Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000

Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000, known in Europe as Motherbase and in Japan as Parasquad, is an isometric-scrolling shooter developed by CSK Research Institute and published by Sega in 1995 for the 32X . The story follows a rebellion force on a mission codenamed "Motherbase 2000" to break through the defenses of the evil Ginglii clan, who have created a super-computer to coordinate weapons production and enslave planets . The player pilots a ship called the Stinger through nine levels of enemy bases . Gameplay is viewed from a diagonal isometric perspective similar to the arcade classic Zaxxon . Unlike the original, altitude control is removed and replaced with a jump ability using a rocket booster . The core mechanic involves destroying enemy ships, then jumping onto their wreckage to "hack" and temporarily take control of them for enhanced firepower and protection . A two-player versus mode is also included .

Sega 32X

Released in North America and Europe in June 1995, and in Japan on July 14, 1995, this title is the only Zaxxon game to feature polygon graphics . Enemy and ship objects use 3D flat-shaded polygons, while backgrounds are 2D scrolling planes . Reception was overwhelmingly negative: Next Generation gave 1 out of 5 stars, calling it "graphically ugly, slow, boring, repetitive" . Electronic Gaming Monthly scored it 5.375 out of 10, criticizing the removal of altitude control and sluggish controls . IGN concluded it was "a pointless, un-fun shooter" that deserves to be in the bottom tier of 32X games . Most critics agreed the game does not resemble the original Zaxxon enough to justify using the series name . A rare example of a sequel that fundamentally misunderstands what made its predecessor great.