I remember using my birthday money to buy the Colecovision version of this. It was absolutely amazing to play. Unfortunately I clocked it on the first day that I got it but I still enjoyed playing it often. I would try to destroy every single enemy on the screen (which is impossible) but it certainly was a great challenge.

for those of us growing up in the 80's, the Colecovision version was amazing, especially when you consider that most kids had Atari at home. I never knew about the SMS port and it actually looks decent. Does anyone know if this game ever made it to a Sega Ages disc?

Nice video comparison. I had the this for my Atari 800XL. I was still a bit jealous of the C64 having graphics much closer to the arcade with better ground texturing and overall degree of isometric layout. Of course I am impressed by the Atari 5200 version. Amazing system plagued with a breakable analog-only controller. The 5200 system even had Lucasfilm games in cart form.

Growing up with a Commodore 64 that had a monochrome monitor, this brings back nostalgic memories and yet also looks completely alien. After years of experiencing it a certain way, Zaxxon just doesn't feel right if it's not brown. (The colors on some of the other versions are so garish, monochrome would've been a visual mercy.)

Great! I thought the Coleco Vision was jaw-dropping for the time. Of course the arcade version had that fighter plane control stick, but man, the Coleco version was luxury gaming then. Zaxxon was a classic, wondering if you ever tried Future Spy by Sega as well?

A few notes to add. The Amiga version is not an official port. It was a freeware game, and on its readme file it clearly says it was based on the C64 version. The MSX actually got TWO official ports of Zaxxon, the one you showed was produced by Sega itself.. I don't remember who made the other one, but it was a direct port of the Colecovision version (Something very common on MSX too). The title screen was different, but it was the same game. The Sega version was a lot more common and it's the one most easily found on the web, but I had both versions back at the day, and it was actually kinda confusing, people were calling the Coleco port "Zaxxon" and the Sega one "Zaxxon 2". - My dad told me when he and his friends first saw the 2600 version everyone was gobsmacked by it, because it was 3D and no one ever thought it was possible to do something 3D on a videogame (I was too young to remember). And I remember later when we had both MSX versions, he still preferred the 2600 version, because he liked the "3D effect" more. - And to be quite fair with the MSX, it didn't get even THAT many SG1000 ports, I actually wish it had *more* :) . Sega actually also did the opposite... while all their MSX games are actually direct SG1000 ports, they also licensed a few games from MSX from other companies and ported them to SG1000 identically (Exerion and Hyper Sports are 2 I remember now)

It's cool how the Atari 5200/8-bit version was done by Ron J. Fortier. As you may know, he also created Bruce Lee.

As simple as it is, I like the music on the Sega SG1000 port. It has a nice beat to it.

Another great video! Just a side note: on machines that have the TMS9918A family of VDPs, the VRAM access speed is dictated by the VDP. This means that this speed is exactly the same on the TI-99/A, ColecoVision, SG-1000 and MSX1. The differences in quality you see are just result of the programmer's competence. Given they produce less frames per second, PAL machines have slightly more free VRAM bandwidth than NTSC machines. But this advantage was rarely used, to keep the compatibility between the two systems.

That reminds me. I've always wondered why people hate the Atari 2600 version, especially since it's more playable than the 5200 version.

This was one of those games that escaped me, I remember adverts on television, I knew it was out there, but due to being released so early in the 80s I never saw the arcade cabinet and never came across the game out in the wild later in the decade. The level of detail is astonishing for 1982, it really reminds you that Sega were technically on the cutting edge in the 80s.

Before their dashing hedgehog and punching monkey boy, Zaxxon is perhaps the oldest Sega game most casual people can think of. I played the MS-DOS version on a Tandy PC, and was tickled a little by its laser sounds. The SG-1000 and MSX versions seem fascinating, but Zaxxon 3D is also quite interesting. Zaxxon 3D uses Yamaha YM2413 for FM sound. Nintendo counterattacked Sega by letting Konami release Falsion for the Famicom Disc System also with 3D stereoscopic mode and the extra FDS sound channel.

I wish the Master System version was a normal port of the game. I also wish the SG1000 version has smoother scrolling. It would be nice to have an arcade perfect port.

wow, I can't believe Colecovision and C=64 had the best versions.Commodore also had a pretty sweet Super Zaxxon too.

I played the Atari 2600 version of Zaxxon & i was quite good at it. I later played the emulated version on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3.

