Commodore Format Archive

• Shoot ’em up
• FILE NAME: X-Force.tap – CF edition and TraNce eDition (see note below)
• 1 player, joystick port 2 only 
• Copyright 2014 The New Dimension
• Programming and concept by Richard Bayliss
• Graphics by Saul Cross
• Level designs by Saul Cross and Richard Bayliss
• Music by Paul (Feekzoid) Hannay / Richard Bayliss 
• NTSC game production fixing: Dirk Schmitt
• EXCLUSIVE to Power Pack 63

NOTE: There are two versions of X-Force on the Power Pack download. The game plays exactly the same on each. Our special CF version has the unique Commodore Format loader and an exclusive soundtrack by Feekzoid. The alternate version (labelled “TraNce eDition”) has a trance soundtrack by Richard Bayliss and is included for you as a special extra. Whichever you play, you’re getting it for the first time, exclusively, here. 

Here you go, then – another brand new game that’s never been seen before! X-Force is the latest release from The New Dimension and is exclusive to Commodore Format Power Pack 63!

It has been discovered that planet Darx has new minerals, which could be useful for us to use as a source to construct a shield for future protection against future alien invasion of our planet. You decide to go into the mines and dig out the minerals to take back home. After a hard working night shift, you decide to jump on board the X-Force ship and fall asleep – unaware of what will happen next.
It turns out that Darx is not a silent planet, but pretty much a hostile one. While you were sleeping an alien mother ship spots the X-Force ship, and beams it to an underground prison area. The aliens enter your ship and capture you. When you wake up you find yourself trapped inside a sealed chamber. You fumble around in your pockets and find a laser and blast yourself free. Alarms start going off. You run like hell, and find your X-Force ship, climb in, and fly out (with the minerals inside) in a bid for freedom and to get back to earth.

The object of this game is to pilot the X-Force fighter ship through 16 different sectors of the underground. The only trouble is that each sector consists of loads of obstacles. First of all, there are the aliens. They won’t shoot back, but they work in formations, to try and stop you in your tracks. The aliens also armed each sector with laser gates. If you hit a laser gate, your ship will become toast. You can shoot the aliens for bonus points, if you are brave enough.

There are not just aliens or deadly backgrounds which you must watch out for. At the end of each level will be a guardian ship. It will be hovering up and down, and will try to make its way past you in a ferocious manner. The guardian is armed with lasers. Should you let the guardian pass, you’ll still be able to complete each sector. Otherwise, if you want bonus points keep on blasting it until it is destroyed. Each sector gives the boss a different shooting behaviour with its lasers. Should you destroy the boss, before he passes you’ll be rewarded an extra life.

During your battle against the aliens of Darx. There are some helpful and not so helpful power pods, which can be collected. The pink pods will give you single bullet power ups or power down, the green pods will give you double bullet power ups or power down, the blue pods will give you temporary protection, and the yellow pods will thrust you across each sector quickly for a few seconds. Should you lose a life, you will lose the power up. Avoid the grey power up pods, these are a trap set by the aliens. It’s a big bomb.

Can you escape all 16 sectors, or will you be imprisoned at planet Darx for good? CF