Xexex (1991). Play online

Summary

Xexex—released as Orius in North America—is Konami’s 1991 horizontal shooter that feels like a love‑letter to both R‑Type and Gradius while borrowing Irem’s tentacle‑wielding X Multiply. You pilot the Flintlock, a fighter equipped with a detachable orb called the Flint, which can fire forward or be released like a living force shield.

The Japanese arcade version starts you out with a thin‑beamed Proton Laser that can be swapped for other weapons, and it uses a classic lives system with checkpoint continues. By contrast, the overseas releases strip it down to a single upgradeable Proton Laser (Missiles act as a secondary fire), shorten the Flint’s tentacles, and replace lives with an energy bar that lets the ship absorb several hits before needing another credit. Those overseas bosses also sport more health, giving the game a noticeably tougher feel.

Storyline

In Xexex, players pilot the Flintlock space fighter, a sleek ship that houses the alien life form known as Flint. Their objective is to rescue Princess Irene La Tias of Planet E‑Square, who has been kidnapped by the ruthless galactic warlord Klaus Pachelbel.