Alien Soldier

Last updated

Alien Soldier
Alien Soldier Coverart.png
Developer(s) Treasure
Publisher(s) Sega
Producer(s) Hideyuki Suganami
Programmer(s) Hideyuki Suganami
Keiji Fujita
Masato Maegawa
Fukuryuu
Artist(s) Kaname Shindoh
Hiroshi Iuchi
Tsunehisa Kanagae
T. Shiga
Composer(s) Norio Hanzawa
Platform(s) Mega Drive
Release
Genre(s) Run and gun
Mode(s) Single-player

Alien Soldier [lower-alpha 1] is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. Retail copies were released in Japan and PAL territories while in North America it was only available exclusively via the Sega Channel cable service. The story follows a powerful being named Epsilon-Eagle, who after being nearly killed becomes determined to avenge his near death and save his planet. The character has a variety of weapons and moves that the player must master to complete the game. Many gameplay ideas are borrowed from Treasure's earlier Mega Drive release, Gunstar Heroes (1993). However, Alien Soldier puts an emphasis on challenging boss fights with short and easy levels serving as downtime in-between.

Contents

Treasure began development on four games after the release of Gunstar Heroes, among these was Alien Soldier. Development lasted two years and was led by Hideyuki Suganami, who originally held ambitious plans and wanted to build the entire game himself. With the market for the Mega Drive quickly shrinking to make headway for the incoming 32-bit fifth generation hardware, Suganami received support from other Treasure staff and released the game with only about half of his original ideas realized. The team designed and marketed Alien Soldier explicitly for "hardcore" Mega Drive gamers, designing its difficulty and scoring methods for those that enjoyed the system's strong action game library.

Alien Soldier was released towards the end of the Mega Drive's lifecycle in February 1995. Critics praised the game for its challenge and gameplay; these sentiments carried over into retrospective reviews where critics also highlighted the game's graphics, soundtrack, and overall intensity. Some negative critique was directed towards the hard difficulty, steep learning curve, and unorthodox gameplay, but many still recommend it to fans of Gunstar Heroes and the run and gun genre. The game's first re-release was on the PlayStation 2 in Japan for the Sega Ages 2500 series which includes different regional releases and extra features. It was also re-released worldwide on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007, Steam in 2011, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022 and the Sega Genesis Mini 2 in 2022.

Gameplay

Epsilon-Eagle firing at one of the game's bosses. MD Alien Soldier.png
Epsilon-Eagle firing at one of the game's bosses.

Alien Soldier is a side-scrolling run and gun video game in which the player controls the main character, Epsilon-Eagle, through 25 stages and 26 bosses. [1] [2] The gameplay has been compared heavily to Gunstar Heroes ; however, putting a much larger emphasis on boss fights, and lacking any 2-player option. [1] The stages are notably short, populated with weak enemies to serve as downtime between the more difficult boss battles. There are two difficulties in the game, "supereasy" and "superhard". Enemies on the hard setting are only slightly more difficult; however, there are no passwords or unlimited continues as in the easy mode. [3]

Epsilon-Eagle can run, double jump, hover in the air, and use six different types of weapons. Only four can be equipped at any given time, but the player may choose which weapons they would like to equip before the game starts. Each gun has its own ammunition bar which can be replenished; if it is depleted the player will be left with a little firepower. The player can also perform a dash across the screen, which when at full health, will become a deadly move called "Phoenix Force" that will damage any enemies in its path. There is also a counter move, that if timed properly, will change enemy bullets into health. [3] Epsilon-Eagle can attack in either fixed-fire or free-moving styles. The first makes him immovable while firing a weapon, instead allowing for quick aiming, while the second allows walking and shooting simultaneously with the sacrifice of directional accuracy. [1]

Plot

The premise of Alien Soldier is provided with a long text scroll at the start of the game. After the game has begun, it is not referred to again. [1] In the year 2015, the A-Humans of A-Earth [lower-alpha 2] have created genetically engineered A-Humans capable of super intelligence and strength, as well as parasitic co-existence with machinery and animals, particularly humans. A terrorist organization known as Scarlet rose up within this race and sought to dominate the rest of the A-Humans and A-Earth by locking the planet down and keeping anyone else out. During the height of Scarlet's power, an assassination attempt on the group's leader, Epsilon-Eagle, was carried out by a special forces group. Scarlet fought back with their powers, and the battle somehow breached the space-time continuum. Epsilon was gravely injured and cast somewhere into the continuum.

