Play Xevious Online

Xevious came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1984, a conversion of Namco's earlier arcade game. It was one of the first vertical shooters on the platform, arriving at a time when many games were still single-screen affairs.

You pilot the Solvalou fighter, scrolling upward over varied landscapes while fending off airborne fighters and ground-based tanks and turrets. Your main goal is to survive as long as possible, destroying the Andor Genesis mothership when it appears. You have two attack methods: a standard shot for air targets and a separate bomb for ground units, which requires careful aim. Hidden throughout the stages are invisible 'special flags' that grant extra lives if you bomb the correct spot. The game's pace is relentless, with enemies swarming from all directions, and the difficulty ramps up quickly. It feels tense and demanding, a constant test of your ability to manage two different weapons while navigating a steady stream of threats.