Zaxxon
Zaxxon is an isometric shooter arcade video game, developed and released by Sega in 1982. The player pilots a ship through heavily defended space fortresses. Japanese electronics company Ikegami Tsushinki also developed the game.
| Zaxxon | |
|---|---|
North American arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Sega Ikegami Tsushinki |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Series | Zaxxon |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, ColecoVision, Coleco Adam, Commodore 64, MSX, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, SG-1000, Apple II, Intellivision, IBM PC, TRS-80, TRS-80 Color Computer, ZX Spectrum |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | 1–2 players alternating turns |
| Arcade system | Sega Zaxxon |
Zaxxon was the first game to employ axonometric projection, which lent its name to the game (AXXON from AXONometric projection). The type of axonometric projection is isometric projection: this effect simulates three dimensions from a third-person viewpoint. It was also the first arcade game to be advertised on television, with a commercial produced by Paramount Pictures for $150,000. The game was a critical and commercial success upon release, becoming one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1982 in the United States. Sega followed it up with the arcade sequel Super Zaxxon (1982) and Zaxxon-like shooter Future Spy (1984), in addition to the non-scrolling isometric platform game Congo Bongo (1983).