R0x Zero

Blink and You’re Space Dust

Who remembers R0x, which was a peculiar game of scrape 'em? Yes, I just invented that genre! Anyhow, you couldn’t shoot a thing; instead, you brushed dangerously close to drifting rocks in deep space for points. I enjoyed that idea because I’m not often a fan of vertical shooters, preferring horizontal ones instead. Ironic for an Atari ST fella, right? Umm, maybe you should watch this video recording I made.

R0x Zero is its 2018 sequel; it changes the original format to a nonstop, frantic shooter inspired by Terry Cavanagh’s Self Destruct(PC). It's programmed by Tomchi in GFA BASIC, which is something that boggles my mind. It features a continuous level with no additional ones or bosses to contend with. It's a relentless onslaught of enemies trying to erase you from existence through randomly generated attack waves.

You’ll need an Atari STe with 1MB RAM and, oddly enough, a Jaguar controller. Those three buttons handle fire, shields, and nukes. It’s an arcade-like setup that makes total sense. And this isn’t STe-only for only that reason: R0x Zero makes full use of the Blitter, hardware scrolling, DMA audio, and enough extra colours to make your eyes jump out of your head with joy. Shame there’s no mouse option, though - I’d happily trade the Jagpad for the mouse, even if it meant reaching for the spacebar to nuke the screen.

This game isn't easy. Not even close! Your survival hinges on quick reactions and using the three meters displayed on the right side of the screen: Power, Shields, and Nukes. The key is to repeatedly collect the power-ups that appear after killing the enemies to keep these meters topped up. If you let Power drop too low, your guns fizzle into pea-shooters that can’t cope with the chaos. Shields help soak up bullet damage, and nukes give you a much-needed breather when things get overwhelming. Which happens a lot for me!

At the left of the screen, above your score, are 'chain' and 'multi': chain represents the successive hits you've made, so the better you are, the more your points are multiplied. The screen never gets a breather, and neither will you. The trick is to keep calm and hit everything - but keep topping up your power-ups when they appear. And if you see a power-up called 'X', then make a beeline for that above all others!

In essence, R0x Zero is about endurance and perseverance, whilst wishing you still had the physical reactions of a teenager. There’s no level progression, just a brutal test of how long you can last against never-ending waves of enemies. All whilst desperately managing your power-ups and pushing your multiplier to rack up your score. It’s an endless adrenaline trial to see how long you last and how high you can climb the ranks.

Good luck with this wonderfully outlandish shooter. You're gonna need all the luck you can muster!

• The download is available at Atarimania (for both hard drive and floppy).
• Demozoo features all credits with links to more of their work and more.
• R0x Zero goes straight into the enhanced Atari STe games list.
• Did you miss the original R0x? Better click that link then!
• For this feature, all screenshots were taken using emulation. Use real hardware!!

'Poor' lol. You must play using real hardware; emulation won't cut it!