<s>
is	O
a	O
1996	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
eighth	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Xevious	B-Application
series	O
,	O
it	O
combines	O
2D-based	O
gameplay	O
with	O
3D	O
gouraud-shaded	B-Algorithm
polygon	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
saw	O
a	O
revival	O
in	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
,	O
Namco	O
sought	O
to	O
capitalize	O
on	O
its	O
success	O
with	O
a	O
modernized	O
3D	O
update	O
to	O
Xevious	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
for	O
its	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
hardware	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
a	O
techno-infused	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
composed	O
jointly	O
by	O
Ayako	O
Saso	O
and	O
Shinji	O
Hosoe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
was	O
criticized	O
by	O
fans	O
for	O
drastic	O
departures	O
that	O
interrupted	O
the	O
core	O
mechanics	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
strayed	O
too	O
far	O
from	O
what	O
they	O
felt	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
so	O
popular	O
in	O
its	O
heyday	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Device
conversion	O
,	O
titled	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
that	O
compiled	O
3D/G	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Xevious	B-Application
,	O
Super	B-Application
Xevious	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Xevious	B-Application
Arrangement	I-Application
onto	O
one	O
disc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
is	O
a	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
with	O
3D	O
graphics	O
integrated	O
with	O
2D	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
two	O
players	O
control	O
their	O
respective	O
Solvalou	O
starships	O
—	O
blue	O
for	O
player	O
one	O
and	O
red	O
for	O
player	O
two	O
—	O
that	O
must	O
destroy	O
the	O
Xevious	B-Application
forces	O
and	O
their	O
leader	O
before	O
they	O
enslave	O
all	O
of	O
mankind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
area	O
also	O
features	O
a	O
boss	O
that	O
must	O
be	O
defeated	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
progress	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Andor	O
Genesis	O
mothership	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Xevious	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
stage	O
features	O
a	O
fight	O
with	O
GAMP	O
,	O
the	O
supercomputer	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
Xevious	B-Application
forces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
like	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
large	O
Sol	O
towers	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
by	O
bombing	O
pre-determined	O
spots	O
on	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
alongside	O
Rally-X	B-Application
Special	O
Flags	O
that	O
award	O
an	O
extra	O
life	O
when	O
collected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
references	O
to	O
other	O
Namco	O
games	O
are	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
easter	O
eggs	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
Pooka	O
from	O
the	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
series	O
and	O
a	O
cheat	O
code	O
that	O
replaces	O
both	O
players	O
 '	O
Solvalou	O
with	O
Heihachi	O
and	O
Paul	O
from	O
Tekken	B-Application
,	O
featuring	O
their	O
own	O
ending	O
sequences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
advent	O
of	O
3D	O
arcade	B-Application
hardware	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
and	O
1990s	O
,	O
Namco	O
became	O
a	O
leader	O
in	O
polygonal	O
video	O
games	O
with	O
titles	O
like	O
Tekken	B-Application
,	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Alpine	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
arcade	B-Application
hardware	O
,	O
while	O
technologically	O
inferior	O
to	O
other	O
arcade	B-Application
systems	O
,	O
was	O
a	O
hit	O
with	O
arcade	B-Application
owners	O
for	O
its	O
cheap	O
price	O
,	O
which	O
made	O
it	O
easily	O
affordable	O
for	O
smaller	O
arcade	B-Application
chains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
brief	O
downturn	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
half	O
of	O
the	O
decade	O
,	O
the	O
shoot'em	O
up	O
genre	O
was	O
beginning	O
to	O
see	O
a	O
revival	O
with	O
games	O
like	O
RayStorm	B-Application
,	O
G-Darius	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Radiant	B-Application
Silvergun	I-Application
,	O
and	O
were	O
very	O
profitable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanting	O
to	O
cash	O
in	O
on	O
this	O
sudden	O
revival	O
,	O
Namco	O
decided	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
3D	O
sequel	O
to	O
Xevious	B-Application
for	O
the	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
board	O
,	O
featuring	O
mechanics	O
popular	O
with	O
other	O
shooters	O
to	O
draw	O
in	O
newer	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xevious	B-Application
was	O
massively-successful	O
for	O
