X (1992)

Hello, my name is Elon Musk.

You may know me from when I did the Roman salute, or when I sold my masterpiece Cybertruck, but did you know that I am a gamer as well? Since X is my favorite letter and variable in math, I wanted to prove myself as a real gamer after a certain SOMEONE called me a fake gamer, saying that I was shit at Overwatch since I was a bronze Torbjorn (which is not true, I'm a Winston main, please like me). So yeah, I played X for the Game Boy because it reminded me of the website I sold to xAI which I do not own by the way. X is a masterpiece. It's the best Game Boy game because the logo reminds me of X. It's impressive for a Game Boy game on a technical level. It's actually one of the very few Game Boy games to have polygons and the theme song is mesmerizing. However, it would be even better if I could shoot Tim Walz instead because he called me and my group weird. How about some more enemy variety like Elmo from Sesame Street because he's a communist? I had no real sense of direction so I was just wandering around. It reminded me of this emerald mine which did not carry my career. Since the game was Japanese only, it reminded me of anime I love like Evangelion (NERV). So 10 points to Teslapuff.

In case you take this too seriously, don't. Fuck Elon. Sorry if this was too low effort by my standards. This was pretty much last minute.

X combines graphics so high tech for the Game Boy it could be a demoscene video with surprisingly well taught and well defined gameplay for a 3D tank shooter.

The story is simple enough - the player arrives on the planet Tetamus II from Earth in order to protect the planet from a race of mysterious aliens. A polygonal face acts as a commander who helps train the player and gives them ten missions to flex their tank skills.

From the outset the player has remarkable levels of control for a Game Boy title. The player has three speeds and a turbo mode, along with the ability to stop and reverse as they turn. On ramps the player can turbo and begin flight, controlling altitude in a way that actually feels better than previous flight simulators like Pilotwings. The player has four types of weapons they can switch between at specified radar bases and can also travel in specific tunnels to fast travel. The game is pretty finnicky about direction but has things like helper gates to help players enter bases.

The missions in question consist of all kinds of activities - escorting a trucker convoy, collecting nuclear rods, planting bombs in tunnels, taking down missiles or new types of enemies, and finally gathering enough power to destroy the alien mothership. Some missions are questionable and are either finnicky (taking down enemies in the air) or take a lengthy amount of time (the trucker convoy) but for the most part this is a well designed game that makes this tank combat fun and satisfying.

The graphics are the real sell of this game - even if it's basic polygonal 3D the fact that this looks as good as it does on the Game Boy is astounding. There are a few various themes that are mostly pulse pounding themes of danger or a very catchy tunnel theme. If your ears hate the shrill tones of Gameboy games then it might be worth hitting the mute but it elevates this experience even further and communicates a sense of urgency.

X is a miracle of Gameboy development, combining unheard-of graphics (that would come in handy during Star Fox's development) with a game that may be a little frustrating in spots but is otherwise fairly well designed and accessible to people who are somewhat intimidated by combat simulators.