<s>
is	O
a	O
1992	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Konami	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
mainly	O
consist	O
of	O
both	O
vertical-scrolling	O
and	O
horizonal-scrolling	O
stages	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
vein	O
as	O
Konami	O
's	O
own	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
with	O
players	O
choosing	O
three	O
different	O
weapon-types	O
that	O
increase	O
in	O
number	O
as	O
they	O
progress	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Headed	O
by	O
Super	B-Application
Castlevania	I-Application
IV	I-Application
producer	O
Kazumi	O
Kitaue	O
,	O
Axelay	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
form	O
Treasure	O
,	O
the	O
creators	O
of	O
Gunstar	B-Application
Heroes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
first	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
re-released	O
through	O
download	O
services	O
for	O
Nintendo	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Axelay	B-Application
2	O
,	O
was	O
planned	O
but	O
never	O
materialized	O
due	O
to	O
low	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
is	O
a	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
similar	O
to	O
Konami	O
's	O
own	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
where	O
players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
D117B	O
space	O
fighter	O
craft	O
as	O
a	O
last	O
resort	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
Armada	O
of	O
Annihilation	O
by	O
recovering	O
its	O
lost	O
weaponry	O
through	O
six	O
stages	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
boss	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
that	O
must	O
be	O
fought	O
before	O
progressing	O
any	O
further	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
levels	O
transition	O
between	O
vertical	O
and	O
horizontal	O
scrolling	O
layouts	O
,	O
forcing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
select	O
weapons	O
that	O
will	O
be	O
most	O
effective	O
for	O
each	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
selectable	O
weapon	O
in	O
Axelay	B-Application
also	O
operate	O
like	O
shields	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
uses	O
a	O
respawn	O
system	O
where	O
their	O
ship	O
immediately	O
starts	O
at	O
the	O
location	O
they	O
died	O
at	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Getting	O
hit	O
by	O
enemy	O
fire	O
or	O
colliding	O
against	O
solid	O
stage	O
obstacles	O
will	O
result	O
in	O
losing	O
a	O
life	O
and	O
once	O
all	O
lives	O
are	O
lost	O
,	O
the	O
game	B-Application
is	I-Application
over	I-Application
though	O
players	O
have	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
continue	O
playing	O
via	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
credits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
there	O
is	O
an	O
ending	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
loops	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
stage	O
after	O
completing	O
the	O
last	O
stage	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
one	O
increasing	O
the	O
difficulty	O
and	O
enemies	O
fire	O
denser	O
bullet	B-Application
patterns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
Axelay	B-Application
varies	O
between	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
traversed	O
the	O
cloud	O
covered	O
Cumuluses	O
,	O
the	O
space	O
colony	O
Tralieb	O
,	O
the	O
largely	O
populated	O
Urbanite	O
,	O
the	O
watery	O
Cavern	O
,	O
and	O
Sector	O
3	O
Lava	O
Planet	O
,	O
the	O
Axelay	B-Application
D117B	O
fighter	O
makes	O
its	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
fortress	O
of	O
Armada	O
of	O
Annihilation	O
and	O
completes	O
its	O
mission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
was	O
designed	O
by	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
Konami	O
employees	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
found	O
Treasure	O
,	O
the	O
creators	O
of	O
Gunstar	B-Application
Heroes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
stated	O
that	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
enemies	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
stage	O
previously	O
appeared	O
in	O
other	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
games	O
by	O
Konami	O
such	O
as	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
and	O
Flak	B-Application
Attack	I-Application
,	O
as	O
his	O
then-president	O
at	O
Konami	O
liked	O
the	O
enemy	O
's	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Konami	O
on	O
11	O
September	O
1992	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
service	O
in	O
Australia	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
2007	O
and	O
later	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
U	O
's	O
eShop	B-Application
service	O
across	O
all	O
regions	O
in	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelays	B-Application
visual	O
effects	O
combined	O
with	O
what	O
was	O
then	O
seen	O
as	O
an	O
advanced	O
selection	O
of	O
weapons	O
available	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
music	O
score	O
,	O
made	O
it	O
into	O
a	O
popular	O
shooter	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
scored	O
Axelay	B-Application
3.75	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
graphics	O
but	O
noting	O
that	O
its	O
head-on	O
perspective	O
takes	O
some	O
getting	O
used	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
is	O
considered	O
by	O
some	O
publications	O
as	O
a	O
classic	O
of	O
its	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	O
Play	O
listed	O
it	O
number	O
36	O
on	O
its	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
100	O
SNES	B-Application
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
magazine	O
later	O
called	O
it	O
the	O
#18	O
best	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axelay	B-Application
was	O
included	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
2010	O
book	O
1001	O
Video	O
Games	O
You	O
Must	O
Play	O
Before	O
You	O
Die	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ranked	O
Axelay	B-Application
88th	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
SNES	B-Application
Games.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
rated	O
Axelay	B-Application
55th	O
in	O
its	O
Top	O
100	O
SNES	B-Application
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
A	O
visual	O
stunner	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
"	O
and	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
unique	O
application	O
of	O
the	O
Mode	O
7	O
made	O
Axelay	B-Application
feel	O
like	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
IGN	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
gave	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
re-release	O
of	O
Axelay	B-Application
a	O
7.5	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
finishing	O
Axelay	B-Application
two	O
times	O
consecutively	O
on	O
the	O
highest	O
difficulty	O
level	O
,	O
a	O
message	O
promising	O
Axelay	B-Application
2	O
appeared	O
but	O
the	O
planned	O
sequel	O
never	O
materialized	O
due	O
to	O
low	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Axelay	B-Application
D117B	O
fighter	O
makes	O
an	O
appearance	O
in	O
Konami	O
's	O
Airforce	B-Application
Delta	I-Application
Strike	I-Application
as	O
an	O
unlockable	O
aircraft	O
.	O
</s>