3 years late to the party on this one. I had this on a Tandy TRS-80. Yes, on cassette.

And along with Super Zaxxon, the C64 version of that one looks even more impressive!

A lot of innovations for SEGA back in '82. Too bad i would not be born for another 8 years :( So i missed the golden age for arcade gaming. That's why i love this channel and your perspective on Battle of the Ports!! Thanks again, see you next time

I played the unofficial version of CPC when I was a child, Zaxx. I died constantly in the first level because I didn´t underestand the concept of "altitude" XD. SEGA innovations of the 80´s...

WOW,this was my ALL TIME FAVORITE GAME EVER.I want this game to play on my computer,and I can’t find it anywhere.I want the original arcade game,and it’s no where.Even a really popular game store near me doesn’t have it,and he’s got everything.I can go on and on with so many great memories I had playing this game with friends.Drinking pitchers of beer,and spending a fortune.Thanks for bringing back Great memories for me🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Oh how I loved this game. I was thrilled when I found the DOS version on a floppy with a bunch of random games on it, bitd.

Well done ! ....nice to see all these ports in a row ! Which was the best one ? Colecovision in my little red book. Especially for the stoned sound effects.....

Oh wow, I never thought I'd figure out what this game was called! This game was wayyyyy before my time, but an older relative of mine who's really into retro stuff had one of its ports (the apple ii port, I think.) I saw it once as a kid and I thought it was super cool, but could never actually figure out what game it was. I guess that's case closed for this mystery of my life!

Back in special education classes, I only played the MS-DOS version. But not sure before or after Sonic 1 was released.

Innovative, Sega's classics were indeed.

Another winner. Although i love the C64 version, I have to say the Atari 2600 programmers showed real guts. A very playable interpretation on such limited hardware. Incidentally when you look at the games side by side the coleco version's speed is most closely matched to that of the arcade.

I forget Zaxxon is from Sega. Why Sega don't do a conversion to the MD? I think a good port will be or maybe a port of Super Zaxxon.

the 5200 was nice smooth playing port the best IMHO out the home consoles of that era, between the 2600, intellivision and the Colecovision, Colecovision matches up well with graphics but it didnt' scroll as smooth as the 5200

Thanks for this video! :D , on of my favorite early clasics! :)

I remember the day when I asked my parents for Zaxxon intellivision and I was happy because I thought it was identical to the arcade version ... :-D

About Amiga version, I think the context is missing. This is an unofficial version, and not really an Amiga version in its own way. What you call "Microsoft Paint" graphics 😂 (I love it) are indeed directly ripped from C64 version as a tribute. This one has been created by one of those guys who wants so hard Amiga to be the direct descendant of C64. But this is obviously not the case at all since the Amiga, as everyone knows, was born from an external project only marketed by Commodore. But that's it, lot of C64 compares Amiga with the computer of their loving childhood, searching to create a link that doesn't exist at all. Zaxxon on Amiga is the result of this improbable feeling, making a guy create a C64 conversion more than a real Amiga version. A little bit pervert if you ask me😀 Well, forget this public domain version. In fact, Zaxxon never made its way to Amiga. But on Amstrad CPC, Zaxx from Chip released in 1986 is a really more interesting unofficial version, even if the maps are clearly not the same.

The Amiga version actually looks and sounds like a direct port of the C64 version. :D I spoke too soon. You said the same thing. :)

Ah-Ha!!! What can I say Mark. Zaxxon is just...just...AWESOME! My favorite version is the Colecovision since its a family favorite growing up, but I also like the Sega Master System since I use to like that version playing it over with my friends at the time. Well done as always Mark. Thank you as always. Anthony...

Great comparison.

One of my favorite games... in my birthday! I played a lot the Tandy Color Computer version. There are two versions for the system, and both were developed by the same person (Steve Björk).

Great video and some funny commentary, but did you leave out the 32X version?

Bet the Sam Coupé could do beta than the zx spectrum!

I played the Arcade original back in the early 80s. Probably why games were ported between the MSX1, SG-1000/SC-3000, and the ColecoVision is that they shared many similarities. In fact I think they all shared the same processor as the Spectrum, which explains all of the lazy Spectrum to MSX ports in Europe. I own Zaxxon for the 2600 and Master System. I just ordered it for the SG-1000. No box or manual because all of the boxed copies on eBay look ratty.

