Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 -RQ87's 32X Database

Also known as: Parasquad, Motherbase

Developed by CRI and released by SEGA, Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 is a semi-sequel to the 1982 arcade hit Zaxxon. The game has the same isometric view-point as the original, but now features the ability for your ship to "hack" enemy ships to increase firepower and have shields.

Sadly this sequel leaves a lot to be desired, and doesn't show what the 32X is capable of at all. The main problem is that this game slows down a lot. Some of the larger bosses will reduce the game to a crawl, and if too much stuff is on the screen, lag will kick in. The graphics aren't very appealing and the music is bland and in some cases, annoying. The game is also extremely difficult, not helped by how often you'll end up being stuck with the default, weak ship. This can result in boss battles going on for far too long. It can also be difficult judging if you are going to collide with an enemy or not.

It might be of interest to fans of the original, but for anyone else who wants a 32X space shooter, try Star Wars Arcade or Shadow Squadron.

In this game you pilot a small ship, which is armed with a laser cannon. Tap the fire button to fire repeated shots, and shoot down all of the enemies that come towards you. The enemies can take multiple hits to destroy and are quite varied -you'll face robots who try to swipe at you, jets that transform into robots, killer fish and more.

Sometimes -such as at the very start of the game -you will be able to "hack" other ships and boost your own firepower. There is a jump button that will make your ship boost up. You can use this to enter another ship and take it over. If you damage an enemy ship you can then also jump into it. Hacking will let you use better weapons, but it can also make it easier for you to be hit -if the score bar starts flashing red, your hacked ship is about to explode. Press the jump button again to get out of it quickly. The jump can also be used to avoid enemy fire.

Several levels will end with a boss fight, which features a large enemy to take down. Some levels do not feature a boss however, and you'll instead proceed straight to the next level. In addition to the single player mode, a 2 player versus battle mode is also available. Here you and a friend can fight each other, and can select between several stages. Each player has four lives and will respawn in a new ship each time they die.

There are currently nine prototypes available for this game, read about them here.

-This was was called Parasquad in Japan. The European version is called simply Motherbase, removing the Zaxxon reference, along with the 2000.

-Hackers have found two hidden menus in the game. One brings up the animation mode, which lets you view animation frames for objects in the game. The other mode lets you edit levels, although it seems to be glitchy. Learn more about these modes here.