Namco	O
;	O
the	O
Family	O
Computer	O
version	O
sold	O
over	O
one	O
million	O
copies	O
and	O
became	O
a	O
platinum	O
seller	O
,	O
which	O
gave	O
Namco	O
hope	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
perform	O
well	O
in	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
increasing	O
market	O
for	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
remakes	O
also	O
made	O
the	O
company	O
feel	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
commercially	O
successful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
produced	O
for	O
the	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
board	O
,	O
following	O
Tekken	B-Application
and	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
billed	O
as	O
its	O
first	O
shooting	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Being	O
her	O
final	O
work	O
for	O
Namco	O
before	O
joining	O
Arika	O
,	O
Saso	O
incorporated	O
a	O
techno-style	O
score	O
similar	O
to	O
her	O
previous	O
work	O
X-Day	O
,	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
retain	O
the	O
classic	O
Xevious	B-Application
sound	O
design	O
in	O
the	O
music	O
instead	O
of	O
composing	O
something	O
radically	O
different	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
composers	O
employed	O
similar	O
ideas	O
with	O
the	O
music	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
which	O
have	O
original	O
Xevious	B-Application
tunes	O
blended	O
together	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
pieces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
capabilities	O
of	O
the	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
hardware	O
allowed	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
world	O
closer	O
to	O
the	O
one	O
established	O
in	O
previous	O
sequels	O
,	O
with	O
settings	O
such	O
as	O
large	O
,	O
Aztec-inspired	O
structures	O
and	O
deserts	O
being	O
pulled	O
from	O
pieces	O
of	O
conceptual	O
artwork	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
demonstrated	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
at	O
the	O
1996	O
Amusement	O
Operator	O
's	O
Union	O
(	O
AOU	O
)	O
tradeshow	O
in	O
February	O
,	O
alongside	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Prop	B-Application
Cycle	I-Application
,	O
Ace	O
Driver	O
Victory	O
Lap	O
,	O
and	O
Namco	O
Classic	O
Collection	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
May	O
1	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
sold	O
as	O
a	O
conversion	O
kit	O
for	O
other	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
arcade	B-Application
games	O
or	O
Namco-manufactured	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
March	O
1997	O
,	O
GameFan	O
announced	O
that	O
Namco	O
was	O
reportedly	O
underway	O
with	O
porting	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
in	O
production	O
alongside	O
a	O
conversion	O
of	O
Time	B-Application
Crisis	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Titled	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
28	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
demonstrated	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
E3	O
1997	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
presented	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
games	O
like	O
Ace	B-Application
Combat	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Treasures	O
of	O
the	O
Deep	O
,	O
and	O
Namco	O
Museum	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alongside	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
3D/G	O
,	O
it	O
also	O
includes	O
remade	O
ports	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Xevious	B-Application
,	O
Super	B-Application
Xevious	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Xevious	B-Application
Arrangement	I-Application
,	O
the	O
last	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
previously	O
released	O
in	O
arcades	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Namco	O
Classic	O
Collection	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
System	B-Application
11	I-Application
arcade	B-Application
system	O
board	O
was	O
designed	O
after	O
the	O
internal	O
hardware	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Namco	O
had	O
little	O
difficulty	O
in	O
porting	O
it	O
over	O
to	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Namco	O
NeGcon	B-Device
controller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
techno	O
soundtrack	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
music	O
in	O
3D/G	O
,	O
titled	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
Techno	O
Maniax	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
jointly	O
by	O
Namco	O
and	O
Pony	O
Canyon	O
in	O
October	O
1997	O
,	O
alongside	O
Tekken	B-Application
3	O
Battle	O
Trax	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
was	O
digitally	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Store	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
June	O
26	O
,	O
2013	O
under	O
the	O
Game	O
Archives	O
line	O
of	O
classic	O
game	O
re-releases	O
,	O
being	O