Seemingly gone forever, another Scarlet member known as Xi-Tiger took control of the organization. Under his rule, Scarlet became too brutal even for themselves, and they called for Epsilon to reclaim his position. More or less isolated from the rest of the group, Xi sought to find and assassinate Epsilon himself. He planned an attack on an A-Human research laboratory, where children with special abilities had been kidnapped and experimented on. Upon arriving, Xi-Tiger sensed the presence of Epsilon in one of the boys. However, he was unsure because he could not pinpoint the evil from Epsilon, who had entered the boy's body and was now living as a parasite. Xi-Tiger took a young girl hostage and threatened to kill her unless Epsilon revealed himself. The boy flew into a rage and morphed his body into Epsilon himself. Xi seemed to sense this strange power, and in fear, killed the girl and fled. Epsilon had completely split his dual personality apart, with both good and evil Epsilons now chasing after Xi-Tiger. [4]

Development

Alien Soldier was developed for and marketed towards hardcore Mega Drive players. Sega-Mega-Drive-JP-Mk1-Console-Set.jpg
Alien Soldier was developed for and marketed towards hardcore Mega Drive players.

After developing Gunstar Heroes, Treasure was divided into four teams working on separate projects: Dynamite Headdy , Light Crusader , Yū Yū Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen , and Alien Soldier. [5] Development of Alien Soldier lasted two years and was led by Hideyuki Suganami, who from the start wanted to make the entire game himself. Despite 32-bit fifth generation hardware already on the market, he chose to program the game for the 16-bit Mega Drive, claiming that he may have been too captivated by the idea of making an "action shooting" game which the system was known for. [6] Treasure explicitly targeted the game for "hardcore" Mega Drive players and designed its difficulty and end-game scoring methods with this in mind. [7] Suganami described the game as "for Mega Drivers custom" and proudly placed the phrase on the game's title screen alongside a Mega Drive advertising slogan: "Visualshock! Speedshock! Soundshock!". [5]

Suganami was deeply invested in Alien Soldier and devoted a lot of personal time to developing it. [6] [7] He began developing the game himself as the sole designer and programmer. At the time, Mega Drive games typically required two designers and two programmers, but Suganami wanted to challenge himself and see if it was possible to create the game himself. [5] He originally had ambitious plans for a large backstory, but in order to make their deadline of 3 January 1995, the majority of it was cut from the game. As the deadline approached, he came to realize he would not be able to complete Alien Soldier himself, and so additional staff were added to provide him support. He worked overtime during the New Years holidays in order to complete the game while the market for the Mega Drive was quickly shrinking. Only about half of the team's original ideas were completed in time for release. [7] [8] They originally planned to create 100 bosses, but this was cut much shorter due to the time constraints. [9] One of the bosses that was included, "Seven Force", was originally featured in Gunstar Heroes. [10]

Release

Alien Soldier was released on 24 February 1995 in Japan. [11] The game received a physical cartridge format in Australia, Europe and Japan, but in North America, the game was delivered exclusively through the Sega Channel cable service. [1] [12] Released late in the Mega Drive's lifecycle and after the release of the Sega Saturn, Alien Soldier pushed the system to its technical limits. [13] Suganami wished he continued working on it after release, believing he could have improved on the story and graphics. [6] Years later, Yosuke Okunari of Treasure addressed concerns that Alien Soldier was released as an incomplete game, stating that the notion is only derived from Suganami having originally had large ambitions that were never realized. [13]

