XOP (2002 indie game)

XOP is an 2002 indie action-arcade vertical-scrolling space shooter computer game was designed and developed by Toastsoft and published by Hamumu Software, It is first game installment of XOP game series and first being Western shooter game made Christopher's debut project, Based on the Cave arcade shooter game DoDonPachi, Players assumes to role as main protagonist pilot fighter ships to take place in distant outer space and planetoids by attacking stronghold alien invasion waves, It must be destroying all the enemies wave to recovery from galaxies.

XOP was conceived and created by Canadian indie game development studios Toastsoft as a project by Christopher Emirzian for inspiration reflections Cave shooter games title and other arcade games such as Armed Police Batrider, Strikers 1945, Major Stryker, Truxton and Raiden DX, Development phrase creating custom game engine in pattern shooting game build through conflict as simply the elements and visual gameplay, It also had budget amount to takes in development game project for running by one-person and small team with six people, The game concept physically certain features primarily and secondary weapons of 6 weapons type and power-up items and had first launched on indie game development community for Western and Japanese gaming, It brought by US publishing label Hamumu Software releases the game.

XOP first released as an shareware version consisted of 2 playable levels gameplay and full version consisting 8 stages of total and extras features, each distribution published by Anarchy Enterprises, Partytop Games and Space Shooter Game release trial and full version difference change details with smooth graphics, fast-paced, replay values and additional improvements to the original version, It was very popular hits of 2002 awarded and critics reviewed by the internet, And later newest version several changes design and goes to final version of the XOP original game.

A direct-of-sequel duology XOP Black after the events from first game, It was successor Classic enhanced-remake computer game XOP Ultra Series with duology like XOP Ultra and XOP Black Ultra in 2011 as well as released XOP Ultra Bundle for shareware and full version commercial in 2013. An XOP G was planning to be trilogy with XOP Ultra Series, but never materialized, game scrapped and unfinished, With moved into the flash games released Zero Cross.

Plot
In the distant outer space sets in the year 2230’s, When the unspecified life forms of alien-races invaded on galaxies and planets, The alien organizations unknown species known for The Void, Which they can took over in the galaxy for using stronghold weapons in the universe, in response by the earth defense forces, An unnamed pilot-man rides on the advanced high-technology space fighter ships to testing a new project fighters code named ‘XOP’, An gunship fighters with equipment of six weapons type selection, One of the contracts will be missions to flying through in outer space and numerous planetoids to survive against the invasion of alien-race and destroy their vanguards overlords The Void, In order to save the galaxies from recovery day being attacks.

Gameplay
XOP is an vertical-scrolling space shooter game featuring with six type of weapons in player ships, When the player picking one of selection at the option select screen, Each anything the secondary weapons were takes one by one selected and switched between from two weaponry in your ships, The gameplay controlling with the keyboard, mouse and joystick support, The main player ships can moving through straightforward in the outer-space, ground, sky, ocean and landscape theme in the stages, The player ship flies through encountering of numerous enemies ships, alien creatures, crystal ships, stronghold tanks and the voided species, It received to take down all the enemies with dropping coins of ‘DAL’, Player catches the coins are blue and purple one to increases score points, Reflect-Shield items appears in later through stages and player ships can picked up to increases bombs slots, The player ships can also speed settings goes slow, medium or high, by choosing often ships speed in the option selected.

The game has 8 stages of total, which can be ‘wave’ first loop and second loops, If the player beaten the game by completing first wave, The second wave has the same area in the stages, Enemies is now increasing bullet pattern and bosses will also additionally pattern, but enemies ships doesn’t have suicide bullet or ricochet effect in second wave, However, If the player processing way through in the looped game, Destroying many enemies swarming and bullet patterned by surrounding area to make it survived as soon as possible.

Weapons
XOP fighter ships featuring the primarily and secondary weapons for each selection of six weapons type, Main weapons are firing projectiles in rear forward and twin laser gun in range straightforward, In ground attack with abilities can shooting with the green projectiles to prevent their ground enemies in the area, In behind attack with the projectiles shot behind to take below down from incoming enemies attack, Secondary weapons can switched between one by one selection weapons to firing ranges and make damaged much more either, It consisted are six selectable for using the player ships once.

There is the lists of secondary weapons selection in the stats shown details of weapons


 * Bots: Four drones can follow your ships with shooting directly in the area.
 * Velocity Cannon: Shooting high-powered beam goes through in path-way, It loaded to firing directions with surrounding area.
 * Spread Laser: Shooting continuity with sideways arc pattern.
 * Missile: An stealth missile launcher goes forward through in air and ground direction.
 * Implosion: An grey high-powered gravity beam effectively to crushing enemies and bosses in surrounding area.
 * Plasma Stream: An green rapidly plasma stream can shoot through in enemies area.

