Zanac X Zanac (PS) (2001)
Developer: Compile

Review by Faididi and Co.


Does this mean there will also be an Aleste Neo?


Story: Average

Long thought to have been defeated, the alien war machine called the System returns in a second attempt to destroy Earth. While the old Zanac starfighter has been retired, its three successors are here to save us all. They are the Scar Face, the Knife Edge, and the Hammer Duke, respectively piloted by Noa, Hokuto, and Myctness. Although several new characters are introduced, they don't do much for the story, because there's hardly any in the actual game.


Gameplay: Excellent

Compile's Zanac X Zanac is a compilation of the original Zanac and its sequel, Zanac Neo (which is not separately available outside this package). The first space shooter is preserved here in three variations: a disk version, a ROM version, and a compilation-exclusive special version that adds extra functions for the special weapons.

Of course, the compilation's main attraction is Zanac Neo. Despite being released a decade and a half after the first game, it keeps to the same formula at heart. Noa and her friends will fly through 10 vertically scrolling areas, mowing down waves of drones and turrets. Also returning is the so-called dynamic difficulty, where how the heroes fight, such as the frequency of their fire and whether or not they eliminate certain enemies, can affect what forces the System sends at them. The difficulty still lies within a certain range, so that doesn't differ much from before.

Luckily, Zanac Neo introduces many wonderful new features. First and foremost is the 2-Player support, breaking the solo tradition of Compile's prior space shooters. Both Players may choose copies of the same character if they wish, and the heroes can borrow lives from one another, too. This finally answers the prayers of fans of Zanac and Aleste who have always wanted to play directly together.

Next up is the vastly expanded weaponry. Each hero uses a main blaster along with one of eight different special weapons, and the latter depend on the character. Noa's Scar Face and Hokuto's Knife Edge are very similar to the original Zanac (with Noa's ship being geared more toward defense), while Myctness' Hammer Duke has access to highly technical special weapons that are tougher to use but wield greater destructive potential. This makes for a staggering total of 24 different special weapons, all of which can be upgraded. Old favorites like the turret that can aim in the eight cardinal directions, the rapid-firing wave cannon, the fusion cannon, and the shield-like orbs are back, and they're joined by interesting new guns, such as a scatter-shot cannon, a manually guided missile launcher, and an exotic array of revolving explosive shell launchers. Furthermore, every hero possesses an extra-special attack called the Charge Shot. Earned by defeating enough bad guys, it lets Noa and her friends unleash either a gigantic blast that creates additional chains of explosions or a wider barrage of energy blasts (somewhat resembling the special attack from Power Strike 2).

The level and enemy designs have certainly been improved. Although the areas remain lengthy, they're now set across more diverse places, like arctic regions and cloud fortresses, not just mechanical bases and meteor fields. Many of the old enemies are back, but they're paired up with cool-looking new drones and warships, and the bosses are more than just masses of gun emplacements.


Controls: Excellent

All of the starfighters handle responsively, and the special weapons in Zanac Neo are faster and easier to use than those in the first game. In a rare move for its genre, Zanac Neo also allows the heroes' progress to be recorded in between the areas, letting you take a break and then continue at your leisure.


Graphics: Excellent

Zanac Neo looks amazing. The characters are colorfully drawn and smoothly animated, while the backgrounds are brilliantly textured. Bad guys, projectiles, and explosions can fill the screen with almost zero slowdown. Even the characters' shadows are projected realistically onto the ground below, changing in apparent size according to the distance of the surfaces.


Audio: Above Average

The only part of Zanac Neo that's inconsistent in quality is the music, because it varies from brash remixes of the first game's themes to badass tunes for the bosses and the menu screens. Not all of the music is memorable, but at least none of it grows too annoying. As for the sound effects, they're loud and crisp, from the forceful gunfire to the pounding explosions.


Overall: Excellent

Zanac X Zanac is a dream come true for fans of Compile's space shooters. Besides bringing back the original Zanac in multiple variations, this compilation unveils an awesome 2-Player sequel in the form of Zanac Neo. Its perfect controls are incredibly friendly, its three heroes and their massive selection of special weapons offer a fantastic amount of choice, and its rich visuals dazzle the eye.


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