TxK (PlayStation Vita)
User Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): February 11, 2014
- Release Date (EU): February 12, 2014
- Publisher: Llamasoft
- Developer: Llamasoft
- Genres: Tunnel Shooter
- Also For: Computer
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
TxK is a tuber-shooter with games like Tempest running through its veins. Minter refined his formula and slapped it straight onto the PSP2. Let's see how that went.
FEED YOUR HEAD TO THE WEB
I don't know if could possibly give an unbiased review of this game. The amount of hours I've spent, waiting in the back of a car or in the comfort of my bed, the brilliant colors of the OLED immersing me in a world unknowable to all, save for me and my father. I'll sure as hell try, but the attachment I have to this game goes back to me pop showing T2K to me as a baaaaaby.
But enough about me, let's talk about the game already!
The entrance to the soul tunnel looks awfully upscaled, don't it.
~ The game. ~
TxK will be very familiar to any fans of the Jaguar or Tempest. You park your ''''''ship''''''' on a variety of tubes and shapes, bad guys come to you and you shoot them. You get a one-time superbomb (your 'Super-Tapper) and a few choice powerups to collect between waves of enemies. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, yeah: it is a fairly simple formula, but the devil's in the details.
Shown: simple gameplay
The gameplay is very refined, playing exactly how I'd expect it through its 100 level run. Your ship has an incredibly sharp acceleration curve, which enables quick reaction similar to what's possible with the knobby bits on the OG Tempest. The enemies are all distinct and fun to fight, with the cast of T2K returning with some new additions. My favorite of the enemy roster is the shock-y boy, who has a sort of hitscan lightning attack that throws a spanner in the early gameplay loop. The powerups are few, but each one has an effect on how you play; giving you more bullets/lasers, letting you jump, or granting an AI Droid to fight alongside. The point incentive of some of the powerups, and their limited quantity also lends to some tense moments where you narrowly grab a powerup with a jump, or barrel through a few enemies on the way to your reward. Bonus warps are also found in the powerup items, which warp you to a mini-game where you can nab tons of points. And that leads into our next section...
~ A/V ~
It's like sixty minutes on acid
The audio department does equal work in immersing you in the game, with groovy jams that fit the visuals perfectly. The ten or so tracks carry the experience into the next level. While they aren't adaptive or sync with the visuals or nothin', it doesn't detract from the tunes. My personal favorites are Laser Everywhere, Trance One, and the game's Mind's Eye: Space Is Everything. The music is the whole game in microcosm: the style and gameplay of Tempest 2000, but improved and polished to a mirror sheen. I even hear some samples from the original game in the OST and SFX. All bangers. Absolute headboppers.
~ Critiques and The Vita ~
Now, it might just seems that I've been sucking Minter's cock for a couple paragraphs now. This is true. On the other hand, this isn't a perfect experience. One major problem is one of accessibility, of which it has none. No options to mitigate any epilepsy, no control options, no nothing. Which is a shame. TxK is still a great game, separate from the visuals. Simply having an option for turning off particles and flashing would make the game better, just of virtue of being easier for more people to play.
Have a seizure with one, easy press of a button.
My final issue -- The Vita. Now, I must clarify that the performance is not the problem: TxK runs at a smooth 60 throughout (i tested it, thanks vitashell), the problem lies in the platform itself. The relatively unpopular handheld was unpopular even in its day, and now it will become more rare as the days march forward from its discontinuation in '17. The original TxK as it was on the Vita has not been ported to any other platform. For the Vita-less readers, a savior has arrived however! Atari had agreed to make a 'updated' version for last-gen consoles, and dubbed it Tempest 4000. This port is disappointing for numerous reasons, some of which I actually will care to list:- updated the visuals, they are now far too overstimulating and harm the gameplay
- still no options, exactly as the vita port was
- the GAMESPEED is LINKED to the FRAMERATE AAAAAAAAAA WHY
- why do games still do this on pc, stop (i have a 75 and it bugged me to no end, RIP 144hz master race)
~ Final Thoughts ~
TxK is great. That's all. It has held up better than 80% of the Vita's five other original games. This is to me as Golden Abyss is to other Vitamins. It lets me glimpse into an alternate future where the Vita was the king of the handhelds.
Vita is Life. Peace.
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- plays like a dream
- looks like an audio visualizer but its a game
- bops
- better than sex
What I Didn't Like ...
- gyro is always on, and a tad temperamental
- no epileptics allowed
- still technically a Vita exclusive
- if you don't like Tempest this isn't gonna change your mind
9
Gameplay
Minter's experience with the genre shines through, with smooth control and fun gameplay that is only topped by his later works.
10
Presentation
Psychedelic visuals and an absolute jam of a soundtrack sell the experience.
7
Lasting Appeal
Three relatively similar gamemodes isn't much for a simple game like this, but the game has enough depth that you won't get bored over it's 100 levels.
9
out of 10
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