Alien Syndrome (Arcade)

Developer:

Sega

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Release Date:

1987

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Systems:

Arcade first, then almost everything else

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This week on Super Adventures, I'm playing Alien Syndrome! Because I've already played Alien Breed and Alien Storm this year, so I figured I might as well.

I did play this a little bit earlier this year when I was getting a screenshot for my Alien Breed article, but until then all I knew about the game is that it was a side scrolling beat 'em up where you zap aliens... or maybe an overhead view run and gun set on a space ship. The problem I had is that I always got it mixed up with Alien Storm, because they're both arcade games by Sega with gross-looking aliens in them.

The game runs on the Sega System 16B arcade board, which is kind of like the Genesis/Mega Drive's dad. That makes it a bit weird that it never actually got a Mega Drive port, especially as other games made for the board like Altered Beast and Golden Axe did. It didn't make it to the TurboGrafx-16 or SNES either and I'm not sure what happened there, as it was ported to basically everything else at the time. Seriously, this Sega game got a NES port.

But whatever system it's on, it's still an arcade game... which means it'll be really simple and extremely difficult. I'll probably play it for 10 minutes, get hopelessly stuck, and then struggle to think of anything to say about it. I should get some good screenshots out of it though.

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They're not making it easy to see the text, but I get the impression I'm choosing between the guy and the girl. They look equally resolute but I'll go with... the guy. (I looked them up and they're called Ricky and Mary).

There are no options here to pick from, but then it's an arcade game so I didn't expect any. It is possible to change the difficulty, the number of lives you start with, and the timer, but those are all hidden from the player.

Agh, the mission text is written in 'Stop', the Comic Sans of space game fonts! Sorry, that was harsh. A lot of games use Stop really well. It's in Wing Commander logo for example.

Okay, step 1: destroy the enemy, step 2: rescue comrades. Seems straightforward enough.
 

Wow, it looks like all kinds of aliens are coming to kidnap my comrades today. Those are some very different looking ships. I'll be starting off on the chainsaw ship and if I ever manage to get past it I'll start moving clockwise through the rest of them.

Wow, I didn't expect the game to be so bright. Generally space horror games are a bit murkier than this, so I'm thinking I should've played with the gamma settings a bit. On the other hand, the sound is exactly what you'd expect from a Sega game.

Alright, the time bomb is set and I need to rescue 10 comrades. Wait, why are we setting the bomb before rescuing people? Couldn't we rescue people first and then set the timer?

Alright, it turns out that this is an overhead run and gun kind of game. Eat my bright turquoise marbles, you ink-filled alien scumbags!

I'm not sure how these blobs developed interstellar travel, as they seem a bit clueless. You'd think they'd try some kind of tactics against me, but they're they're just kind of straying around aimlessly. Plus they seem to be lacking an opposable thumb, along with the rest of their digits and appendages in general. Maybe they just bought the ship from someone.

Hey, I just spotted a comrade up there on the top left.

And here's another one. I can just run into comrades to save them, which is a bit confusing to me as a Duke Nukem 3D fan. When I see someone all slimed up like that I just assume they're doomed and the best I can do is to put them out of their misery, but nope these people are entirely rescuable. And I don't even have to escort them anywhere as they just vanish.

Oh I should mention that the game has 8 directional shooting, which is a helpful when the level gets a bit diagonal like this. It's also got nice wide corridors with plenty of room to move around and dodge blobs.

Okay, this is different. I saw "MAP" written here on a sign, so I walked over to it and it made a tiny tiny map appear in the left hand corner. You don't usually see pickups bolted to the walls like this.

The map didn't stick around for long, but the level doesn't seems so complicated and if the red dots are marking comrades then I should be able to get six more of them just by following the outer edge. Hey there's another one over on the right. I'm going to go see what I win if I take the L.

SECONDS LATER

PEW PEW PEW!

Oh no, one hit and Ricky's dead? I just assumed he'd have a couple of hit points, or maybe a bit of a health bar. I'm kind of surprised how loud he screamed as well. At least I got a few seconds of invulnerability when he got back up; you can't take that for granted in games from the 80s.

A robot voice just said "GO TO THE EXIT", but there's a bunch of people still need rescuing! Oh okay fine, I don't want to push my luck. Especially now that there's green blobs around and they're spitting at me. At least none of the blobs are deliberately chasing me at the moment.

I remember seeing the exit door up at the top of the level, so I know exactly where I'm going. Well, mostly. I know to keep heading up until I see a door at least.

