Classic Cover: XEXYZ

"In the year 2777 nuclear war and natural disasters have long since devastated the earth. Only five sparsely inhabited worlds survive to form a single nation, XEXYZ, where mankind lives peacefully under the rule of good King Xeu Star. But one day XEXYZ is attacked! From deepest space comes GORUZA, a mighty fortress of bizarre and vicious mechanical beasts. XEXYZ is defenseless against the assault. All hope is dead. Until, at last, Space Warrior Apollo decides he can no longer endure his people's suffering. In full battle gear, he challenges the robotic monsters of GORUZA and their cruel empire, vowing to destroy them and to free XEXYZ from its terrible fate! "

This is the game I skipped school for in the 2nd grade.This is the game I stayed up till midnight playing when I was 7.This was the game that introduced me to shmups. At it's heart XEXYZ is a sidescrolling platformer. You move from left to right shooting futuristic baddies and jumping from floating platform to floating platform.After you play a level as Apollo, the protagonist, you fight a boss. So far it sounds like a typical platformer huh?

Well, between each platformer level there are beautiful and varying shoot em up stages.Even buried in each of the standard levels there are bite sized chunks of mech-shmup action too!The controllers are tight and responsive no matter what play-type you are experiencing and the level design is top notch.Throw in wacky ships,crazy characters and some of the most memorable weapons of the NES era and you have for a fantastic experience.That is why I choose this as my first Classic Cover.