When this machine was unveiled, the first quandary one had was, what’s a Zaxxon?! At the time of its release, Zaxxon was unique, as it was the first game to employ axonometric projection, which lent its name to the game (Axxon from axonometric projection). The type of axonometric projection is isometric projection: this effect simulated three dimensions from a third-person viewpoint. It was also one of the first video games to display shadows, to indicate the ship’s altitude above the surface; the game also employed an altitude meter, allowing the player to control how high or low the ship is above the surface. It was also the first arcade game to be advertised on television, with a commercial produced by Paramount Pictures for $150,000. Zaxxon spawned an arcade sequel: Super Zaxxon. The color scheme is different, the player’s ship flies faster (making the game more difficult), and the robot at the end of the second fortress is replaced by a dragon. It did not do as well as the original.