Bombs
The ships has a limited number of bombs, which are activating with the reflect shield creates a shockwaves to reflect enemies bullets, There are certain only bombs to used twice as much radioactively effects of reflected shield normally used in the game, With the enemies bullet completely filled, Player can activating to bombs quickly rush out, If the player have three limited bombs, It also picking up every bombs slots later through in the stage.


 * Reflect Shield: An bombs create a shockwaves abilities to reflect enemies bullets opposite numerous of the direction.

Items
There are the collectible items in the game, identified by the details lists:


 * Shield: An shield can increasing your health when pick up appears in the stage, With alpha version build only in the gameplay, Until the final version, An shield items can no longer appears in the game.
 * Reflect Shield Slots: Add one bombs to supply player ship, The player can picked up the reflect shield to increases number of bombs later in the stages.
 * DAL Coins: An coins appears with the dropping off screen, After the enemies being destroyed with dropping coins, Blue and purple one, Picking up every coins filled to increased score point and combo system, each of its mid-bosses and bosses bullet its converted into a coins.

Stages
The game has 8 stages of total in the original course, It also 2 EX Stages from Score Attack mode is only accessible played in the stages, An Boss Rush where its encounters against the bosses through in the stages.

Once it completing the stages with the end stage screen and resulted fulfilling that following requirements status:


 * Destruction: An number of killing many enemies out of the number enemies in the stages
 * Accuracy: An number of shooting accuracy of the player ship can firing hit the enemies out of the number, The only shots can accurately for the large one and blue one shots.
 * Perfect: An perfect run with completing the stages without getting killed by the enemies.

Skill Levels
XOP was originally had a stranded difficulty skill levels, After a few updated version, It also have eight consisted difficulty skill levels: Easiest and Insane, depending the enemies bullet pattern are slightly patterned on the difficulty skill levels, The enemies and bosses will also having doubled bullet pattern when selected the skill levels.

There are the several skill levels, ranging number of the lists depending the difficulty skills difference.


 * Easiest: Enemies can firing rarely in the area, With depending slow amount of passion through fast-paced, Strategy play-through easy way to difficulties skills, DAL score points system usually low combo costs to takes in.
 * Very Easy: Enemies can firing average ranges in the area, Easy-way course in the skill levels.
 * Easy: Depending the easy skill levels more than safe spots in the area.
 * Normal: An Default settings in the game, Enemies much medium firing ranges in the area, Fun and fast-paced purely gameplay, With advanced skill levels through in the main game.
 * Hard: Enemies is much hard bullet pattern, Depending with the enemies patterned and every direction much going to passions, DAL score systems increases the combo chaining to cost.
 * Very Hard: Enemies and Bosses became smart, The high-level of bullet-hell experience for pro-players can go through in expert skill levels, DAL score system and more points increases in the game.
 * Insane: Enemies and Bosses became smarter with deadly weapons filled in the screen, The highest-level of bullet hell experience for master skill levels, Player can going through and survive from biggest attack pattern, DAL score system and combo chaining is now increase rate.

Development and early production design of XOP
XOP development began in early 2000 by Canadian indie game designer and developer Christopher Emirzian and small team with six people, A reflection inspired from the Cave arcade shooter game likely DoDonPachi who were made sequels like DoDonPachi II in 2001 and DoDonPachi DaiOuJou in 2002, with the held by the development project team create first western indie computer game and genre 'maniacally scrolling shooter game', Along side with Canadian small team members Tim McFarland, Jesse Shepherd, Joiro Hatagaya, Simon Coong, Matthew Emirzian and Louis Gorenfeld careers as an game designer, graphic art design, level design and music composers were responses to using digital art tools Photoshop, program tools for DJGPP, Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 and Allegro, audio editing tools used Cool Edit 2000 and MODplug Tracker for the music composer, with the initial development story-line had a science-fiction and space shooter themed, alternative universe version from the shooter games, with DoDonPachi game style and Raiden game series inspiration wrote on the game written in the pre-production stage.

