#exerion

He played this shit so much when i was a child, i remember it well. I never saw anyone ever getting as far as he did. I'd play the technologically superior Arcade version, but MAME is an absolute bitch to emulate on pc even to this day with all the new technology, so NES version it is

I really like the character design here. Your ship kinda looks like an 8 bit rendition of the Arwing from Star Fox. And the enemies remind me of Dark Nebula from Kirby. Obviously this game came out much, much before either of those, but still it's lovely to think about and look at

Your movement options are as usual in these games, but it does feel a little stiff. Not in a bad way, more like in a "realistic aircraft inertia" kinda way. It feels funny to control. And you get 2 attack options, one is the slow unlimited dual shot, and the other is a much better but limited singular rapid fire shot

The music is kinda weird and really simple, but feels appropiatedly alien for what i assume is the lore of this game. The scenery however is quite stiking. Many colorful 2D layers on the background scrolling in a way that makes you feel you're actually flying across a round 3D map. It even features confusing backgound details

And of course there's the aforementioned creatures. I never knew what they were. All i know is the little X shaped ones are fun to destroy with the rapid shot. The tiny 3 headed dragon is some bonus and very colorful. Everything is really colorful in this game. Then there's the tiny birds, that were actually probably dragons, but my dad called them birds. Then the rounder ones that my dad called the popcorns. And then the big birds, there's increasingly bigger birds in this game as bosses. Really fun and you get tiny medals on the corner for beating them

Exerion is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Jaleco for arcades in September 1983, and licensed to Taito for manufacture and distribution of the game in North America. The player controls a starship and must fire at enemies on the screen while avoiding projectiles. The game uses a pseudo-3D scrolling background, giving a sense of depth, and the player's ship has a sense of inertia while it is being controlled with the joystick.

Exerion was ported to the MSX, Family Computer, and SG-1000. Two sequels were released.

Exerion features parallax effects and inertia simulation. The player shoots formations of bizarre alien amoeba, egg-throwing birds and Pterosauric creatures, as well as UFOs while flying over the surface of a planet. The player has two types of guns: a slow double shot (unlimited) and a fast single shot (limited).

The Arcade version of Exerion stands as a classic, presenting an intense and challenging 80s space shooter experience. However, its SG-1000 counterpart, while sharing similarities in core gameplay, offers a notably less demanding experience. The game features fewer enemy variations, shorter waves, and notably lacks final bosses at the end of the first loop.

Despite this, it could have been an enjoyable experience, but its visually discomforting elements deterred me from fully embracing this port. The erratic scrolling and confusing environmental design have the potential to induce instant headaches, making ship control a challenge. Maintaining focus amid clouds and other visual elements becomes a battle in itself, exacerbated by the aliens' white projectiles adding to the visual chaos.

Exerion February 11, 1985 // Family Computer

Players must grapple with the inertial force of their fighter within a pseudo-3D space all while properly using dual and single beam weapons to destroy incoming enemies.

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