X (1992). Play online

Summary

X (sometimes referred to as Lunar Chase) is a remarkable first‑person space‑combat demo that showed what the Game Boy could do. After Argonaut’s Jez San spotted the handheld at CES ’91, programmer Dylan Cuthbert built a 3D engine from scratch, essentially hacking the console with a camera pointed at a Tetris cartridge. The game’s wire‑frame graphics and Kazumi Totaka’s early Totaka's Song still turn heads, and it remained Japan‑only because Nintendo of America thought the concept was too complex for U.S. players.

Piloting the VIXIV, you sprint through tunnel‑like arenas, completing ten timed missions that range from defending a base to ferrying cargo. A bottom‑screen radar tracks enemies and objectives, while a star‑based grading system forces you to earn enough points or restart. The steep difficulty earned mixed reviews at launch, but the title is now celebrated for its technical bravery and later inspired the worldwide DSiWare sequel X‑Scape in 2010.

Storyline

X (Game Boy) puts you in command of the VIXIV starship, tasked with defending the planet Tetamus II from an unknown alien threat. Guided by the Training Academy Coach, you must clear ten timed objectives that range from shielding bases, delivering cargo, to blasting enemy formations. The missions unfold in a network of tunnels, and the VIXIV can fast‑travel by entering large openings scattered throughout the map. Each completed objective grants up to ten stars, and a minimum star count is required to advance or replay a stage. Finishing all ten objectives with the necessary stars completes the game.