The game's first re-release was in Japan in 2006 on the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages 2500: Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box compilation together with Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy. [13] [14] Okunari worked on the emulation software for the release and was delighted he would be exposing the game to more people. [13] The original cartridge has become rare and expensive due to low production numbers and positive word of mouth, selling for over 20,000 yen (~US$200) in used game stores by 2006. The PlayStation 2 release includes both PAL and Japanese versions, video filter options, and a recorded full playthrough done by an expert. [13] [15] Alien Soldier was released again worldwide in fall 2007 on the Wii via the Virtual Console download service, and again for Microsoft Windows on Steam on 6 January 2011. The game was also re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on 16 March 2022. [11] [1] [16]

Reception

For its original Mega Drive release, Famitsu provided Alien Soldier with a score of 24 out of 40. [11] [20] Mean Machines called it "a real gameplayer's game", citing the unrelenting waves of enemies and high difficulty. They noted how Treasure was beginning to establish a pattern of good games, and called Alien Soldier a modern classic. [21] Simon Clays of Computer and Video Games found it to be challenging and unique by basing its gameplay on boss fights. Other editors from the magazine complimented the boss design and animations. [19]

Frank Provo of GameSpot reviewed the Wii Virtual Console release in 2007, citing the excellent graphics, sound, and general intensity of the game. He noted initial difficulty adjusting to the controls and game design. However, once accustomed, he said, "you start totally feeling what it must be like to be an army of one trading firepower with some of the universe's largest, most elaborate creatures. That's a great feeling." [3] Lucas M. Thomas of IGN noted the game's many similarities to Gunstar Heroes and recommended Alien Soldier to those who enjoyed it. "Alien Soldier is a long-lost piece of Treasure's action gaming legacy," said Thomas. "It's got the fast-firing, high-energy, overly-explosive intensity that fans of the company have come to expect." [1] Darren Calvert of Nintendo Life described the graphics and animation as some of the best on the Mega Drive. He found the game difficult, but still enjoyable for fans of the run and gun genre. [22] Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer described the game as "manically-paced" and "bizarrely creative" while also providing a disclaimer that it's "really hectic and difficult if you're not into this sort of thing." [2]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Japanese: Eirian Sorujā (エイリアンソルジャー)
  2. ↑ The Japanese version uses the terms "A-Humans" and "A-Earth" while the European version uses "Sierrans" and "Sierra"

Related Research Articles

<i>Zero Wing</i> 1989 arcade video game

Zero Wing is a 1989 side-scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and originally published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Williams Electronics. Controlling the ZIG space fighter craft, players assume the role of protagonist Trent in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien cyborg CATS. It was the eighth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their fourteenth video game overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treasure (company)</span> Japanese video game developer

Treasure Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo known for its action, platform, and shoot 'em up games. The company was founded in 1992 by former Konami employees seeking to explore original game concepts and free themselves from Konami's reliance on sequels. Their first game, Gunstar Heroes (1993) on the Sega Genesis, was a critical success and established a creative and action-oriented design style that would continue to characterize their output. Treasure's philosophy in game development has always been to make games they enjoy, not necessarily those that have the greatest commercial viability.

<i>Ristar</i> 1995 video game

Ristar is a 1995 platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The game stars an anthropomorphic cartoon star who uses his hands and long, stretchable arms to both move and fight enemies. Reception for the game was generally positive, but the game's initial release was overshadowed due to the imminent ending of the Genesis's lifecycle and the succession of the Sega Saturn and other fifth generation video game consoles.

<i>Mischief Makers</i> 1997 video game

Mischief Makers, released in Japan as Yuke-Yuke!! Trouble Makers, is a side-scrolling platform game developed for the Nintendo 64 gaming console by Treasure, and published in 1997 by Enix in Japan and by Nintendo internationally. The player assumes the role of Marina Liteyears, a robotic maid who journeys to rescue her creator, Professor Theo, from the emperor of Planet Clancer. The gameplay is displayed in 2.5D, based on grabbing, shaking, and throwing objects within five worlds and 52 levels.

