| Phalanx | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | ZOOM Inc., Kemco |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Released | 1992 |
| Genre | Shooting |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Ratings | ESRB: N/A |
| Platform(s) | Sharp X68000, Super NES, GBA |
| Media | cartridge |
Phalanx is a space shooter video game designed by ZOOM Inc. for the Sharp X68000, and Kemco for the Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance. Phalanx is infamous for the incongruous box art in its American release: it displays a bearded elderly man dressed in overalls, wearing a fedora and playing a banjo while a futuristic spaceship flies in the background. The popular media site IGN named it their 5th "Most Awesome Cover" (a sarcastic title) in a recent Top 25 Countdown on their website [1]. The box art designers later admitted that they had deliberately chosen this theme in order to attract the customer with something original considering there were many space shooters in the market that looked alike. A mini version called Tiny Phalanx was featured in the ZOOM Inc. 1995 Playstation beat 'em up, Zero Divide. To access it, turn the Playstation on, and hold Select and Start on controller 2 until you see the Tiny Phalanx title screen.
Gameplay
The player's ship can switch to different speeds at any time, allowing the player to move fast to avoid enemies and obstacles entirely, or slow down to weave between enemy bullets. An unusual addition for a shooter is the ability for the player's ship to take multiple hits before losing a life. A variety of weapons can be picked up from items that certain enemies leave behind, and up to three can be stored at a time. The player can switch between these weapons freely, and sacrifice a weapon to produce a "smart bomb" effect, freeing up the slot to grab another weapon.
 Screenshot 1 |
 Screenshot 2 |
Japanese Box Art
 Japanese Super Famicom version |
 Japanese Sharp X68000 version |
