Game Review: Sanxion (Commodore 64, Rack-It)

Sanxion was first released by Thalamus in late 1986, and was their first game too. Programmed by Stavros Fasoulas, it was one of three games he would create for them, with Delta and Quedex following in 1987. Rack-It only ever re-released Sanxion, with other re-releases being handled by US Gold’s re-release label Kixx. In any case, the inlay instructions on the re-release do away with the very expansive plot full of the whole USA versus Russia situation, and instead concentrate on the task in hand – to ensure you pilot your craft through ten sectors, making it to the Dark Side.

Iconic Thalamusik

Thankfully, the game was re-released with its original loader, and one of the first occurrences (if not the first) to use John Twiddy’s Cyberload. The game soon shows the Thalamus logo flashing in the top right before the loading music springs into action – Rob Hubbard’s iconic Thalamusik. Even if you have not played the game, it remains one of Rob’s most well-loved Commodore 64 pieces and was one he recreated on synths for the first ever Zzap! 64 cover mounted cassette in 1987.  There is just something about it which resonates with so many, from the dramatic intro, the middle synth part or the aggressive final section, but whichever way you hear it, you are in for an aural treat.

The game loads up with an impressive bas relief title screen and logo, and the high score table is also shown in the same graphic style, but this time having Rob Hubbard’s version of a classic piece – Sergei Profokiev’s The Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet, no less. Some football teams have this as their music when their team are about to enter the pitch (the original classical piece, although if someone at the Stadium of Light could sub that for the Rob Hubbard version, that would be interesting.) Pressing space gives you some option icons at the bottom of the screen, and you can choose one or two players, whether you want the title music on or off, and joystick or keyboard controls.

Defying Gravity

Starting the game enters the first level. You will first note the split screen, with the top half being the overhead view, giving you a slightly longer field of vision and allowing you to see what enemies are coming up either ahead or behind. The middle part of the screen then shows the status display with the score, number of lives and the bonus, which counts down to zero. If you complete a level before the bonus counts down, you will be awarded a sizeable bonus. However, the bonus does count down quickly and you do need to speed up the craft to maximum to battle your way through, which can increase the risk of you losing a life. That becomes a classic risk or reward scenario.

Your craft does also have some gravity too, so you do not stay in the same position if you head upwards – the gravity will bring you down and you will need to either tap up to try and stay towards the middle of the bottom part of the screen, or hold up to stay at the top. This does take some getting used to and can prove advantageous at the right moments. I do think it would have been a nice option to choose whether you wanted this on or off, so you could then decide for yourself which control system works best for you.

Parallax Pleasures

When going at full speed, the graphics and speed whizz by and there are some lovely parallax scrolling effects, with some of the foreground at the bottom of the screen heading by quicker than the remainder, showing a nice effect. The risk versus reward at speed shows its best when you realise that enemies can come at you from the left as well as the right, so you need to have your wits about you. Of course, what does prove hard is that if an enemy also shoots from that left side, the reaction time needed is very quick, so it makes sense to keep more of an eye on the bottom of the screen where you can see the action unfold.

Not that this game is easy, by any means. The speed of the enemies heading towards you can ramp up considerably, and when you reach the end of the second level, with the sirens blaring out, this indicates you have reached one of the security barriers, where careful steering is needed to avoid hitting the barrier and losing one of your precious lives. As the barrier graphics can clash with the backgrounds as you enter close to the end of the level, the first time you encounter this, it can prove hard to see where you need to go, until you work out the pattern and then are able to progress nicely.

Training Time

At the end of each level, once your craft slows to land on the runway, if you have any bonus left, that is multiplied by 10 for the end of level bonus score. This can be a considerable number of points to be added, and considering you get an extra life at 10,000 points, it can mean you can rack up some decent points and be ready to earn your next life.  The training sections take place in between levels with a rainbow-coloured background, and perfect chance to increase the score further.  You either shoot the waves that have the letter S, pick up the gold P symbols, or collide with anything marked C. You may also need to avoid any security fences at the end of some levels, and at least you do not lose a life here if you hit one. Any bonuses are added and you then enter the next level accordingly.

There are ten levels, and each of them gets increasingly difficult and the game becomes a sizeable challenge. From the security barriers at the end of level two to those enemies who come from the left and fire upwards, causing a difficult move to make, the level ramps up somewhat and it can prove to be a little frustrating if the gravity has taken you into an enemy without realising, or in fact if you moved upwards to avoid and ran out of room. Certainly, the fast-moving enemies coming from the left and firing bullets too do prove difficult, and you can very easily lose all your lives on one section without realising it. Even with the generous extra life every 10,000 points, this can still be pretty hard going.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in Sanxion are really well done, with excellent definition and animation on your craft and indeed all the stages. The rainbow-coloured backdrops for the bonus stages are a nice touch, and the general appearance of the varied backdrops with the parallax scrolling all appears excellent, with lots of care and attention paid to the graphical style and indeed the overall look and feel of the game. The sound effects by David Whittaker are good during play, but it is also a game that you will load up and try and stop the tape during loading so you can hear Rob Hubbard’s superb Thalamusik in full, because it is that good. Thankfully as the original game’s loader has been preserved here, you do get to cherish it in all its glory.

Final Thoughts

Sanxion proved to be a hit on original release, and at budget price it certainly makes for a good quality shoot-em-up. The difficulty level can ramp up somewhat, which may put some people off once they reach the later levels, but there is no denying that it is aesthetically pleasing graphically as well as musically. The gravity of your craft is one that you will need to get used to in order to progress, and the risk versus reward of the bonus counting down and the score massively increasing if you get a bonus adds a good element here, and shows that to finish first, well first you must finish. The two views are nice in split screen, and although the top one is handy to see what may be coming up, you can be put off looking at that instead of concentrating on the action. Nonetheless, this is a very sold shoot-em-up and well worth it for the price.

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