Insector X

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NTSC-U NTSC-J
Insector X
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: HOT-B (Japan), Sage's Creation (US), HiCom (South Korea)
Developer: HOT-B (programming: Genki?)
Licensor: Taito
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Sound driver: Cube
Genre: Shooting
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1990-09-07 ¥6,800 (7,004)6,800e T-28023 US 1990-11 47036 BR 1991 KR 199x GM4001HG
Non-Sega versions Arcade Nintendo Entertainment System

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Insector X (インセクターＸ) is a Sega Mega Drive horizontal shoot-'em-up developed by HOT-B and published by Taito. A port of the publisher's titular 1989 arcade game Insector X, and a spiritual successor to the developer's earlier Chuka Taisen, it was first released in Japan in September 1990, and was later brought to the United States two months later.

The arcade version of Insector X was originally developed by HOT-B with a dark, realistic insect-themed motif, but during production, the developers were asked by Taito to lighten the game's tone, resulting in the character and enemy sprites being swapped out with cute, chibi-like artwork (but notably leaving the original backgrounds intact.) When developing the later Mega Drive port, HOT-B returned to their original designs and published Insector X as the game was originally intended to appear.

Story

“	Unknown to the human eye is a world where exists two micro-tribes, BELZERS and INSECTORS. The king of the BELZERS is BAGLON-BELZEID. Obsessed by an evil ambition to conquer the world, he created half machine/half insect forces to carry out his plan. He ordered his mechanical-insecter forces into the peace-loving INSECTOR world and destroyed its inhabitants. Now, BAGLON-BELZEID and his forces are about to invade the human world. The last survivor of the INSECTORS is KAIT. He managed to escape to a desert that had not been reached by BELZER forces and there he was rescued and sheltered by a human boy. The peace did not last long, however, because the BELZERS have started to invade this deserted place. "I am not going to escape any more!" KAIT is now flying to protect the human who saved him and revenge his INSECTOR comrades.	„
— US manual

Gameplay

The game has the insect-like main character, Kait, going through a number of nature-based and cave environments. The player can collect a variety of powerups and weapon upgrades to defeat oncoming enemies and bosses. The plot is fairly simplistic and ultimately involves defeating the dark ruler queen, freeing the insect world from her power.

Weapons

	Propera-Missile
	Fires spinning discs which travel in a sine-like wave in front of Kait.
	Parachute-Bomb
	Fires a bomb which slowly descends to the ground below Kait.
	Ring-Laser
	Spray-Bomb
	Fire-Missile
	Bound-Fire-Bomb
	Formation-Missile
	Sweeper-Bomb

Power ups

During the game's normal stages, creatures named Sparrow Carriers will fly on-screen holding an egg-like object. Destroying one of these will reveal a power up, which can be collected to increase Kait's abilities and firepower.

	Power Up
	Increases the firepower of Kait's current weapon by one stage, with up to seven stages of firepower. If Kait loses a life, his firepower is reduced to its minimum stage.
	Speed Up
	Increases Kait's flying speed by one stage, with up to five stages of speed.
	Point Up
	Increases Kait's score by 1000 points.
	Double Power Up
	Increases the firepower of Kait's current weapon by two levels.
	1 Up
	Increases Kait's extra lives by one.
	Special Bonus
	Unknown.
	Crash
	A bomb which significantly damages all on-screen enemies. Unused charges remain after death.
	Special Weapon
	Upgrades Kait's default weapon with a secondary special shot. Dropped by enemies other than Sparrow Carriers.

Stages

	Desert Area
	Plateau Area
	City Area
	Jungle Area
	Their Empire

Enemies

	Wellfly
	Yonakuni-Thunder
	Day=Biser
	Happy-Gerogero
	Lady Bird
	Sub-Bomber
	Black-Cutter
	Hammer Saw

Bosses

	Death-Blader
	Lance-Hopper
	Disaster-Mothwing
	Boss 4
	Boss 5

History

Main article: Insector X/History.

Magazine articles

Main article: Insector X/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Insector X/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 40 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 70 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 74 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) 74 Console XS (UK) NTSC-J 94 Computer & Video Games (UK) 77 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 78 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 68 Joystick (FR) 78 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 80 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC 80 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 64 MegaTech (UK) NTSC 74 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 74 Power Play (DE) 70 Raze (UK) NTSC 80 Sega Power (UK) NTSC 75 Sega Pro (UK) 95 Sega Pro (UK) 90 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 47 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 82 Zero (UK) 81

	75
Based on 22 reviews

Insector X

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Manual

Mega Drive, KR (Hi-Com)
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, KR (Samsung)
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 70626304 MD5 77574085187602bf50dd1167da389f60 SHA-1 4f4ecff167d5ada699b0b1d4b0e547b5ed9964d5	512kB	1990-07	Cartridge (US)
✔	CRC32 9625c434 MD5 ae4322417c5827364837d04a2952facb SHA-1 204351b97aff579853cdba646b427ea299b1eddf	512kB	1990-06	Cartridge (JP/KR)

External links

• Insector X article by Kurt Kalata at Hardcore Gaming 101