- ^ "GamesRadar+". 22 June 2023.
- ^ "PC Zone". computerandvideogames.com. [dead link]
- ^ "Robotron 64 Review".