My favourite version is actually the Atari 2600 version since I'm not a fan of the isometric view, I prefer the 3rd person perspective as it makes it easier to judge my accuracy when shooting things down.

I played the cabinet version on my country (Argentina) and the C64, which I consider is a very good and playable version. Great game, great video, as always

Zaxxon was also ported to the TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo, and Coleco Adam Computer. It was also apparently ported to the C64 twice. On cartridge published by Sega, and on Diskette w/more content. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/grGRn7p0vNDdgoE.html

I find it strange the master system version is more like the 2600 version. I would understand if this style was for the sg-1000, but no, it’s the other way around.

The beginning of Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle always reminds me of this game.

you forgot the coleco adam "super game pack" version, which was of course similar to the regular colecovision version, but had additional levels, music, and other stuff. definitely a step up from the regular colecovision version for sure.

I like how the Amiga version has "FU" written over the oil terminals.

Well, never been a fan of zaxxon, because it's kind of hard to tell what's the precise position of the ship around other objects. My favorite is the arcade version that has aged pretty good, also I like very much the original sound effects, very early 80s awesomeness!

Thanks that was cool, you missed one - the TRS-80

you should do a "remastered" BOTP for this one day

There was a port for the TRS Color computer 2 on cassette. It was pretty good for the old Trash 80.

Just TOP!!! 😀👍

ColecoVision and C64 versions seem to be the best.

Lol, I played the Apple ][ version on a monochrome monitor as a kid. I could only see some green objects on a green background, never made it very far..

I think the first time I played Zaxxon might have been the board game version.

One port not here, and understandably-so due to how hard the system is to emulate, was the Coleco ADAM. It starts off like the ColecoVision port, but after the first encounter it starts getting newer levels and a new mobile battle fortress boss that you have to destroy the cannons of to defeat. I know someone on this site has gameplay footage of it (as he does for the ADAM ports of DK, DK Jr, and a few other games with enhanced versions over the original Coleco). Also, I guess there was trouble getting the MockingBoard emulation to work for the Apple port? [Edit] Ah yes, the Dragon32/64 port. I have the official tape for that to my Tandy CoCo1. Read something about the colors being the way they are for you guys.. different address space for the video or something? Either way, definitely one of the few official ports Tandy got of arcade games (like the BBC Micro/Acorn Electron for you guys, the Tandy over here got a lot of unofficial clones and few official ports) that was good.

And Amstrad CPC as Zaxx.

Hmm I wonder if another version for the c64 exist because I remember it looking different and having a monster 'not robot' boss

I have the SG1000 the scrolling is a little annoying but the game is pretty good for the hardware.

Was this the game that appeared on I want to say it was friday the 13th. I remember one of the scenes where they played a game very much like this.

Amiga is superior graphically to most ports in this video

Missing z80 (tk80/82c/83) version

The battle of ports is an interesting show. I can't wait for Donkey Kong and Pac-Man.

i suck on isometric games... like zaxxon or marble madness or knight lore ... rolleyes

coleco had the best arcade ports until the ps1 came out ......

I played the cab!

The Amiga version looks more like some Amiga homebrew cobbled together by a single person, was that game at retail at the time?

Colour on c64 are usually very bad. Colecovision super game is the best version by far

Hi! In the movie Friday the 13th part 4, a boy is playing this game. Zaxxon is running on a Tandy TRS-80. Have you already watched this film?

ho ho ho i never hear this game before, hmmm btw when you say about arcade version why you say cannot you cannot feel the real arcade cabinet version do that mean this game have unique controller like dance dance revolution arcade version ?!

ugh...the high pitched noises in some of them...that was rough

you forgot zaxxon's motherbase 2000 on the sega 32x

Where is the COLECO Adam version ??? So much better than the console version !!!!! Also, the AMIGA port is not official, it's Public Domain.

No Atari ST version?

You forgot PS3 version on Megadrive Collection

If the Sega SG 100 has faster Vram why is it's Zaxxon scrolling animation even more choppy? The Color is not the only bad thing about the DOS version, the graphics are and it looks like it has awful control. The Dragon 32 graphics are horrible definitely worse than the Amiga and DOS graphics.

The Version I played. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b6x5q7yBvda1ook.html

How to ruin a game: Give the player a hitbox the size of Jupiter.

The Amiga version e better than the shi… of the pc version… really ???????

Ahahah c64 better than arcade; you are probably from germany where c64 is better than a ps5