Remember R-Type, Gradius, Darius and Thunder Force?  Sure you do.  So does Breaking Byte Games who are making a homage to those classics called Xydonia.  Xydnonia is not simply a game that “feels” like those classics or has an enemy or two inspired by those games.  No, this is a tour de force challenger for the title, classic.  Breaking Byte Games cannot do it alone though, they are asking for help from the fans on both Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight.

Breaking Byte Games claim this is a return to the “golden age of shmups”.  Judging by the available media, they are serious about that claim.  Xydonia features a scavenge system for purchasing upgrades, a soundtrack featuring Shinji Hosoe and Keishi Yonao and multiple paths through the game.

In the year 30XX, technology has made space travel an accessible feat. However, the legacy of planet Xydonia’s inhabitants still remains a mystery to this day. Countless adventurers and opportunists ventured in search of the remains of this ancient civilization and its homeworld, but none of them lived to tell the tale.    

Now it’s your turn to uncover Xydonia’s coordinates and reach for the ultimate goal, which could be eternal life, infinite knowledge or a sealed, limited edition copy of that shmup from 19XX!

They obviously went for Neo Geo, overly detailed, graphics and it is good that they did.  In this day and age, so many games are quickly written off for not having “great” graphics.  Starting out, there are three pilots planned, others being unlocked as you play (maybe by rescuing them?).  Each pilot has their unique style of play so check them all out and then settle in and start blasting.

Stretch goals include Online Co-Op, Playstation 4, PS Vita and Xbox One versions along with the Nintendo 3DS and ports to Macintosh and Linux.

Xydonia is currently on Kickstarter where their crowdfunding campaign just began.  They are also asking for votes on Steam’s Greenlight service to get approved there for wider distribution.

Carl Williams

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