Xevious Commodore 64 game

Xevious is a classic arcade video game developed and published by Namco in 1982. It is a vertically scrolling shooter in which the player controls the Solvalou starship to defeat the Xevious forces and prevent them from destroying humanity. The game has two weapons, a zapper to attack flying craft and a blaster to bomb ground installations and enemies. It runs on the Namco Galaga arcade system.

The game was created by Masanobu Endō and a small team. Originally titled Cheyenne and themed around the Vietnam War, Endō wanted Xevious to have a detailed and comprehensive world, with a welcoming experience for newer players. Homages to popular science fiction works such as Star Wars, UFO, Alien, and Battlestar Galactica were included.

Xevious was praised for its graphics, challenge, and originality. It became a huge success for Namco in Japan, breaking sales records and becoming the biggest game since Space Invaders. While the North American release sold 5,295 arcade units by the end of 1983, it paled in comparison. Xevious has been listed as one of the greatest video games of all time and has influenced the shoot 'em up genre, inspiring games like TwinBee and RayForce. It was ported to home systems, and several sequels and spin-offs were created. Xevious is included in many Namco compilations.

In Xevious, the Solvalou flies through 16 connected areas, which loop back to the beginning after they are completed. The player must destroy enemies with the zapper and the blaster. The game becomes more challenging as the player progresses, and new enemy types are introduced as certain types are defeated. The player can defeat the Andor Genesis mothership by destroying its blaster receptacles or its core. Hidden towers known as Sol Citadels can be found by bombing specific parts of an area. The game also includes yellow Special Flags from Namco's own Rally-X, which give the player an extra life when collected.