Zax has a big place in my gaming heart for two reasons.
TL;DR:
1) It's a cool twin stick shooter with a totally polished gameplay.
2) The devs obviously created the game they wanted to create; with a lot of love.
More detail:
1) Game
While some games auto-aim for you or, on the other hand, don't allow you to shoot in the exact direction you want, you can git gud at Zax, and you'll feel that every hit or miss is a true consequence of what you did right/wrong.
The isometric graphics are rather comics-stylized (see screenshots), which means they don't get old. And even though reviewers back then had wildly differing opinions, I personally liked the OST, as I found it fitting the game's theme and vibes.
And the game has the perfect length. You have fun, the stakes keep on rising, you learn the backstory, there's an epic final fight and a nice ending. It's pretty long, yet it doesn't overstay its welcome.
2) Devs doing their thing:
Zax is a game about an opportunistic alien scanning his galaxy for ores that he could mine, sell, and get rich. Just when he finds a promising-looking planet, something shoots him down from the orbit. It looks like the planet is inhabited by docile, enslaved creatures called Korbo, but his only worries initially are to fix his ship, mine that ore, and get outta there.
See? There's not a single human. The only female element in the game is the voice of Zelon, the ship's computer (which Zax named and modeled its voice after an actress famous on his home world). I can see a publisher rejecting the game for "the player having no one to identify with". Yet, that's exactly what happens. Even though it's just about pure action, Zax wisecracking and warming up to the Korbo and discovering the identity of the slavedriving Om, you'll find yourself invested in the (predictable to a degree) story, rooting for Zax, celebrating the victory at the end of the fun - and often funny! - ride.
I'd so much love to see it released digitally at last!