Star X is a third-person space shooter, of a similar style to Star Fox. In fact: it wouldn’t be unfair to call it a Star Fox clone. It uses simple polygonal 3D graphics to create the world and sees you flying around in a small spaceship, blasting things. Star X was developed by Graphic State and published by BAM! Entertainment in 2002.

The game’s Wikipedia page incorrectly describes Star X as a “rail shooter”, which it absolutely is NOT. You have control of your craft and can move across the landscape, or – if it’s a space level – you can turn 360 degrees and even move up and down. Whoever wrote that this is a rail shooter is an asshole and should be banned from making Wikipedia edits for the rest of their life… Because I hate dumbasses spreading misinformation online… Anyway, like Star Fox, the basic aim is to shoot your way through a sequence of levels with a limited number of lives. You have a health bar which decreases as you take damage. You can boost your ship’s speed temporarily by pressing the B button, which helps if you need to dodge falling debris or zip through a tight, moving gate.

Boss battles happen at the end of some levels, although not all have them. Some levels have specific objectives, like destroying a series of mines, or destroying an alien cruiser, and these levels don’t tend to have boss battles at the end. Completing a level shows your score and your kill stats, before displaying a password, so you can continue from that point later.

Star X received mixed reviews at the time of its release, but I think it’s pretty good. The 3D graphics are smooth and colourful, and the gameplay is challenging and somewhat compelling. If I’d have bought this back in 2002, I would probably have been satisfied with it.

More: Star X on Wikipedia