Developer: Compile Publisher: Compile Release: 11/29/01 Genre: Shooter
I credit Gradius and Zanac for my love of the shooter genre. While I like Asteroids I was never a fan of score chasing. Those two titles not only had an end but introduced elaborate weapons systems that made the games feel fresh and exciting. You could almost say they spoiled me early on as most NES shooters were not as ambitious and felt lacking in comparison. But while Gradius would go on to spawn many fantastic sequels Zanac stood alone. That is until Compile would grace us with Zanac x Zanac, a fantastic compilation that also has the sequel we always wanted but never received. This one is great.
Unfortunately Zanac x Zanac would be the death of them. Releasing at the tail end of the PS One’s life Zanac x Zanac was Compile’s return to the genre they helped popularize after nearly 20 years of Puyo Puyo titles. But while their skills did not wane the market had changed and the shooter genre was not as popular. Releasing after the PlayStation 2 was on the market probably did not help either. So while I do mourn the loss of a great developer they at least went out with a bang.
Technically there are four games in this package. There are three versions of Zanac: the original Famicom Disk System release, the subsequent cartridge edition for the US and a special version that increases the difficulty. The differences between the FDS and US release are slight. There are palette changes in some enemies, one weapon is weaker and the cartridge has a few extra songs. However for as great as Zanac is the true star of this package is Zanac Neo, a legit 32-bit successor to the game that is everything you could ask for and more.
Compile are known for overloading their games with weapons. But even with that reputation they outdid themselves with Zanac Neo. You have a choice of four ships each with eight weapons for a whopping 32! To take it a step further each weapon can be powered up five times which is insane and beats out the reigning champion Space Megaforce. While some weapons are shared with slight variations it is still a humongous amount of variety that leads to a unique experience with each ship and replay value.
Zanac Neo treads familiar ground and revels in bait and switch. Many of the levels are similar to the original down to the mid-boss fortresses. But just when it seems too familiar a new end level boss appears as a follow-up. While a few levels are essentially remakes from Zanac most are new. Although this is a final generation PlayStation release it makes minimal use of polygonal effects. While the art is solid it still looks old. Luckily the gameplay compensates. The combo meter increases as you destroy enemies and is key to the scoring system. The new burst shot is key to this as it is the fastest means to build chains. If you manipulate the ALC to spawn enemies you can rack up ridiculous high scores. I only took minimal advantage of this as I play shooters for the experience rather than scoring. But I like its presence.
With more powerful hardware the adaptive Automatic Level Control system is even more advanced. Picking up certain weapons will almost immediately spawn different combinations of enemies. This was a notable bug in the original with Weapon 2 but is a more fleshed out feature here. If you fire weapons continuously and pick up every weapon drop the game becomes more aggressive to the point you will not get a moment’s rest. But if you are a more reserved player you will notice more moment’s of dead air. The game almost punishes you for being too good at the genre at some points with near unmanageable situations depending on your performance and weapons.
But here is the thing: it never feels impossible. Zanac Neo gives you the tools to succeed. The game is extremely generous with scoring meaning you will rack up extra lives through casual play. If you take advantage of the score multipliers it is possible to have 20-30 lives by stage four. Power-ups rain down from the sky; there is almost never a moment where some weapon or such is not visible. In other shooters I dread death as it starts a death spiral. Here you can easily get back up to full power in less than a minute due to the game’s generosity. With knowledge of how the ALC works it is possible to “game” the system somewhat. But it will still put up a fight regardless of difficulty level. But you have a fighting chance.
In Closing
Zanac x Zanac is simply amazing and like its predecessor one of my favorite titles on its chosen platform. Compile modernize the gameplay while respecting its legacy and turn in a classic. I do not know why I waited so long to play this one; it has been on my radar for decades now. I should have done so sooner, it is everything I love about the genre and more.