This definitely looks like a door to me. Which is good, because I lost another life along the way and I'm on the verge of running out.

Oh no, I was tricked! The door led to a room and I accidentally ran right into an enemy.

And that's how you get a game over on the very first stage. At least I don't have much to replay.

SOON

 

Alright, I did all that stuff again, found the real exit door this time, and now I'm fighting the first boss! He looks like a couple of aliens wrapped up snug together inside a brain.

Unfortunately he seems immune to my shots, even though I'm using the awesome laser I picked up by grabbing an L on the last level. Plus these purple slugs are the kind of blob that deliberately chases me, and he keeps spitting out new ones. The more I dodge the things, the more of them are surrounding me.

I don't get why I'm even fighting this guy, I thought we set a bomb. Surely if I leave he's dead anyway!

Anyway the boss kicked my ass and now I'm trying the female protagonist for a bit.

So far Mary seems absolutely identical to Ricky, though this time I'm using the fireball gun, mostly because it was what I found while I was running around. The enemies die pretty fast whatever I'm using, so I can just dash around firing off shots, safe in the knowledge that by the time I run into something it'll already be dead. Usually.
 

Alright I've collected all the comrades for the third time and I think I've got this boss figured out as well now.

The trick is to stay lined up with him horizontally like this. He has to open up his brain to release the homing slugs and at that moment he's vulnerable, plus if I fire when the slug comes out I kill it instantly. It's a lot easier to dodge slugs when they're dead.  I just have to make sure to avoid the occasional yellow shot he spits at me.

Well the boss fight started weird and then it went and got weirder.

I sorted it out though. That's boss #1 dead on my second attempt. All because the laser is awesome.

The next level took my laser away!

It turns out that round 2 is a lot like round 1, except with smarter aliens that like to follow me around, and a distracting grating effect on the floor. Also there are missiles lying everywhere, but I feel like if I'm able to detonate any of them accidentally with stray shots it would've happened by now.

Hey I got a buddy following me around! It's a little option robot that likes to join in when I'm shooting things, so it's nice to have the company. These butt-headed chicken monsters are more intelligent than the blobs on the first ship, but not by much, and now that I've got the laser again I'm flying through the stage.

There doesn't seem to be any chance of me killing all the aliens, I get the feeling they just respawn off-screen, but I'm clearing a path through them okay and my ammo is apparently unlimited as well.

Right, I've rescued enough dudes so now it's time for me to race to the exit and take on boss #2.

I was doing pretty well until I accidentally walked into something, like an idiot.

The good news is that I can keep playing even after losing all my lives... I'll just be doing it from the very start of round one. The bad news is that I've already got plenty of screenshots of that bit! I suppose I'm done with this game then.

Though I should probably take a quick look at the other versions of the game before I wrap this article up, starting with the Sharp X68000 port.

X68000

It's clearly not the same resolution, but otherwise it's very very close. The graphics do actually look better when they're not so bright and washed out.

This version includes some options to change the difficulty and how many lives you start with, but then so does the arcade game.

X68000

Hang on, it's got me fighting the round 2 boss at the end of round 1? That ain't right! Unfortunately I can't compare what the second round is like because I don't know how to beat this guy. I'm definitely blowing a lot of stuff up but I can't tell if it's helping.

Alright, next up is the Atari ST.

Atari ST

Hmm, something's missing here...

To be fair they could've only included the first two rounds and it'd make zero difference to me, because I ain't ever going to get any further.

Atari ST

I took screenshots of the Atari ST, Amiga and MS-DOS ports, but it turns out I might as well have not bothered as the three versions look absolutely identical to me. They ain't pretty, but you can tell what game they're meant to be at least. Someone should've told the the developer that the red blobs shouldn't be firing stuff at me though! Only the green ones are supposed to spit stuff and they should have a bit of an animation to lead up to it!

Musically the arcade game reminds me a bit of the classic Metal Gear and these ports sound pretty similar... except for the PC version which reminds of me of when my headphones broke. The PC version also manages smooth scrolling in all directions, while the Amiga and Atari ST ports both have jerky delayed scrolling whenever you're going sideways.

To make it worse, none of these three versions see any particular need in keeping the player centred and you can see above how close I get to the edge of the screen before it starts scrolling. If you're wondering if that's enough space to react to new enemies appearing before you run into them and die... no, no it isn't. Not with my reflexes.

C64

Next is the C64 version, which has already justified its existence with this title screen.

