User Review PlayStation Vita Updated

Review cover 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!

maxresdefault (2).jpg
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.

txk-2.jpg

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 ~
unnamed.png

It's like sixty minutes on acid
​
The visuals and sound are the cherry on top that ascend TxK to top-tier status. While granted, the Vita is not the most powerful out of the hardware of its time, let alone the phones of today, the distinct style shines above the rest. Pictured above is a session in the flying bonus-game, and it is a treat for the eyes (as long as you aren't having a seizure). Minter's work in the field of music visualization bleed through in the game's mix of old-school vector and polygons, and the surreal backgrounds made of floating lights and abstract patterns. Most of the time you'd be mistaken for thinking it was something like the Virtual Light Machine... but you get to play this one.

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.

txkreview_610.jpg

Have a seizure with one, easy press of a button.
​
Another issue (a slightly less intrusive one at that, but still) is the gyro implementation. No option, as is expected, always on. The gyroscope moves the camera a bit in normal gameplay, and moves your ship in between-stage bonus rounds. It functions, sure, but in any kind of condition where you are moving (i.e. planes, trains, automobiles), it is unhelpful. Doubly unhelpful is the lack of a recenter button. If you plan on using gyro, you'll still need your sticks at the ready.
​
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)
Tempest 4000 is a port, technically. If it's all you can get, by all means. But get OG TxK if you can.

~ 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

Overall

A must-have for anyone, but if you're still playing your Vita in 2021, I'm sure you already know that. For those of you who don't, Tempest 4000 is a okay alternative to buying the super-ultra-dead Vita.
  • Like
Reactions: HylianBran
H
Is it just me or does this look like one of those fan-made Polybius recreations?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0xFFFFFFFF
Review cover
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

Reviews

  1. PlayStation 5

    Astor: Blade of the Monolith

    Astor, a young Diokek warrior, must journey across Gliese to solve the mysterious disappearance of his creators.

  2. Hardware

    CMP2 Globular Cluster

    PSVR2 comfort is imperative to keep you playing for longer!

  3. Xbox Series X|S

    Hypercharge: Unboxed

    Playtime is over! Grab your action figures and defend the Hypercore from Major Evil’s forces in Hypercharge: Unboxed!

  4. Hardware

    POCO F6 Pro

    POCO, the global smartphone branch of Xiaomi, launched its latest F series phones last week. Among these is the POCO F6 Pro, the company’s current flagship which aims to be a contender for your...

  5. Hardware

    Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (2.5K) Pen Display

    A portable 1440p pen display from Huion, we check out the 16 inch Kamvas Pro.

More reviews

Site & Scene News

Go to forum More news
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: https://youtube.com/shorts/Y9WKPRUjNQ4?si=raUf8jEiET8rmH2P