This vertically scrolling run and gun game allows players to choose from eight different warriors and equip a variety of weapons. You can even play with up to three players simultaneously!
FIXEIGHT
Japanese title: FIXEIGHT
| Release | 1992 |
| Genre | Vertically scrolling run and gun game |
| Platforms | Arcade Steam |
Story
In the year HC109, omnipotent beings known as “Gods“ suddenly appeared from another dimension, and with an army made up of heavy infantry, began launching indiscriminate attacks on mankind. Left with no other options, the Galactic Federation pardoned a group of mighty warriors that were being held in a maximum-security asteroid-based prison, and dispatched them to the Gods' home planet of Fortune in exchange for their release. Their mission: to exterminate the supreme beings known as Gods, and to destroy their Heavy Infantry Corps. Their reward: freedom.
Controls & How to Play
The game is played with an 8-way joystick, a Shot button, and a Bomb button.
Your character can fire in any direction that you move the joystick, and also can fire a fixed-direction shot that fires upward on the screen.
Use the Shot and Bomb buttons to destroy enemies.
At the start of the game, you can select from eight different playable characters.
The shot attributes change depending on the character selected.
If your character is hit by enemy fire or collides with certain obstacles, you will lose a life.
You will also lose a life if you get trapped by an obstacle or if you fall off the stage.
If you stay in place for a set period of time, an enemy character will appear at the bottom of the screen in order to force you to move.
When you restart after losing a life, your power-ups will be reset and you will begin with only your previous shot type and three bombs equipped.
The game is over if you lose all of your lives.
There are a total of seven stages.
Change plate
Stepping on a change plate allows you to switch between omnidirectional and fixed-direction shots.
You can also hold down the Shot button for continuous fire.
【Playable Characters】
Howard Young
Omnidirectional shot: Machine gun
Fires a shot with a high rate of fire.
Fixed-direction shot: Peace Masher
Fires a three-way shot in an upward direction.
Special weapon: Ion Laser
Fires a laser that pierces enemies and travels in all directions.
Lucy Pamela
Omnidirectional shot: Machine gun
Fires a shot with a high rate of fire.
Fixed-direction shot: Peace Masher
Fires a three-way shot in an upward direction.
Special weapon: Ion Laser
Fires a laser that pierces enemies and travels in all directions.
GX-026
Omnidirectional shot: Twin Missile
Fires missiles that can be consecutively fired in two diagonal directions.
Fixed-direction shot: FDN Sweeper
Fires missiles in an upward direction that are flanked by additional missiles to the left and right.
Special weapon: Bound Ball
Fires a ball that bounces off both the terrain and enemies.
Cull Horn
Omnidirectional shot: Tail Gelder
Fires rapid shots both in front of and behind the direction you are facing.
Fixed-direction shot: EX Bomb
Fires powerful short-range bombs upwards in four directions.
Special weapon: Tiltwait
Fires a short-range bomb that continues to strike an enemy that it hits until the enemy is defeated or a set period of time has elapsed.
Vistario
Omnidirectional shot: Gel Burner
Fires a short-range fire attack in the direction that your character is facing.
Fixed-direction shot: Acid Wide
Fires in an upward direction on the screen, but if you hold the button down for a set period of time and then release it, the attack will shoot bullets in multiple directions.
Special weapon: Fools
Special attachments will appear alongside your character and attack the enemy.
Hayate Zigragh
Omnidirectional shot: Shuriken
Fires a shot that travels in arc-like curves in four directions.
Fixed-direction shot: Fundo Attack
Throws a weight connected to a chain in an upward direction on the screen.
When the weight hits an enemy, it will stop and inflict massive damage on them.
The chain is also able to negate enemy bullets.
Special weapon: The Zen
Three invincible clones will follow behind your character.
Each one will fire kunai throwing knives in the direction they are facing.
Agatha Bordeaux
Omnidirectional shot: Napalm Shot
Fires a machine gun while also shooting out napalm to the left and right.
Fixed-direction shot: Homing AF66
Fires homing missiles that track the enemy.
Special weapon: Flash Mine
Fires a bomb that triggers a large explosion on impact.
Remlias L‘Angelo
Omnidirectional shot: Reflect Laser
Fires a laser that bounces off the edges of the screen as well as obstacles in the stage.
Fixed-direction shot: Wide Laser
Crystals appear to the left and right of your character and fire lasers upwards and diagonally upwards on the screen.
Special weapon: Homing Laser
Fires a laser that tracks enemies.
【Items】
"P" item
Pick this up to power up your shots (5 levels).
"B" item
Pick this up to add one bomb to your inventory.
You can store up to ten of these bombs.
When you use a bomb, all of the bullets on the screen will be destroyed, and you can inflict massive damage to the enemies around and above you on the screen.
When you clear a stage, you will receive bonus points equal to 5,000 points for each bomb you have remaining.
Gold bars
You will receive between 100 and 1,000 points for each one that you pick up.
Goddess statue
You will receive 5,000 points for each one that you pick up.
When you clear a stage, you will receive bonus points equal to 3,000 points for each one that you acquired.
"?" icon item
When you acquire this item, it will randomly give you one of the following effects: speed boost, shield, or special weapon.
If you have already acquired one, you will receive 5,000 points instead.
"1UP" item
Pick it up to receive an extra life.
These appear when you destroy certain item boxes.
Impressions
Much like the game Out Zone, this freely scrolling shooter allows you to walk through stages while attacking the enemies you encounter. Although an enjoyable game overall, the tagline put it best when it stated that you can “Choose from 8 different warriors and make your way through 7 different hells!“ With the ability to select eight different fighters, each with their own unique attack methods, and also create your own warrior, the sense of freedom and the variety of the controls proved to be quite popular with players. The game improved upon Out Zone by boosting the fun factor, providing an interesting story and setting, and offering even flashier attacks. Together, these factors likely combined to form the reason for the unapologetic shooting action that the game is known for.