TxK is a descendant of the legendary Tempest 2000, initially released on Atari's Jaguar console and later ported to PC, Sega Saturn and PS1 (as Tempest X3). The direct sequel to Tempest 2000 was (surprise) Tempest 3000, released for the ill-fated Nuon DVD chipset... thing.
The name "TxK" gets it's name from the abbreviations for the two prior games, T2K and T3K.
No, it does not have anything to do with Tekken x Street Fighter.
For more history behind the game (in fact, *all* the history), I urge everyone to cast their eyes toward the bottom of this post under the "Where can I find out more?" header to follow Minter's path from being tasked with creating a sequel to the original Tempest, right through to TxK.
But for those who don't like words, a brief pictorial guide to the evolution leading up to TxK:
Jeff Minter wrote an excellent blog post recently called The Road to TxK: Genesis of a Genre. Thoroughly recommended, even if the game doesn't interest you.
You can also learn more about Llamasoft by reading "A History of Llamasoft" here, and of course by checking out their website.
Yes TxK is, decidedly Tempest. Little more but certainly no less, and odd bit of slow down here and there notwithstanding, the best version of Tempest you can find. An exercise in addiction that has the potential to appeal to both devotees and those looking for a quick fix, TxK provides fun, visceral thrills, and lasers. Lasers everywhere.
It’s a fine line to tread, having to appease both the high-score chasing purist and today’s quick-burst gamer, but TxK manages to do so with aplomb. Having a bash at the game from Level One puts your score on the Pure Mode leaderboard, but the game also saves the highest score and highest number of lives you reach each level at. Pick it up for a quick go at the latest level you’ve reached then, and you effectively pick up where you left off - the only caveat being that your high score is plonked on the Classic Mode leaderboard.
There’s more - the booming soundtrack, how each type of enemy presents a new type of challenge to juggle, the perfectly pitched peaks and troughs of difficulty - but TxK is a game that demands to be played.
In the hands, it’s smooth, fierce and an absolute treat - the work of a virtuoso studio at the top of its game.
This is pure arcade action at its finest, and is perfect for a portable device. There’s no storyline to experience, there are no cutscenes, just blow stuff up before you get destroyed! Levels start pretty slowly at the beginning, but quickly ramp-up as you progress. There are 100 levels to get through, with different enemies assigned to blocks of levels.
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Yes, I’m a fanboy, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that this is truly an awesome game. The gameplay is perfection, and how this fits onto the Vita as a portable title makes it a must-have for everyone… unless you only like sports or RPG’s? TxK fills a void in the pure arcade action category, and for an old man like me, it takes me back to my childhood in such a wonderful way. Buy this game!
This is twitch gaming at its finest, with beautifully tuned thumbstick controls and a pulsing rave soundtrack that only seems to focus the mind more sharply. Meanwhile, the ability to resume from the point at which you perished makes it as easy to consume in short bursts as to devote longer sessions to. And while this is still instantly identifiable as a Llamasoft production, Minter has reined in some of his more idiosyncratic touches, while retaining his unique signature. Dynamic, thrilling and wholly invigorating, TxK isn’t just one of the best games on Vita: it might just be the best Minter’s ever made, too.
The roots of Tempest are hard to break. TxK works off the existing — and very entertaining — formula to create a nearly perfect version. The Vita’s OLED screen has likely not seen a game as simple and beautiful as this yet, which makes it quite a treat. With pick up and play gameplay that’s as addicting as ever, it also works as an excellent portable game; it’s just a shame that the gorgeous visuals couldn’t show up on a big screen via home consoles or PC. Definitely take a look at TxK if you’ve ever enjoyed any version of Tempest. Heck, grab it even if you haven’t and give yourself a proper introduction to a truly great game.
Perhaps it’s just because the game works so well on the PS Vita, with the vivid colours and perfectly calibrated controls, and by association feels so modern. In its way TxK is as engaging and relevant today as it ever was, and for a 33-year-old video game that’s really saying something.
