X Multiply Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: Irem
Publisher: Irem
Year of Release: 1989

Game Review & Impressions
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I suspect most people reading this will be familiar with the R-Type series, the horizontal shoot 'em up franchise which really put Irem on the map, but I wonder how many folks will have heard of X Multiply.

The general game design and overall aesthetic featuring bio-mechanical alien monsters and levels is very much in keeping with R-Type, as is the shooting and power-up system. However, for X Multiply, Irem replaced the force pods which fly parallel to your ship with a pair of metallic tentacles which flail around and track the general movement of your ship as you fly through space. These tendrils damage enemies, nullify incoming projectiles, and can even be used to shoot behind your ship - it's a a really cool mechanic, albeit one that adds a level of complexity to the gameplay which some players might find aggravating. Because the tendrils drift about on their own accord, you'll be constantly shifting your position to realign the hard-points to face in the direction you want; with ship speed upgrades, this can lead to situations where you'll overshoot and collide with an enemy or part of the scenery you didn't intend.

Ultimately, I still prefer R-Type and R-Type II, but X Multiply is still a very cool game worth playing. It looks great, offers a very stiff challenge, and the ship tendrils provide a mechanic quite unlike anything else.

Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
00:18 Stage 1 - Loop 1
02:30 Stage 2 - Loop 1
04:38 Stage 3 - Loop 1
07:40 Stage 4 - Loop 1
10:10 Stage 5 - Loop 1
12:44 Stage 6 - Loop 1
15:34 Stage 7 - Loop 1
18:57 Ending - Loop 1
20:31 Stage 8 - Loop 2
22:44 Stage 9 - Loop 2
24:45 Stage 10 - Loop 2
27:42 Stage 11 - Loop 2
30:08 Stage 12 - Loop 2
32:35 Stage 13 - Loop 2
35:28 Stage 14 - Loop 2
39:00 Ending - Loop 2