I see that Ricky's gone with the laser, that's a good choice. Lots of range, very damaging and it goes through several enemies in one shot.

C64

The C64 version's graphics are clearly a bit inferior to those other versions, but the soundtrack has a bit of a tune to it and it's got some nice smooth scrolling in all directions. The trouble is that the camera scrolls way slower than the hero or the enemies, so I end up running right up the edge of the screen all the time. This is not good, especially considering the harsh time limit!

There was actually a different C64 port in development by another team, but they had to stop after a month when the licence went to someone else. It was almost reworked into a new game called Subclavian, but it was cancelled when they moved onto a different project.

NES

Okay the NES version's next. Sorry, when I said that the game was released on basically every bit of hardware at the time I was only slightly exaggerating. You can scroll to the end if you want, but I'm going to keep going with this.

The NES game has a tiny bit of an intro with Ricky and Mary opening a door and shooting a monster, and turns out that both of them collected the laser this time, so that ought to help.

The actual game part of the game is pretty faithful and works okay, if a bit slow. Plus it keeps the player in the centre of the screen when possible, which is a big help.

NES

Though for some reason it has me rescuing clowns.

Also I didn't have any trouble with the timer in the arcade game (probably because I only got a third of the way through), but here it seems like more of a concern. I thought I was doing well until I ran out of time fighting the first boss! Twice!

Master System

The Master System version on the other hand is pretty different. The main change is that it's flick screen like classic Zelda, with the game scrolling over to put you in the next 'room' once you reach the edge, and the enemies teleporting in soon afterwards. It's not the ideal way to play Alien Syndrome.

Alright next is... oh no, it's the ZX Spectrum version.

ZX Spectrum

Well it's recognisably Alien Syndrome, and the screen even scrolls! It just does it a tiny step at a time whenever I walk close enough to the edge of the screen. Also there's no music, just sound effects. They've made up for it though by having it make a noise whenever I take a step. Every single bloody time. It's like someone keeps tapping a desk really quickly and they won't knock it off.

I have to admit though that this has really helped me to appreciate the original arcade game more. Especially when I tried playing it with the default QAOP+Space keyboard controls.

MSX

The MSX version is kind of similar to the ZX Spectrum version. In fact it's almost exactly the same, with the same sounds when you walk and the same juddery scrolling when you get close enough to the edge of the screen.

The biggest difference is the speed. The ZX game actually runs fairly fast, while this runs painful slowly. Just turning around to face the other way takes ages for some reason as the character has to visibly rotate 180 degrees.

Amstrad CPC

Man, how many more of these ports are there? I'm so sick of playing Alien Syndrome ports! I've opened a Pandora's box that should've stayed shut and now I guess I'm committed to seeing it through to the end.

The Amstrad CPC has slow jerky scrolling, you have to walk close to the edge of the screen to scroll so you can't see the enemies coming, and you get attacked by cheesy Wotsits (or Cheetos if you're in the US). It's similar to the ports but it is its own kind of abysmal. And the more awkward the port plays, the harder it is. Like Alien Syndrome needed to be any harder.

Alright next up is the Game Gear version. A lot of Game Gear games are actually the Master System version running on a smaller screen (or the other way around for later titles), but this came out four years later, so it could be its own thing.

Yeah, this is already kind of different. There wasn't a emergency massage about an invaysion in the Master System version, or in any other version for that matter.

This intro claims that the events of Alien Syndrome take place during the year 2000, just 13 years after the game came out. (It's true though, it tells you this in the ending of the arcade game!) But then it brings the action five years forward, as the Game Gear version is secretly an Alien Syndrome sequel! I've seen a few sequels use the same name as an earlier game, Tomb Raider, Doom, Need for Speed, Hitman etc, but I'm not sure I've ever seen it happen with game #2 in the series before.

This exists in a weird middle ground between port and sequel. Sure it claims to be set five years later, on single vessel, but every section I've visited has had a real resemblance to the ships in the original game, with very similar aliens around.  On the other hand the layouts are different and there are some other changes. Like I just powered up my laser to fire two blasts by collecting a second wall pickup! They've taken out the wall maps as well, as now I can just bring it up with a button press whenever I want. One change is a bit weird: I have to shoot the doors open now.

This Alien Syndrome has smooth scrolling that keeps the player centred, nice music, and continues. On the down side it's only got four levels and there's no two player mode.

Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 14 - Alien Syndrome (PS2)

Okay the PlayStation 2 game is the last port I'm playing, and I'm fairly sure that it is a port and not a sequel this time. It's very similar to the arcade game, except for being in 3D obviously. Also I have a health bar? And I've just collected homing missiles?

Dual stick analogue controls is also a bit of a change, as it means you're not necessarily charging right into the thing that you're shooting at.

Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 14 - Alien Syndrome (PS2)

Well this isn't even close to being the first boss! Though I think the most dramatic difference in this port is that it has continues that start you right back where you died. So I was able to beat this boss just by standing there and firing.

Alright I'm done. Oh hang on, the game was also ported to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and 3DS? Fortunately they're all pretty faithful to the arcade original it seems, so I don't need to show any more screenshots.

There's an Alien Syndrome on the Wii and PSP as well, but that's actually another sequel with the exact same name. Man, I struggle enough to keep Alien Syndrome and Alien Storm straight in my head, I'm going to have no chance with Alien Syndrome, Alien Syndrome and Alien Syndrome.


CONCLUSION

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Alien Syndrome is all about rushing around all the corners of a fairly open and basic maze while dodging and/or slaying enemies in order to locate and rescue enough comrades to unlock an ass-whooping from a bizarre and imaginative boss. I mean I've only seen the first third or so, but I get the feeling that it's not the type of game to hold anything back or introduce a twist to the gameplay later on. In fact it gives you almost all the guns on round 1.

I imagine there's all kinds of weird blobby creature designs I still haven't seen yet though, especially the bosses. The game's all about the creepy gross aliens so if that's what you want it's got you covered. Also the sound's got a good mix of foreboding music and arcady sound effects. It's mostly going for atmospheric instead of catchy, but it's also well aware that it's a cartoony looking game where the amount of points you've earned appears over the hostages' heads when you save them.

The trouble I have with the game is that it uses its extreme difficulty to drag out its playtime and it's ridiculously stingy with the lives in order to achieve this level of challenge. In fact they're more like hit points than lives, and you only get a handful of them to last you through the entire game. It gives you wall lasers, wall flamethrowers, even wall option pods, but I've never found a nice healthy wall chicken. The actual levels aren't always that hard, it's actually plausible that someone could make it through the first few rounds without even taking a hit. But it only takes one slip up to lose a precious life and it's easy to go and lose another one right after, screwing up your entire run in seconds.

I'm sure the bosses are all beatable enough if you know how to hit their weak point and what weapon to hit it with, but it's hard to figure that out when failing any of them gets you kicked right back to the very start of the game. If you want to practice fighting the last boss you need to make it through all the others along the way, and hopefully bring a couple of hit points along with you. This is a proper arcade game designed for people with a pocket full of money who don't know how to quit. Though you can change the settings to make the game easier and add more lives to be fair. You can even adjust the timer... but you can only adjust it down, not up.

I wasn't all that impressed with this one to be honest, at least not at first. But after playing its 3 million ports I've begun to appreciate the joy of rushing around with a laser, zapping everything I run into along the way. Because most of those ports are terrible, and they make the arcade game feel so slick and responsive by comparison. I think the nicest thing I can say about a lot of them is that they didn't have to compromise with their controls because the arcade game only uses one button anyway.

Arcade Alien Syndrome has its flaws, but its core gameplay isn't a tedious ordeal, and I'm sure it's even more fun in co-op... because as long as the other player's still alive you can resurrect yourself and keep playing at the cost of a credit! This won't save you if you run out of time, but it does make seeing the later levels a lot more plausible. Having two players on screen also helps to divide the boss's attention.

Alright I should probably write a bit about which ports are best and which versions you should check out.

I admit I didn't play each of them long enough to fully assess all of the strengths and weaknesses of each port, but think I'm leaning towards recommending absolutely none of them. In fact you should take steps to ensure you don't ever play any of them accidentally.

Actually that's unfair as the X68000 port is pretty solid. Also I'm not counting the Game Gear and PS2 games as ports, as they're doing their own thing, and the Sega Ultimate Collection ports on the Xbox 360 and PS3 are basically arcade perfect as far as I can tell. Plus they have quick saves to make them possible to beat!

So yeah, Alien Syndrome. If you like the game you should continue liking it, but if you don't then I can see where you're coming from.

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Thanks for reading! If you've got anything you want to say about Alien Syndrome, now would be an excellent time.

You could also take a guess at what the next game will be and show off your game identification skills. It's a difficult one this time though.