When resurrecting an old genre, how much do you try to update it for the modern era? Plenty of games that seek to restore old classics go out of their way to add in plenty of new options to make it more accessible to modern players. Others, though, seek to focus on the act of restoration itself rather than emphasizing new additions. Both approaches have pros and cons, and there have been plenty of times where I’ve found enjoyment and issues in each style.
As such, when presented with XeGrader Plus from Toshihiro Naito, Skipmore, and Tadahiro Nitta, all of whom sought to resurrect an old arcade shooter franchise, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The game seemed to have a nice new coat of paint, but would those be the only new additions? Would it deliver a remake or a faithful recreation of a classic experience? After playing through XeGrader Plus for myself, it does a little bit of both, though it primarily seeks to homage the arcade shooter style, for better and for worse.
Party Like It’s 1983
XeGrader Plus is a game that prioritizes gameplay first and foremost. There is a small blurb at the beginning that provides some details on the story, but it is very much a factor that does not matter whatsoever. In any other game, this would be a weakness. Here, though, it only adds to the game’s core premise of being a somewhat modern take on the 1983 XeGrader rather than an experience that seeks to innovate on the arcade shooter formula. In many ways, the act of preservation itself is more important than any of the issues that may come with such a task, and this is certainly a fantastic restoration.
For starters, the new visuals look gorgeous. They maintain the classic pixelated sprite art, but with a more colorful and vibrant look compared to the original. Each pixel pops and lends itself to a fantastic presentation that didn’t lose any of its beauty even on a Steam Deck. The music and sound design were also well done, with the former, in particular, blending typical chiptune style with new melodies unlike anything that you’d expect. Tadahiro Nitta composed XeGrader Plus‘ OST, and brings the vibrant sounds of his most popular work, Xak, into this new style.
Then there’s the actual moment-to-moment gameplay, which is quite fun for the most part. Rather than simply having to move back and forth on a set track, the character you play as can wander around a small area to dodge and counterattack any enemies that they encounter. There are plenty of enemies to find too, as there are several areas throughout the game, each with completely unique designs and opponents. For example, in the late stages you can encounter a graveyard and fight a small army of zombies.
The gameplay is simple, yet addicting. It offers enough differences from the traditional arcade shooter formula to be enticing, but still maintains the same style so that anyone can pick it up. Additionally, what helps the game stand out even further is the addition of a few extra options here and there to slightly incentivize repeat playthroughs. There is a music player mode once you beat the game, two characters you can choose to play as at the beginning, and if you get the DLC, you can even play the original Origin and MSX2 versions. These options are much appreciated, regardless of if you’re familiar with the XeGrader franchise or not.
However, that same level of universal appeal doesn’t apply to the rest of the game’s design. In particular, the difficulty of XeGrader Plus has a frustrating tendency to go from 0-100 very quickly.
Get Stuck On The Same Level For Hours Like It’s 1983
Early on in the game, XeGrader Plus eases you in with its difficulty. The first few levels are pretty basic and operate the same as any other arcade shooter, with simple enemies that die in a couple of hits and move around in simple attack patterns. After a certain point, though, the challenge takes a significant leap. The zombie levels in particular have projectiles and opponents surrounding all corners of the screen, making it really hard to react in time. Granted, the ability to upgrade yourself through discovering secrets in the environment is enticing, and the abundance of difficulty options certainly helps to mitigate these issues. What doesn’t are the moments where the game starts to wander into unfair territories.
There were moments where enemies were able to walk through walls, even without invincibility frames. Other moments had opponents surrounding the screen to such an extent that it was impossible to move left and right or dodge any other attacks. It is also infuriatingly difficult to find any secrets whatsoever when said enemies are overcrowding the arena. In one of the graveyard levels, I noticed that there’s some form of secret within the graves. I tried to interact with them, but not only did zombies pop up from every corner, forcing me to focus on them instead, but zombies even appeared from underneath the gravestone I was on, which sometimes caused me to instantly die.
Another concern that I noticed was just how short the game was. On a clean run with all of the fairies acquired, I managed to beat the game in two hours. Aside from replaying the game in the different graphical styles and unlocking more achievements, there really isn’t much of a reason to play more once you get to the credits. It’s hard not to wonder, then, if XeGrader Plus really gives you the best “bang for your buck,” considering the short runtime and excessive difficulty.
However, once again, I don’t think the point of this game is to offer an arcade shooter for new players to get into. This is, at its core, the product of a group of talented developers trying to restore a classic arcade shooter lost to time. In that respect, in spite of my frustrations with the game, I’d say XeGrader Plus more than succeeds at its goals.
A Faithful Restoration, Warts and All
In this day and age, the act of restoring or recreating an old classic for modern players is a lost art. It is harder than ever to replay retro games on old hardware, let alone new hardware, so developers who attempt to resurrect these titles should be commended. In this case, XeGrader Plus exists because of the dream team combination of Hydlide creator Toshihiro Naito, Fairune artist SKIPMORE, and Xak composer Tadahiro Nitta. This is more than just a tribute to a long-forgotten arcade shooter—it is a final homage to the early 80s era of the Origin and MSX2. In that respect, I can’t help but admire it. It certainly helps that XeGrader Plus can actually be really fun at times.
The gameplay is solid, and delivers an experience that will feel fresh to those who are slightly unfamiliar with the arcade shooter genre. The movement feels satisfying, and the prospect of exploration is only made more appealing by the gorgeous visuals. On the subject of the presentation, Tadahiro Nitt delivers a great soundtrack that certainly helped to alleviate more of the frustrating moments. Plus, the fact that you can choose different visual options and characters, and get a slew of unlocks after beating the game for the first time, means that there are plenty of reasons to replay the game at least one or two times.
Beyond those initial replays, though, the short runtime and lack of any further new features means that it’s hard to justify playing XeGrader Plus for anything more than 3 hours. Worse still is the excessive difficulty spikes. Enemies can frequently spawn and attack in unfair ways, which makes progression and the act of exploration an agonizing slog. As a result, this is a hard game to recommend for those who aren’t a fan of the arcade shooter genre.
For those who are a fan of the genre, though, this is an absolute must-play. The dream development team, great presentation, and satisfying gameplay are enough to slightly offset the issues. Still, I’d perhaps recommend playing the game in short bursts rather than in one long playthrough. After all, like any arcade shooter, you need to be ready to take a step back and regroup as you evaluate what went wrong on your last game over. When you’re done recovering, though, XeGrader Plus will still be waiting there with open arms, ready to challenge you and charm you in equal measure.
Disclaimer: Tokihiro NAITO provided Final Weapon with a PC (Steam) copy of XeGrader Plus for review purposes.
