Xhive
Xhive is a single stage retro shoot-em-up for the PICO-8 fantasy console. You control a spaceship across a procedurally generated scrolling level and try to destroy various enemies to get the highest score.
Mission
The origin of the hostile aliens has been found. Your job is to fly into the xeno hive with one of the best combat spaceship and kill everything.
Instructions
- If you shoot, you move slower.
- Colliding with the hive, aliens or their projectiles will damage your ship.
- After you leave the hive, an NG+ starts.
- Every run, the hive is procedurally generated.
Controls
- Move: Arrow Keys
- Shoot: X
- Pause: Enter
Release History
v1.3
- ADD: New item in NG+ that reverses controls.
- ADD: The more playthroughs completed, the less likely life pickups appear.
- ADD: Two new enemies in NG+.
- ADD: Cheat Menu. (Only in the developer version.)
- ADD: God mode. (Only in the developer version.)
- ADD: Debug mode. (Only in the developer version.)
- CHG: Main Menu can no longer be opened at any time, preventing potential bugs.
- CHG: Adjustments to boss sprite.
- CHG: Adjustments to score pickup sprite.
- CHG: Visual adjustments to the cartridge.
- CHG: Increased max score.
- FIX: Starfield draw order.
v1.2
- ADD: Intro sequence
- CHG: Highscore will now only be displayed in the Main Menu if it is above zero.
- CHG: Visual adjustments in the GameOver Menu.
- CHG: When having zero hearts, the UI will blink red.
- CHG: Renamed the Cart Image file with the game's version number.
- FIX: Bug where the new highscore message was not being displayed.
- FIX: Stars closer to the player now appear in front of distant stars in the background.
- FIX: New Highscore Message will only appear if the highscore is above zero.
v1.1
- ADD: Implemented message system: Displays messages upon game start and when a new high score is achieved.
- ADD: Added sound effect when boss enemy spawns additional enemies.
- ADD: Enemies projectiles now leave particles upon impact.
- CHG: Increased boss enemy's health.
- CHG: If a new high score is achieved and the player navigates from the pause menu to the main menu, the new high score will be saved.
- CHG: Changed the color of enemy explosions.
- CHG: Adjusted level layout.
- CHG: Adjusted cartridge layout.
- FIX: Player is now centered at the beginning of the game.
v1.0
- Initial version.
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Comments
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Score 124400
Sprites are great. Music and sounds are great.
Really sells the Xenon2 vibe.
The game play is very rigid. Having no up and down and your ship moving slow means you have very little options for you to do anything different other than the odd wiggle left and right and hold down fire.
There are no weapon upgrades (that I could notice) so getting through some of the bullet spongy enemies and the destructible hive walls: You have no options.
You need the ship moving slower so you dont smash into walls but you need more freedom of movement. I would suggest up and down - and some weapon upgrades. The starter shot is good and broad but need more as the game goes on.
The level is a bit too cramped. You need a bit more "space" but having lanes to go down is cool. I know Xenon had a way you could move back. The level could scroll slower also and have more enemies to kill flying in.
The bosses at the end are a bit easy and could do with more danger.
Impressive score! Thanks for the feedback. The idea of weapon upgrades is very good. In general, there are no plans to make any major changes, so I think that level adjustments, ship movement changes etc. will be integrated into Xhive 2.