They may be smaller, handheld versions but those Aliens are still mean, green and totally obscene! One of the smartest film licences of the decade receives a Game Gear outing. Is it a face-hugging experience?

Ellen Ripley’s in dire straits (what? The top Eighties ‘rock’ group?! —Ed). Her spaceship, Sulaco, has crash-landed on Fiorina 161, a penal planet inhabited by ruffians and thieves.

The bad news is, her travelling companions are dead and an Alien’s infested itself inside her body. If that wasn’t enough, face-huggers found their way onto the ship and escaped after the landing.

The fully-grown critters are taking all humans hostage. It’s your job, as Ripley, to free the Aliens’ captives and destroy the Aliens themselves.

You travel through what seems like a never-ending array of levels, blasting the slimy things and working out the best route to each hostage.

At the start of every round, you’re told many humans you’re to rescue. It’s not an easy task, as all the sections of the prison planet are akin to mini mazes! And naturally, not all are easily found.

En route, collect the extra weapons and 1-Ups dotted around. Grenades, flame-throwers and machine guns are yours for the taking.

A scrolling display at the top of the screen highlights the number of weapons you’re holding, lives left and hostages to rescue.

As the game progresses, the levels get longer, with more hostages to free. There’s a time limit on each stage, too, so keep your eye on the clock!

If you’re struggling, check out the radar monitor. This detects all lifeforms. You’ll know where an Alien’s hiding, at the top of a lift or deep inside one of the hidden tunnels.

An Alien eating away at your intestines and several thousand more to zap, things ain’t looking good. You haven’t reached the Final Showdown yet!

Paul blasts... ‘A FANTASTIC GAME!’

At last! The GG’s getting the quality software it deserves!

The latest offering sees Ms Ripley and her convict chums playing host to a bunch of gatecrashing Aliens! Not wanting her party ruined, she sets off to rescue the prisoners and blow up the Aliens. And it’s great!

The plot and style’s the same as the MS version, but the GG game’s faster and smoother. Ripley runs about with a real sense of urgency and the Allen attacks are relentless.

The graphics are nice and big and there’s no eye-strain when it scrolls. Sound effects are limited to explosions and a few beeps, but the music’s suitably out-of-this-world!

The gameplay’s the same as previous versions so those who don’t like platform romps are advised to check it out first. But if you like its big screen brothers and want a decent game for the best handheld on the market, look no further, for the Aliens have landed!

PAUL 84%

Ade smiles... ‘WHAT A CRACKING GG GAME!’

This is the kinda game GG owners are screaming out for! High quality graphics and sound, superb gameplay and an instant challenge.

The crossover from MS to GG has been made in fine style. There are no problems with tiny sprites, jerky movement or poor scrolling. In fact, all visuals are clear and well defined. It’s probably the fastest of the three versions. The main sprite zips along at a cracking rate of knots!

Ripley and the Aliens are nicely animated, as far as GG sprites go, and the backgrounds are choc-full of detail. The music adds to the sinister atmosphere. It’s loud, it’s mean and it’s moody!

At last handheld freaks have a storming game they can map. And believe you me, you’re gonna need maps — it’s so easy to get lost and come mush-to-mush with a face-hugger!

What a cracking game! I love It to bits! It fairs better than the MS version ‘cos it’s a great handheld blast in its own right. Deserves to be in every Game Gear owner’s collection.

ADE 84%

SF Rating

Presentation

74% - Good intro sequence, demo and pics between levels. Not many options, no continues

Visuals

85% - The Game Gear does it again! Detailed, well animated sprites and atmospheric backdrops

Sonics

81% - Smashing intro tune. Racy in-game tune adds to the mood. Good FX and fanfares

Playability

83% - Easy to control. Ripley’s incredibly responsive. Quite a challenge. Difficulty setting’s just right

Lastability

81% - Should prove quite a challenge. Action gets a little samey, though

84%

Acclaim have done a fine job. A must-buy for Alien fans!

Producer

Acclaim

MD

Out

MS

Out

Memory

256K

Players

1

Price

£27.99

Rating

84

Reviewer

Sega Force magazine

Region

UK

Scans

Sega Force - Issue 14

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