In that respect it deserves just as much credit as something like Geometry Wars, which borrowed from another ancient arcade game and made the twin stick shooter a valid concern again. It proves that Minter is still very much relevant, and capable of hitting the same kind of highs that he did in the early days of home micros, and during the days of the cursed Atari Jaguar – and this makes me very happy indeed.
It may be a cliché, but you should never judge a book by its cover. TxK may look like an ordinary, low-budget arcade shooter at a glance, but if you fly a little deeper into this intergalactic romp, you’ll find an addictive experience with some satisfying gameplay mechanics, mind-melting graphics, and electrifying audio. This title expertly fuses classic arcade staples with modern game design to provide a sleek gaming rush right in the palms of your hands.
Those that power their way to the top of the online leaderboards might debate whether this or Space Giraffe is the better game - whether slightly frayed psychedelia and a cider glass full of ideas wins out over studied simplicity - but that's an argument for another day. All you need to know right now is that TxK is Minter at his finest, and it's absolutely mint.
Big thanks to Kert Gartner for the animated header, everyone in the 60fps TxK Trailer thread for all the rad thread title suggestions and of course, Llamasoft!
I probably should tell you, at AusPAX last year I won a medal (no shit) in the retro gaming area for getting the highest score on T2K they had setup on a Jaguar there. I reckon I'll be a bit nifty with this one
No probs! Admittedly I only found it because there weren't many reviews of it currently out there, but I'm glad I came across it before the inevitable flood of reviews come in
Whilst I doubt I could be arsed setting up a proper leaderboardy-thing in the future, I'll be more than happy to add a section for gamertags in the OP.
Fun fact: I have Jeff Minter on my PSN friends list.
I probably should tell you, at AusPAX last year I won a medal (no shit) in the retro gaming area for getting the highest score on T2K they had setup on a Jaguar there. I reckon I'll be a bit nifty with this one
I salute you. I still crack out the Jaguar and fire up a bit of T2K.
Oh! I've just realised i've no display i can hook the Jag up to anymore! Oh Shi...
I salute you. I still crack out the Jaguar and fire up a bit of T2K.
Oh! I've just realised i've no display i can hook the Jag up to anymore! Oh Shi...
It was a surprising effort. I'd only really given T2K time on the PC version (don't own a Jag, was my first time playing it over that weekend), but I'd smashed the living hell out of it. I think I got the best score at PAX on my third or fourth play and tbh I honestly wasn't trying for a high score, I just wanted to get lost in it one last time before the expo finished. God knows what I'll be like when this gets released :/
Does anyone know if it has the chill-out zones for bonus levels?
I loved them at times but at others they'd ruin my flow and i'd be garbage when i came out of one. That soundtrack though was spot on with the game and i still have "Superzapper Recharge" flowing round my head from time to time.
Buy this game, people. It'll rui... change your lives
I probably should tell you, at AusPAX last year I won a medal (no shit) in the retro gaming area for getting the highest score on T2K they had setup on a Jaguar there. I reckon I'll be a bit nifty with this one
Thanks for doing an OP, this game deserves as much attention as possible! Can't wait for tomorrow, expecting big things. Might end up being my favourite OST ever too, judging on the stuff we've heard so far.
Whilst I doubt I could be arsed setting up a proper leaderboardy-thing in the future, I'll be more than happy to add a section for gamertags in the OP.
Fun fact: I have Jeff Minter on my PSN friends list.
Go to Ebay, buy the PS1 game "Tempest X2" (2 as in squared). You can unlock the Jag version of Tempest 2000 in Tempest X - 2000 is the better game. X is tweaked just a little, and not for the better.
Oh, perfect time to brag, also: I've beaten Tempest 2000, on the Jaguar, too (not PS1 or PC) which is friggin hard, and I'm very proud of it. Never played 3000 (who has?) and didn't take to Space Allard, though. Hopefully this one clicks.
Nah, Tempest 2000 scores were in the low millions. I want to say my high scores on the Jag are between 2 and 3 million...not that I'm a high score guru or anything.
