When comparing Knightmare (AKA Majou Densetsu) vs Xevious, the Slant community recommends Knightmare (AKA Majou Densetsu) for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Knightmare (AKA Majou Densetsu) is ranked 51st while Xevious is ranked 97th. The most important reason people chose Knightmare (AKA Majou Densetsu) is:
Just like in Gradius, all tunes used in this game were composed by Miki Higashino. She was a teenager at the time and was working for Konami part-time, everyday, after school.
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Pros
Pro Tunes from Miki Higashino
Just like in Gradius, all tunes used in this game were composed by Miki Higashino. She was a teenager at the time and was working for Konami part-time, everyday, after school.
Pro Amazing graphics for the 80's
1986 was the same year that the original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros: The Lost levels came out. The textures in Knightmare look substantially better than the relatively blocky textures in the Zelda and Mario games of its time.
Pro One of the first games to have a 'bird's eye view' angle
Considered technically challenging back in 1986, Knightmare offered a top-down (bird's eye) view. This made a lot of sense, especially for vertically scrolling games such as this one.
Pro First TV ad in North America
It wasn't the very first vertically scrolling shooter, but to differentiate itself it was the first game that was featured in a TV ad in North America. This really helped increase its public interest, and was revolutionary at the time setting precedent for the game ads we see on TV today
Pro Very detailed landscapes for the time
As your ship is flying over the landscape, the landscapes can eventually change from one scene to another. Some of the landscapes are heavily forested areas, and others are airbase themed. This helps give each of the 16 areas a different and unique feel.