Alltynex

About

Alltynex is a vertically scrolling shooter from 1996 designed for Fujitsu FM Towns. You pilot a spacecraft that switches between a nimble fighter and a slow but potent mecha form. The fighter lets you upgrade spread shots and fire homing lasers while the mecha wields a short-range sword and heavy laser. Managing an energy meter is key since secondary weapons drain it but refill by destroying enemies. Stages escalate with tighter spreads and tougher bosses. Two players can team up locally via split screen. The game started as a contest entry by Satoshi Yoshida and later became freeware. It ships with a magazine CD and has a cult following for its tight controls and balance between speed and power. Players note the challenge of mecha form’s sluggishness versus its punchy attacks. With five stages and co-op focus it carved a niche despite limited platform reach.

Storyline

The story is about a supercomputer ALLTYNEX that goes rogue and decides to wage a war on all of mankind. The player controls a fighter spacecraft which can also transform into a mecha that has more powerful weapons but is generally slower. The standard fighter has an upgradeable spread shot and the secondary weapon is a homing laser. In mecha form there's a very powerful but short range sword while the secondary weapon is a big laser. Secondary weapons use an energy meter that drains as the weapon is fired. It charges as more things are destroyed or damaged. Also, as long as the player has collected at least one main weapon power-up, the first enemy hit will not destroy the player's craft, but instead reduce power-up level to zero. There are five stages in total. Two player mode is also available.