Xexyz

The odd-numbered stages in the game (1, 3, 5, etc.) utilize mostly platform-style gameplay.[4] These stages work in the familiar manner; the character progresses at his/her own pace, picking up new weapons and power-ups along the way. To leave the initial area of each of these levels the player has to collect a "force star" by defeating an enemy found in a hidden room. Once this star is obtained the character is able to enter the "mechanical castle" in the region. The mechanical castles, being mazelike indoor environments full of robots and machines, stand in stark contrast to the earlier parts of each level, which are organic outdoor environments. Each mechanical castle also has a brief auto-scrolling shooter segment through which the player must pass; these segments foreshadow the imminent transition to the following even-numbered stages. The segments in question consist of a sequence of corridors, at the end of which are two doors; choosing the wrong door loops the player back. Finally, at the very end of each mechanical castle, there is a door leading to a boss fight. The boss fights are set against a solid black background and Apollo must fight while standing on a controllable floating platform.

For the even-numbered stages (2, 4, 6, etc.) the character is prompted to jump into a vehicle (a different one each time) and take part in an auto-scrolling Gradius-like level ending with a boss fight.[4]

Xexyz title screen

In the transition area after the platform-style levels, prior to the boss fight, Apollo is prompted to jump on a platform that lets him float. After moving into a previously out-of-reach door, the fight begins.

In side-scrolling shooter areas, the player simply appears in a boss area in the ship they played the level in.

The fights consist of a black area where the player fights a giant robot/ship. Their attack pattern, resembling that of a Manic shooter, is repetitive and avoidable; the player shoots the boss with either their conventional weapon or the in-ship weapon.

The final level is a "fixed" shooter. More specifically, it is a "tube shooter" where the player approaches the last boss's fortress and attempts to destroy it. Apollo, in a more enhanced ship than any seen before, rotates from the sides of the screen to the bottom, shooting at the center while avoiding enemy fire.

Apollo receives weapons and items from a goddess character to help him on his way. All weapons can be powered up by visiting a shop that specializes in powering up weapons, or by talking to the goddess character a second time.