Pre-Production Game Design
The first game prototype in XOP, Using the game programming tools Allegro develops custom game engine for the top-down scrolling shooting game style with similar game shared of Raiden Game Series, The game system which its visuals are 2D/3D effects in depth of the background game creating illusion to pre-production designed for executives to testing with the complex game design development, It written from game design documents was suggested idea of the parallel thought to be features picking-up items like power-up, bombs and dropping coins was originally, Which it likely from Truxton ran into the game concept, Making function in the main programming database techniques to received in prototype built in it.

Game graphics using the pixelated art design creating the spaceship craft and only one designed main player ships codenamed 'XOP' is the named of the game title, With unusual pattern and phrase mostly of the enemies ships and bosses from traditional hand-drawn sketches and color details, putting their Photoshop qualities of pixel imagery, The graphic art design also had cultures to Japanese anime mecha styled for the XOP game project as well.

Custom Game Engine
Many libraries of the game coding, Phrasing using for the detailing of XOP game project, Written for programming libraries tools DJGPP, Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 and Allegro platforms for the PC Windows and DOS was originally in alpha version, The latter internal development focusing onto the libraries all game programming joint in the main database, It creates XOP Engine for 2D shooter game with further to designed same engine like XOP Black and XOP Ultra Series.

Level Design
XOP settings in the level design themed of outer space, planetoid like organic, crystal landfield, gray zones, sky high, volcano, ocean and voided within the game design perspectives are 2D/3D effects in background objects layers sections to collision detection directly, The layout level design aspects throughout in the top-down scrolling being constructed overdrops design of compares level design specifically in this game, Some of those 8 stages of total in arcade course, 2 EX stages only seems in Score Attack, The designer putting the enemies with bullet pattern all together course in level constructed was also written from the game engine to collision detection walls when the player ship can only hits against in the wall, The graphic art design making much example of scrolling background area in arcade course. The level design settings will be played 8 stages of total duration, 2 EX Stages were also same from the Score Attack.

Post-Production
After initially game development progressing, Lead game designer hard-time working to the way through with the testing by the small team crew were worked for prototype stage that have been discovered to debugging and issues gameplay, Then it converted switched between re-programming from previous revision of XOP game project, So they putting their post-production stage in debugging from game programming issues and majorly assets, The game also private build been played to small testified and only for final quality within the top-down shooter and first western shooter game, ready to public with Alpha and Beta Version see, The game managed to brought with Hamumu Software who its interesting XOP game project putting the publish labels in marketing, Until the small team continuing integrated in the computer game programming still running in XOP, Which were subsequently the prototype build is all finished, After takes several more months and weeks.

Music Soundtrack
The music was composed by Christopher Emirzian and Louis Gorenfeld, using the music program tools MODplug Tracker for XOP Game Series, Released the same composed as XOP Black with Tim McFarland as an graphic art design and music composer, The music seemed to be science-fiction, industrials mixing-beat, retro-action, jazzy rock, ambient and dramatic impact, With the music itself about the game plot with struggling against alien waves and numerous bullets filled in the screen, with the corruption all life in galaxies, journey their pilot fighters must go along through in waves and seek to destroy many enemies as much as survive possible.

Alpha and Beta Release
The game was first released as Alpha (or known as Public Demo) on 2001, Chris localized in public game playable demo on Stage 1 and 2 in recent version, The second alpha version made with improvements, new level design, new enemies and scenery, With additionally secondary weapons works with player ship much going direct in the area, The same day updated version of alpha, and was Beta Version released at the same time, Before the Alpha and Beta Version went outdated, Soon afterward the game will be finished and released as final version.

Release
XOP was first released on April 05, 2002, The first game released as shareware version playable 2 levels in arcade course and full version commercial to be played 8 levels of total duration of arcade course, with 2 EX stages and Boss Rush from Score Attack, each challenging can played on the levels with awards to unlocked at Extras Menu choosing game modes, game speed, random enemies pattern and bullets. It also Replay value and high-score support post in internet and social media shown statistics during the gameplay run through in arcade course and choose from weapons takes in.

XOP also brought by Hamumu Software signed agreement to game publishing labels and released in June 22, 2002 with marketing and CD case details, With fun-paced and purely fasting shooter game, Receiving shipping offers to publishing sale around in worldwide, The game became the obscure rare game titles exists, Releasing the demo version and full version commercial, Until the publishing labels went off from market and sale in 2007.

XOP Plus released in 2006 becoming the super rare game titles, With some of the graphics run smooth, Improved detailing in gameplay as much as similar publishing, The game released as published by Space Shooter Games and Partytop Games, In 2015, an gaming community discovered to XOP Plus obscure game files to highlight it to shown follow with super-rare titles carrying in gaming channels.

