Play Xybots Online

Summary

Xybots feels like a retro‑future maze runner, blending the corridor‑crawling vibe of Gauntlet with a laser‑blasting twist. You pilot either Rock Hardy or Ace Gunn from a third‑person view, navigating pseudo‑3D tunnels while a split‑screen shows both players’ action and a top‑half map with status info. The joystick does double duty – push it to move and twist it to rotate your character, a control trick that makes covering each other feel rewarding but also a bit finicky. Health pods and coins drop from floating saucers, letting you stock up on armor, speed or firepower at the shop between levels, and the occasional boss Xybot caps off a maze.

Critics praised the cooperative play, calling it addictive and noting its blend of Berzerk‑style shooting with Gauntlet‑like exploration. The unique joystick scheme, however, kept the arcade earnings modest, earning Xybots a reputation as an ahead‑of‑its‑time title that never saw a sequel.

Beyond the arcade, the game made its way to the Atari Lynx in 1991, courtesy of NuFX, and later appeared on a host of home computers and consoles. It resurfaced in modern compilations like Midway Arcade Treasures 2, keeping the split‑screen maze‑shooting experience alive for new generations.

Storyline

In Xybots, players take control of Major Rock Hardy and Captain Ace Gunn as they navigate a three‑dimensional maze. Their goal is to battle the hostile Xybots, a legion of robots programmed to eradicate humanity.
The two protagonists have virtually identical abilities, with the only notable difference being Gunn’s slightly faster movement speed. The game’s core loop revolves around moving through the maze, confronting waves of Xybots, and preventing the machines from completing their mission to destroy mankind.