NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM

ALIEN SYNDROME

Sega

Sega's gruesome, acid splattering and generally quite horrific shoot 'em up now makes its way onto the Sega system itself. As reported last issue, conversions to the 8-bit and 16-bit micros are well under way and look to be released around Easter from The Edge. The Commodore version is nearest completion and is looking quite good so far. More news as and when it arrives.

Alien Syndrome takes the form of a futuristic Gauntlet clone, with simultaneous two player action as the heroes, Mary and Ricky, undertake a desperate mission to rescue captured comrades from the bowels of seven alien spaceships. A time bomb has been set on each ship so the duo have to rescue all the prisoners and escape before the current vessel explodes.

A major difference between this and the coin-op game is the lack of a dual player facility, whereby Mary and Ricky take alternate turns at playing the hero.

The mission is complicated by the presence of horrible, acid-spitting creatures which look like extras from 'Aliens', who wander the corridors, intent on inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mary and Ricky. To even things out, however, the heroes are armed with blasters, lasers, flamethrowers and smart bombs which are to be found in compartments scattered around ship.

Initially, only ten prisoners need to be rescued, but the number increases as the players progress. As the last hostage is retrieved, the exit to the next level opens up, to reveal yet another alien blocking the way. This large mother-alien not only fires back but also requires numerous hits before exploding in a hail of guts and organic material.

Surviving this conflict signals the start of the next level with faster and more vicious aliens, and less time in which to complete the task. The finale awaits on level seven where an enormous, graphically disgusting and extremely ferocious mother-alien lies in wait...

Like Gauntiet, Alien Syndrome is a multi-directional parallax scrolling coin-op. Surprisingly, this has been abandoned in favour of push-scrolling where the next location slides into view as the player reaches the edge of the last.

SEGA

Two Mega Cartridge:

£24.95

Conversions from Impressive coin-ops are always a risky business (witness the review of Out Run in Issue three of THE GAMES MACHINE), and although Sega have produced an aesthetically pleasing version of Alien Syndrome, it's lost some rather vital features in translation. All the levels are there and much of the gameplay has been retained, but the lack of dual play and the ill-suited push-scrolling knocks the game down a peg or two In general appeal. The graphics are a mixed bag, ranging from the rather basic spaceship corridors to the very impressive mother aliens. The realistic death scream of the coln-op characters has been reduced to a white noise screech which really shows how bad the Saga sound chip is. As a game in its own right, it's not that bad; as a conversion it's lost much of the playability and atmosphere of the coln-op original.

OVERALL 61%

Rating

61

Reviewer

The Games Machine magazine

Region

UK

Scans

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