An updated version of XOP, Improvements game design of the general, Asteroid field in Stage 1 were removed, Dropping coins into magnets catch coins, Tutorial in-game screen, extra menu award restrictions, game speed (50 fps), randomness from enemy shots, movement, Reduced difficulty skill levels, Second wave are discontinued and removed in game, Various game buggy and crashes were all fixed by the game designer, Then the final updated version of 1.02 released after, Developer must focused onto create flash games and newest enhancements of game remakes updated to XOP Ultra Series.

Cancelled Dreamcast Port
An Dreamcast version was intended to be entitled ‘DAL Force’ from the original platforms PC Windows as XOP, It was announced in 2007 by The GOAT Store slated to be released first indie homebrew Dreamcast game titles, With features 4 players and 11 levels, Developer cancelled the Dreamcast version before the initial announcement and no surfaces developed to homebrew game, citing Due to majorly problem and took longer anticipated. An beta prototype build was discovered in 2020.

Publisher
The publisher is brand product of XOP. Which may have been requirement for period services is varying as single game producing. in Which the product remaining of branded from initially have out of stock, It moved to the another publisher period around the companies brand product.

Lists of the Publisher producing:

Reception and Reviews
XOP was released and received by the game reviews with generally ‘favorable and amazing quality’ reviewers, according to website VideoGames101, gave 87% out of 100% rating scale and notes "Everything sounds incredible here.", Which were the receptions amazingly quality about thoughts fast-paced shooter based off the game style like Raiden, Truxton, DoDonPachi, Twin Hawk and GigaWing inspiration for the first created western shooter game exists, The other reviews Kraptor gave 4 out of 5 stars calling it ‘A decent shooter game, inspired by Raptor’ significantly with the gameplay actual some of fast-paced and very good visuals through in XOP game, Riverwind also gave 4.5 out of 5 stars generally reviewers gave the scale high quality favorite indie computer games.

Blue Niuxlius Entertainment met XOP game reviews stated that ‘Decent space shooter from Japanese game titles’ first ever generally game details thoughts to fast-paced and purely action-arcade of old-school arcade video games from shooting game genre like Truxton, Twin Hawk, Fire Shark, Twin Cobra, Strikers 1945 and others, With ground-breaking familiar its comprised of indie computer game for western gaming media debuts released as either to same like DoDonPachi inspiration, It gave 4.3 out of 5 stars and the title ‘Excellent and Favorable’ with mediocre qualities and graphics are ‘Japanese anime mecha styled’ basically with hand-drawn sprites usuals for play and funable. Blue Niuxlius Entertainment is numbered lists #1 from ‘Top 150 Best Indie Space Shooter Games’ marked favorite indie space shooter game as reception platforms for another weeks.

Sequels

 * See articles: XOP Black, XOP Ultra, XOP Black Ultra

The successful of XOP Game Series after first game installment came out in 2002, resulting by the developer who would go onto direct-of-sequel as duology XOP Black, An fast-paced manically space shooter from previous events with the new alien enemies waves and pure more than bullet hell experience with game styled of DoDonPachi Resurrections, Chris developed with same engine of XOP until it went onto create third game installments for XOP trilogy, But it never materialized and unfinished, Due to fact that game series wouldn’t going forward installments, Leaving only for XOP Duology series, In 2011, The game is now successor XOP Ultra Series released in same year.

Notes and Trivia

 * The very first created Western indie space shooter computer games.
 * XOP was first released as an Demo Version after it completing 1 year and 6 months during the development stage.
 * XOP is the named of the game titled, Based on the shooting game genre with old-school arcade video games, It was first launched on 2000’s indie game development community from Canada.
 * The game publishing brought by Hamumu Software releasing as shareware demo version and full version retailer, It takes around 450+ units marketing online and worldwide physical copies taken, Until they went off from marketing, Focusing developer moved into the main site with updated version released as an freeware.
 * The game also became the underrated indie computer game ever exists.
 * XOP was unique rare and hidden gems discovery exists in internet.
 * There are certain different of beta version forms XOP Ultra from concept game phrases with fast-paced details within the Japanese anime mecha styled universe, 10 years later, It enhanced released to successor XOP Ultra.
 * The game graphics are Japanese anime mecha styled and similar from Vanguard Ace, Baryon and Full Metal Jacket.
 * A sequels follow to XOP Black and third one entitled XOP 3 goes trilogy were planning in game development, But it never materialized and never being made game series.

Gallery
Game Screenshot

Development Crew

 * XOP Credits Crew