This is exactly what you would expect from a modernization of a game from 1989 for a personal computer. Everything in the original appears to be here in-tact and restored. As the original, the game itself is relatively generous with difficulty and lives, especially compared to arcade shooters of the time. This makes it a relatively short experience as you will not have to repeatedly play over the game to deal with Gradius syndrome. I enjoy the fact that the game allows you to create overpowered setups. The shop system is of course the separating gimmick of X-out, and it functions just fine. The updated OST is lovely too. A competent conversion that is enjoyable and faithful to its predecessor can be found here.