Phalanx is a horizontally scrolling shooter that studio Zoom built specifically for the Sharp X68000 as a showcase of what its computer could do. The player pilots a fighter craft blasting through a series of levels ranging from open space to the cramped corridors of enemy bases, collecting upgrades that change the character of their weapons. Weapons don't simply stack up without thought: each has a different spread and range, so choosing a loadout before every stretch is part of the game, and a poorly chosen arsenal can turn even a manageable level into an ordeal. Adding to that is the classic system where getting hit sends you back to the start of your progress.
Technically, Phalanx relies on smooth multi-layer scrolling, large bosses, and backgrounds that try to feel like part of a single world rather than interchangeable scenery. The X68000's color palette allowed for finer gradients than console players were used to, and the game makes the most of this especially in its space and cave sections. The FM soundtrack is more restrained and atmospheric, at times almost cold, matching the stark sci-fi tone. The game's rhythm alternates between open stretches and tight corridors where the level geometry itself is the main opponent. It's precisely in these confined sections that the game's precise controls shine, since the outcome often comes down to a single pixel of clearance between the ship and the wall. The pace is slower than in later shooters, which today reads as calm rather than dated.
Internationally, Phalanx became famous mainly for its Super Nintendo port, whose Western box art featuring an old man with a banjo became one of the most frequently mocked examples of nonsensical game covers. The original X68000 version stayed in Japan and has a reputation among platform fans as a solidly crafted shooter that doesn't aspire to surpass Gradius but does its job cleanly. Today it plays as a pleasantly short and readable representative of the genre: nothing groundbreaking, but well-built levels, a solid feel for control, and a reminder that Zoom was among the most active home developers on this computer.
Game 23 of 25 for Sharp X68000
