IMAGE FIGHT & X-MULTIPLY

I swear, these are two of the hardest shmups you will ever play in your lifetime. It makes Souky and Gun Frontier look like a cakewalk. Two shooters whose 3rd levels will probably never be seen by anybody other than the extremely dedicated weekend warriors.

I have a funny story with this compilation that is part of the Arcade Gears lineup. I'll clear the air right now. There is NO double jewel case sized version of Image Fight and X-Multiply. This is the only AG game to come in a single jewel case and has NO Gamest book attached with it.

Because this game is so hard to find I think a lot of people assumed it comes with a Gamest book and a double jewel case just like the other AG releases.

When an auction came up with the picture showing it in single jewel case with no Gamest book, I made out like a thief in the night.

I put in my max of $53. (this game usually goes in the $80's and $90's from what I've seen in years past). I too was confused about if there was a double jewel case version with a Gamest book, so therefore my max was only $53. I rather go for completeness as much as possible, but hey I'll take this too since it's been so long since I've spotted a copy.

Well when I got home later that night I expected there was no way I'd win. Someone must have sniped me, I thought.

No.

One guy tried sniping, and I actually was familiar with his handle. He's a very knowledgable Saturn buyer who knows how much games go for.

Well, his max was only $37... leading me to believe that he too was confused by the "urban myth" that Saturn Image Fight and X-Multiply comes in double jewel case size with Gamest book. Of course he wasn't gonna bid the barn on a "lesser" version. He basically had the same mentality as I did. That's why you see auctions of Cotton 2 that don't include the calender, go cheaper than those that comes with the calender. Many people just want things as complete as possible....

Turns out... the single jewel case no Gamest book version is the ONLY version.

Lucky me

Anyway on to the game. Image Fight is the older of the two, and features "regular" ship enemies in a vertical style. X-Multiply though is infested with ugly monsters and aliens in a horizontal setting. Both are rock hard.

Now I'll step aside and let SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE take it away.....

There have been some truly magical moments in the large and dusty archives of gaming history, and a company with more than its fair share of classics is Japanese 2D specialist, Irem. You'll know Irem as the company behind the rightly beloved R-Type, as well as the stunning X-Multiply and the not-bad Image Fight. Now, Irem has bundled its two second-best titles onto a single Saturn disc. We're in Heaven!

The gameplay in X-Multiply (1989) is more advanced than R-Type, mainly due to the fact that your ship comes equipped with two massive and free-moving tentacles bolted onto the top and bottom. This opens up more possibilities for attack and defense, as they act as a shield from enemy shots and smaller enemies themselves. A quick press of the D-pad flings these protective barriers wherever you like. These tentacles also become significant offensive weapons, as dragging them across huge motherships causes massive damage (leaving players free to attack whatever's coming from above), and the collection of power ups, like forward lasers and heavy-artillery bombs, further adds to the experience.



Image Fight (1988) is an altogether different kettle of tech-no-organic fish. Punishing use of the restart points make this 2D shoot 'em up even tougher than its X-prefixed soul mate, and the simple fact that it's over a year older than X-Multiply leads to an all-round less-impressive display of visuals. Still, if R-Type and X-Multiply were all about style and design, Image Fight was more of an all-out test of survival and weapon accumulation, with unique (at the time) features, such as being able to set the ship's speed manually, along with free-floating drone-weapons which fire in the opposite direction to the ship's movement (this bit I especially liked!), Image Fight does boast an excellent array of power-ups but the super-tough nature of the game makes it a massive struggle to see the more advanced weapons.



One of the reasons why these older shooters always seem so much harder than their modern counterparts is their use of the old restart point, which has been phased-out in newer blasters. Even the mighty Radiant Silvergun - the best shooter in years - may be completed by virtue of infinite continues and simple perseverence, whereas the notion of forcing the player to replay the section they've just died on (often restarting way behind as a 'punishment' for the error) makes it downright essential to master every inch, every attack wave and every boss in these old blasters. Both X-Multiply and Image Fight use this restart point philosophy to make players redo areas they've messed up (usually without those hard-earned weapons too!), and it's the reason why modern shooters will never compare to these classic blasters (though thankfully Irem's new baby, R-Type Delta retains the use of restart points.) It's also probably the reason why they're so ingrained in our memories as well..

History will probably record R-Type as being Irem's finest hour, but connoisseurs may argue that the innovation-packed X-Multiply, or mega-tough Image Fight are both equally worthy of a place in the blaster hall of fame.

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Ahhhh, SSM we sure miss ya. What times, indeed. I like both IF and XM... but I prefer XM more due to its wicked Alien atmosphere what with its wicked monster foes (and bosses). The graphics are also a lot better than Image Fight and indeed I feel (as I believe many do) that XM is the real bread winner of the package, while Image Fight is not shabby and definitely a nice dessert. Both games do have a lot of collidable scenery though, coupled with hordes of enemies and punishing restart points this is NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART.

Play on normal -- or God help you -- hard, and be ready to see your ship explode over and over until the giant digits appear on screen asking you to continue.

Overall it's a good package of two old school blasters that are worth a look for any diehard shooter fan, but its difficulty (both in gameplay and in the ability to find the game on the market) and high price may detract lesser mortals.

For some great pictures go here:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~be...f-xmultrev.htm