Zanac X Zanac

The game has three different versions of the original NES Zanac, and the new game Zanac Neo

Players fly a lone starfighter, dubbed the AFX-6502 Zanac, through twelve levels; their goal is to destroy the System—a part-organic, part-mechanical entity bent on destroying Mankind.

Zanac differs from other vertical shooters in its ability to adapt to your strengths and to adjust the game to attack your weaknesses. Your performance during the game and your choice of subweapon will partially determine what and how much Zanac will send at you.

ZANAC STORY:
The technology for faster-than-light travel was developed by humankind in only a short time. One of the expeditionary forces sent to investigate the stars near our galaxy believed they had found a relic of an intelligent extraterrestrial culture, and with this, the "Icon" (Holy Statue) was discovered.

The Icon appeared to be intended to test the people who contacted it. If those people looked for the proper procedure, they would be able to open it in a nondestructive way and would receive beneficial knowledge in return. However, if they instead were impatient and used force to open it, it would reward them with destruction. The expeditionary force, each one of them suspecting that something was hidden inside, were impatient to make the discovery and turned their spacecraft's on-board weapons on the Icon. From the ruins of the destroyed Icon emerged a message which triggered the awakening of a huge battle "System," lying in wait in space.

However, it seemed as if there existed another chance to make up for humankind's failed test by the Icon. Another expeditionary team, unaware of the danger to Earth, encountered another Icon separate from the one that was destroyed, and were able to open it correctly. The Icon transmitted this success to System, requesting it to halt its attack. But System, having remained waiting an extreme length of time that its designers could not have predicted, had degraded to the point where it would no longer stop until its target was annihilated and thus had become a simple instrument of mass destruction. Because of this, the order to stop was disregarded and the attack on Earth was begun.

In spite of the overwhelming difference in attack power, humanity went out to meet the approaching machines. Fortunately, one of the Icons was still operating normally, and from information obtained from it, a proposal was made to save Earth.

System was a tactical machine, designed to battle against countless enemies. There was little hope of an all-out attack succeeding, but if a very small-scale attack with very strong attack power was used, a hidden thrust with a needle, so to speak, System would not be able to cope with it successfully. Then, by striking at the core, System would be defeated.

Thus, the AFX battle machine (commonly known as ZANAC), the hidden trump card against System, was constructed and departed for the battle to save humanity.

ZANAC NEO STORY:
Humanity was just barely able to repulse the attack by the System bent on destroying the earth. However, the battle was not over just yet.

System had used its long existence to multiply, and even though one System was destroyed, it was not long before another System took up the attack. That repeat battle has already been going on for 30 years.

Even though humanity has been holding off System's attack, people are tired and exhausted.

Zanac X Zanac is a shoot'em up game released by Compile to commemorate the 15th anniversairy of the original game. This title includes two games - a reimagination of the original game, called Zanac Neo and 3 different versions of the NES port of Zanac.