available	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
on	O
February	O
25	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
alongside	O
several	O
other	O
Namco-produced	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
saw	O
success	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
few	O
months	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
seen	O
as	O
being	O
inferior	O
to	O
other	O
shooters	O
already	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
n't	O
nearly	O
as	O
successful	O
as	O
Namco	O
hoped	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
May	O
1996	O
issue	O
of	O
Japanese	O
publication	O
Gamest	O
,	O
Xevious	B-Application
fans	O
disliked	O
3D/G	O
for	O
straying	O
from	O
they	O
felt	O
made	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
so	O
famous	O
and	O
well-designed	O
,	O
particularly	O
in	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
highly-destructive	O
power-ups	O
and	O
pre-placed	O
enemies	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
a	O
stark	O
contrast	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
's	O
"	O
no	O
power-up	O
"	O
idea	O
and	O
for	O
having	O
different	O
enemies	O
appear	O
as	O
the	O
players	O
got	O
better	O
at	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
also	O
had	O
a	O
mixed	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameFan	O
agreed	O
,	O
specifically	O
praising	O
that	O
it	O
tried	O
to	O
build	O
on	O
ideas	O
established	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
instead	O
of	O
going	O
for	O
something	O
radically	O
different	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
it	O
felt	O
like	O
a	O
Xevious	B-Application
Gaiden	O
for	O
this	O
reason	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
praised	O
it	O
for	O
keeping	O
the	O
original	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Xevious	B-Application
and	O
the	O
included	O
arcade	B-Application
games	O
,	O
concluding	O
:	O
"	O
While	O
it	O
may	O
not	O
be	O
the	O
perfect	O
PlayStation	B-Device
shooter	O
,	O
3D/G	O
'	O
s	O
heritage	O
and	O
plentiful	O
gaming	O
options	O
make	O
it	O
a	O
winner	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famitsu	O
favorably	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
RayStorm	B-Application
for	O
its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
at	O
heart	O
it	O
distanced	O
itself	O
from	O
what	O
made	O
the	O
original	O
Xevious	B-Application
arcade	B-Application
game	O
so	O
successful	O
in	O
its	O
heyday	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
also	O
complemented	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
the	O
other	O
Xevious	B-Application
games	O
,	O
which	O
IGN	O
and	O
GameFan	O
claimed	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
worth	O
the	O
admission	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
in	O
particular	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
fact	O
that	O
Namco	O
put	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
older	O
Xevious	B-Application
titles	O
on	O
the	O
disc	O
is	O
certainly	O
admirable	O
,	O
but	O
after	O
playing	O
3D/G	O
for	O
a	O
while	O
,	O
it	O
becomes	O
apparent	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
necessity	O
than	O
anything	O
else	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
argued	O
that	O
3D/G	O
lost	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
charm	O
that	O
Xevious	B-Application
and	O
its	O
early	O
sequels	O
possessed	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
felt	O
more	O
like	O
a	O
nostalgic	O
homage	O
than	O
a	O
proper	O
,	O
true	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
magazine	O
delivered	O
a	O
much	O
different	O
response	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
its	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
traditional	O
Xevious	B-Application
gameplay	O
formula	O
for	O
newer	O
audiences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
favorably	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Game	O
Arts	O
's	O
Silpheed	B-Device
for	O
its	O
angled	O
overhead	O
camera	O
and	O
3D	O
visuals	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
its	O
fast-paced	O
gameplay	O
and	O
fresh	O
approach	O
made	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
rather	O
lovely	O
remake	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
also	O
stated	O
that	O
its	O
take	O
on	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
its	O
predecessors	O
made	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
classic	O
game	O
remakes	O
of	O
the	O
era	O
,	O
concluding	O
with	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
PSone	O
played	O
host	O
to	O
the	O
heyday	O
of	O
the	O
classic-remaker	O
'	O
s	O
art	O
(	O
Hasbro	O
's	O
update	O
of	O
Pong	B-Application
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
32-bit	O
era	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
is	O
a	O
fine	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
form	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
