Previous Next

The relative tranquility of planet Fiorina 161 is thrown into a ruck when the sole survivor of the spacecraft, Sulaco, is rescued from deep space. Her name is Ripley. Not that any of the problems facing Fiorina are entirely her fault. How was she to know that the terror from which she thought she had escaped had hitched a lift - namely an Alien.

However, only she has the knowledge to bring things back to normal! Ironically, the biggest problem the colonists face at first is their disbelief at Ripley's horrifying stories; her tales of stomach-bursting, man-eating, acid-bleeding Aliens sound like the ramblings of a mad woman.

After a little gentle persuasion - the Alien crashing through the common room ceiling and dutifully slaughtering the prison warden! - the colonists agree that there is a problem, but not before many of them are kidnapped and cocooned by the industrious invader. It is now Ripley's responsibility to save those inmates from certain death, if not a gut wrenching stomach ache at the very least.

The movie is still one of the best sci-fi films. This is the conversion of the second film sequel.

Guide Ripley through the penal colony. Rescue the prisoners from the Aliens.

As if there isn't enough on Ripley's back already, there is also a time limit that dictates the speed with which she rescues all the captives in each level. Collect them all to stop the Aliens breeding!

Though there is a distinct lack of destructive hardware in evidence in the film, Alien 3 the game gives Ripley the chance to let rip with a selection of four weapons. Mind you, there is just the one Alien creature in the film, whereas the game is swarming with the scum!

1. Hand Grenade: An ideal weapon for clearing the way ahead, the John the Baptist of artillery, so to speak. Guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows, not to mention the alarm.
2. Machine Gun: Ripley's standard weapon and easily the most reliable. Aliens require many hits from the machine gun to finish them off, but there are usually extra supplies of bullets left lying around to stock up on.
3. Flame Thrower: As formidable as it is impressive. Incinerate the Alien scum to dust with a smile.
4. Grenade Launcher: When used with skill, this weapon is the most powerful in Ripley's possession. Watch those dirty parasites explode and laugh long and hard.

In order to succeed in her brave rescue bid and rid the planet of Aliens, Ripley must become adept at some tunnel testing-type activities. The penal colony is linked by a network of air vents and other such ducts. Ripley never knows what to expect when she ventures in. Unfortunately, especially in the later levels, those perilous pipes are often the only means to the successful rescue of all the colonists.

When confronted by the sprawling labyrinth of corridors and passageways awash with suspect drops and not-so-lucky ladders, any rescue attempt seems close to the impossible.

This is why the resourceful Ripley carries with her a portable radar screen. The locations of all the prisoners show up on this screen, but this doesn't make the task any easier. Ripley is still required to find the quickest, safest route to their freedom.

This Game Gear version has just about every feature of the 16-bit original. The scrolling is mega smooth and the sprites and backdrops are very atmospheric. There are a few faults that did annoy me - sometimes those Aliens move just too fast, but otherwise I was very impressed with this. In fact, this is the ultimate platform/shoot-'em-up for the Game Gear.

It's astonishing how close this version of the Megadrive hit is to the original. The gameplay is almost identical, the differences are so slight they are hardly worth mentioning, and the action remains exactly the same. Its success lies in the way that a player often falls just short of the mark but never feels cheateed.

Realising mistakes is far more rewarding than the usual pattern, following antics of lesser shoot-'em-ups. Ripley doesn't move as well as in the 16-bit version but this is a minor niggle.

Each of the Aliens are portrayed magnificently. Another feature in its favour is the necessity to work Ripley's strategy out in advance, because it's impossible for her to succeed without due care and attention. If you're looking for a long-lasting, high class challenge with lots of adrenalin-pumping action, reach for this.

Presentation 89%
P. An atmospheric title screen and plop in your pants intermission screens, especially the ones that so graphically describe the fate of the forsaken prisoners. Eugh.

Graphics 90%
P. Ripley's character is nicely animated, but more impressive still are the Aliens that scuttle about so convincingly as to make your skin crawl. Muvver!
N. The backgrounds are very samey.

Sound 87%
P. The music is very classy indeed.
N. Only the sound effects let the side don a bit, with some dubious gun notices and explosions.

Playability 91%
P. Taxing gameplay that reaps its own rewards.
N. Ripley's mission may prove to be a very harrowing experience as it is very difficult.

Lastability 88%
P. The enormous size of the game, coupled with the high level of challenge guarantees value for money. This is also a game that demands playing even after completion.

Overall 90%
A thinking person's platform-based, seek and destroy blast-'em-up of the highest quality.