 |
| Title: | DarXide |
| Released: | 1996 |
| Genre: | 3-D Shooter |
| Developer: | Frontier Developments |
| Publisher: | Frontier Developments |
| Regions: | UK |
| Availability: | Extremely Rare |
|
|
Also known as Dark Side. The name was allegedly altered to avoid some sort of copyright infringement. DarXide is NOT a port of the classic PC game Elite, as has been rumored.
A 32x exclusive. One of the scarcest of all 32x game titles, DarXide is also one of the most impressive releases for the doomed console, demonstrating that the 32x was more than just a Genesis with more colors. Originally scheduled to be a launch title for the aborted Sega Neptune (a combined Genesis/32x hybrid), DarXide was released in early 1996 by Frontier Developments. It's best described as a 3-D take on Asteroids, with a bit of Defender thrown in for good measure. Your mission objectives are straight forward and simple: hunt down enemy vessels and rescue miners floating in space, all while destroying the oncoming waves of asteroids that threaten your world and your existence. Your ship has complete freedom of movement through space, much like the vaguely similar Shadow Squadron. DarXide is one of the very few 32x titles to contain texture-mapped polygons, with Doom, Metal Head, and the unreleased X-Men being the only other 32x games to feature them. Options are few, but you can choose between a cockpit or a behind-the-ship view according to your preference. The graphics engine is fast and smooth with no evidence of slowdown, even when the screen is filled with action. Graphically, DarXide is comparable to many first and second generation Saturn and Playstation titles, with loads of polygonal models, bright colors, and rich texture mapping. The musical score is equally impressive, much better than the dull elevator music found in Shadow Squadron. Unfortunately, DarXide lacks variety, though the idea of battling wave after wave of increasingly hostile enemies does have a certain old-school gaming appeal.
DarXide was the last European Mega Drive 32x release, as well as the final 32x game worldwide. The Megadrive 32x had been a minor player in the European next-generation wars, and the 32x market was pretty much dead by the time DarXide was released. The production run was very limited, making DarXide an extremely rare find today, even in England (English collectors are as rabid as their American counterparts, if not more so.) Complete copies have been spoted on online action services like E-Bay, but these appearances are rare and generally command top dollar.
Unlike many European
Mega Drive 32x titles, DarXide simply won't run on an American
32x, nor will it run on a Mega Drive 32x coupled with a Sega Genesis. To
run DarXide correctly, you need to have a Mega Drive and
a Mega Drive 32x, as well as a PAL television! The Mega Drive/32x combination
will run on an NSTC television, but the images are displayed in black and
white. This is a real shame, as the colorful graphics are really impressive
when viewed as they were meant to be seen!
 |
 |
|
|
|
