Zaxxon was the 1982 arcade game widely recognized as the first to use an isometric projection to show a 3D battlefield.
Sega’s Zaxxon presents a scrolling combat course from an angled viewpoint rather than using a flat top-down or side-on perspective. The player pilots a spacecraft through defensive installations, adjusting altitude to avoid walls, barriers, and missiles.
The game displays a shadow beneath the craft, giving players a visual clue about its height. A visible altitude meter and fuel gauge make the simulated depth part of the gameplay rather than merely a graphic effect.
Zaxxon’s title refers to its giant robotic boss, Zaxxon. It is sometimes described simply as a 3D game, but its distinctive technical feature is the isometric projection used to create that appearance on arcade hardware.