XeGrader

XeGrader is a fantasy-themed shooting game for the MSX2 designed by Tokihiro Naito, creator of the Hydlide series, and released in 2025 on a 1 Mbit Mega ROM cartridge requiring 128KB of VRAM. It departs from shmup convention by removing power-up items dropped by enemies: upgrades and bonuses are instead earned by solving a puzzle hidden in each stage. The game moves through a grassland, forests, ruins, a graveyard and a dungeon, with enemy attacks growing more intense as the player powers up.