I just picked up Tempest/X3 for the PSX today, and thought I might add my
non-flame 2 cents so that people might actually get an informed opinion
about the game more than the bickering that's currently going on.

I'm both a die-hard Jag fan _and_ a PSX fan -- I love 'em both, and they
sit right alongside each other and get along nicely.  I love Minter's game,
and end up playing Defender 2000 on the Jag more often than most any PSX
game... except for WipEout XL.  In a nutshell, I really like both systems,
and I'm happy to get games for either.

I'm really happy to say that Tempest/X3 is an excellent game, even when
compared with Tempest 2000.  The visuals are greatly improved: the webs
aren't just gouraud shaded anymore, they contain pulsating patterns and a
subtle pattern of light spirals around the web.  The designers of X3 rely
on pixel-breakup less than Tempest 2000, replacing it with acid-tinged
blasts of color cycling and larger  but transparent solid explosions (!).
The particle laser is no longer just a faster gun, but instead spiraled,
multi-colored beams, and the "Excellent" message has been replaced by a huge
Helvetica "Excellent" which scrolls all the way across the screen.  The new
translation never takes away from the look of Tempest 2000, it just does a
beautiful job of smoothing out any rough edges that were present in 2000.

The sound is also greatly improved: the redbook audio of the T2K soundtrack
is pristine, compared with the grainy sound of the Jag's 4-channel cart based
audio.  The sound effects are beefed up as well, making them sound clearer
and more distinct.  Tempest/X3 or 2000 wouldn't be nearly as much fun without
that killer techno soundtrack and the "Yes!  Yes!  YES!", and Tempest/X3 has
it all.

Here's the deal: the gameplay _is_ different... but I honestly can't decide
which is more fun.  All the adrenaline-rush of T2K is still there: the basic
mechanic of spiraling around with so much flashing on the screen at once you
have to play by intuition is still there, in spades.  There's more enemies on
the early levels, making the initial stages much more difficult than on the
Jaguar (I always found that until the 50's, the Jag T2K was "extremely easy").
The "little devil" has been replaced by an enemy that you shoot that shoots
right back: ultimately, that enemy isn't as much of a challenge as the little
devil, and I can see why some would miss it.  The superzapper also isn't as
effective: where in T2K you could hit the superzapper and have a good chance
of not being caught, Tempest/X3's Superzapper seems to work a little bit more
slowly, so that you have to use it more methodically and less of a "last
resort."  The warp levels seem very similar, only a bit easier: the PSX
pad is easier to handle for these levels, while I'd say that the Jag pad is
easier to handle for the main game.

So, the question is: is Tempest/X3 as fun as T2K?  I absolutely think so.
The worst thing about Tempest/X3?  It doesn't go "Ehksehlent!" each time you
choose an option from the main menu.  >sigh<  ;)

Anyway, it's really a good translation, and while the gameplay is different,
I feel that it's just as good in most respects -- the vastly improved audio
/video and seemingly larger number of simultaneous enemies will make it my
Tempest of choice... but I could see why Jag owners wouldn't be that excited.
For any PSX owner who doesn't have a Jag, though, Tempest/X3 is a must have.

Dave Cowen (esch@fische.com)