Play Axelay Online Free for Super Nintendo.
Axelay hits different when it boots instantly in your browser. Released in 1992 on the Super Nintendo, this retro classic from Konami is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.
Axelay is a 1992 scrolling shooter developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Set in the fictional solar system Illis where an alien empire known as "Armada of Annihilation" invades its planets including the Earth-like Corliss (Mother), players take control of the titular D117B space fighter craft as a last resort to stop the alien invasion by recovering its lost weaponry.
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| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| D-Pad Up | ↑ | D-Pad up |
| D-Pad Down | ↓ | D-Pad down |
| D-Pad Left | ← | D-Pad left |
| D-Pad Right | → | D-Pad right |
| B (bottom) | X | Bottom face |
| A (right) | Z | Right face |
| Y (left) | S | Left face |
| X (top) | A | Top face |
| L | Q | Left shoulder |
| R | E | Right shoulder |
| Start | Enter | Start |
| Select | V | Select |
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The Story Behind Axelay
Tamate and Kazuhiko "König" Ishida serving as programmers. "Kagenin Sasaki" Suzuki gave additional support during development, while artist Kazuhiro "PD." Namba created the pixel art. It has since been re-released for the Wii U's eShop service across all regions in 2015.
Axelay was designed by a group of Konami employees that would later go on to found Treasure, the creators of Gunstar Heroes. The title was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console service in Australia and North America in 2007 and later in Japan in 2008. Tsunenari "Boncharu" Yada and "Furiten" Nagisa Tsuchiya acted as designers with Toshiharu Furukawa and M.
How Axelay Plays
The title uses various visual effects in both the top-down and side-scrolling stages. Players may freely switch between each of these weapon types during a level. At the end of each level, a new choice of one of these types of weapons is added to the ship's armory and players are given the ability to modify their fighter to suit the needs of the next level.
The gameplay varies quite a bit from that of traditional 2D scrolling shooters. However, directly colliding into an enemy will still destroy the ship instantly. Although there is an ending, the game loops back to the first stage after completing the last stage, with each one increasing the difficulty and enemies fire denser bullet patterns.
Why Players Still Load It Up
Super Play listed it number 36 on its list of the top 100 SNES games of all time in 1996. After finishing Axelay two times consecutively on the highest difficulty level, a message promising Axelay 2 appeared but the planned sequel never materialized due to low sales of the first game. The game has since been re-released through download services for Nintendo consoles.
The plot of Axelay varies between regions. In 1995, Total! ranked Axelay 88th on their "Top 100 SNES Games." IGN rated Axelay 55th in its Top 100 SNES Games. Nintendo Power magazine later called it the #18 best game on the SNES.
Axelay — Frequently Asked Questions
Can I save my progress in Axelay?
Yes. Create a free account and the player unlocks save states — snapshot your progress at any moment and resume later on any device.
How many players does Axelay support?
This browser version of Axelay handles 1 player(s).
Can I play Axelay online for free?
Yes — Axelay runs directly in your browser on this page. There is nothing to download or install; the game boots in the player above.
Do I need a controller to play Axelay?
A gamepad is optional. The keyboard mapping shown on this page works immediately, and plugging in a USB or Bluetooth controller switches the player over on its own.