Every Extend Extra
| Every Extend Extra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Q Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) |
JP Bandai Namco Games NA/PAL Buena Vista Games |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Every Extend Extra is a shoot 'em up video game by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable.
Every Extend Extra is a redevelopment of the popular freeware game Every Extend, which was a personal project by Kanta Matsuhisa under her "Omega" pseudonym.[1] Q Entertainment, as a 'boutique' developer, built on the concept.
A version for Xbox Live Arcade, Every Extend Extra Extreme, was released on October 17, 2007.
Gameplay
The main difference between Every Extend Extra and the original game is the music. Much like director Tetsuya Mizuguchi's previous synesthesia-themed titles Lumines and Rez, Every Extend Extra's arcade mode sees the player advancing through stages, with each stage featuring different background and enemy designs, music, bosses and pace.
The player is unable to shoot, their only defense being to detonate their ship in the vicinity of the enemy. Enemies appear in randomized patterns, and the aim is to position and detonate at the right moment, setting off a chain reaction of explosions and earning a combo bonus. Blowing oneself up takes away from one's overall 'stock', or number of bombs, with a new bomb being gained after the player gains a certain amount of points, which increases after each new bomb. Earning a considerable combo is key to replenishing the stock of lives, and so gameplay revolves around striking the correct balance between risk and reward.
Every Extend Extra also adds varying explosion types to the Every Extend template, which can link chains in different ways, as well as a "charge" feature. By holding down the explosion button, the bomb is charged; the longer the button is held, the larger the blast radius, expanding the possibility for chaining explosions. Power-ups dropped by enemies increase the speed of both the player and the enemy, as well as the speed of that stage's music.
Each skin is played out to a time limit, with a boss character appearing at a set point towards the end. Rather than attacking the boss directly, the player relies on destroying the required number of regular enemies near the boss to cause a 'hit'.
Reception
Every Extend Extra has been well received. Edge magazine awarded the game 8/10 in their October 2006 issue. They cited an obtuse initial learning curve and a "defiant obscurity and the resulting barrier to entry" as its main hindrances, but concluded that, overall, the game was "an undeniably exhilarating dance".
References
External links
- Every Extend Extra Official Japan Site (Japan)
- Every Extend Extra PC Demo Download Info (Japan)
- Download Site (Japan)
- Every Extend Extra Playtest
- Every Extend Extra Reviews at Metacritic.com