<i>Truxton</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Truxton is a 1988 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan and Europe by Taito, as well in North America by Midway. Set in a future where the Gidans alien race led by Dogurava invaded the fictional planet Borogo, players assume the role of fighter pilot Tatsuo taking control of the Super Fighter ship on a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien invaders.

<i>Ecco Jr.</i> 1995 video game

Ecco Jr. is a video game in the Ecco the Dolphin series, released by Sega in North America in April 1995 and in Australia in November 1995. It has the controls and basic gameplay of the other two Mega Drive/Genesis titles, but is geared towards younger players, lacking the high difficulty of Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time.

<i>Dynamite Headdy</i> 1994 video game

Dynamite Headdy is a platform video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1994. The game follows a puppet named Headdy in his efforts to stop an evil puppet king from taking over his world. Headdy can throw his head at enemies to defeat them and use it to pull himself to various areas and move objects. The player can find a wide variety of "heads" which act as power-ups that provide different effects and alter gameplay.

<i>Gunstar Heroes</i> 1993 video game

Gunstar Heroes is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the Gunstars, in their efforts to stop an evil empire from recovering four powerful gems. The characters can fire guns and perform a series of acrobatic maneuvers to fight enemies across each stage. There are four weapons in the game which can be combined with one another to create different shot types.

<i>Flicky</i> 1984 video game

Flicky is a platform game developed by Sega and released as an arcade video game in May 1984. It was licensed to Bally Midway for distribution in the United States. In Flicky, the player controls the eponymous blue bird and must gather all the small birds called Chirps in each round and bring them safely to the exit. There are cat and lizard enemies which can disperse the Chirps and kill the player, but Flicky can use items on the playing field to protect herself and the Chirps from danger.

<i>Sonic Chaos</i> 1993 video game

Sonic Chaos is a 1993 platform game published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower in their quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, who has stolen them to construct nuclear weapons. Gameplay involves running through stages, collecting rings, and defeating enemies. It is largely based on the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is thus considered a follow-up to that game. Chaos is the first Sonic game for the Master System and Game Gear to feature Tails as a separate playable character with his own unique abilities.

<i>Alien Storm</i> 1990 video game

Alien Storm (エイリアンストーム) is a beat 'em up shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1990. It was ported to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System. The Mega Drive version was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and was also included on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was also re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022.

<i>Rapid Reload</i> 1995 video game

Rapid Reload, known in Japan as Gunners Heaven (ガンナーズヘヴン), is a run and gun video game developed by Media.Vision and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in both Japan and Europe in 1995. The game was re-released on the PlayStation Network in Japan in 2007 and in Asia in 2010.

<i>Light Crusader</i> 1995 RPG video game

Light Crusader is an action-adventure game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for their Sega Genesis console in 1995. The game was included in the Sega Genesis Classics collections on Steam and other platforms in 2011. It was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in North America and Sega Mega Drive Mini in PAL regions.

<i>Valis III</i> 1990 video game

Valis III is a 1990 action-platform video game originally developed by Laser Soft, published by Telenet Japan and NEC for the TurboGrafx-CD. A Sega Genesis version was released in 1992. It is the third entry in the Valis series. It stars Yuko Asou, a Japanese teenage schoolgirl chosen as the Valis warrior and wielder of the mystical Valis sword after the events of Valis II. King Glames, wielder of the sword Leethus, leads denizens of the dark world to conquer both Vecanti and Earth, seeking refuge for his people amid the destruction of their planet. Together with the demon warrior-maiden Cham and her sister Valna, Yuko must prevent Glames from destroying both worlds. Through the journey, the player explores and searches for items and power-ups while fighting enemies and defeating bosses.

<i>McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure</i> 1993 video game

McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure is a 1993 platform game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Based on the McDonald's fast food restaurant chain, specifically its McDonaldland marketing campaign, players control Ronald McDonald in his efforts to retrieve the missing pieces of a map that lead to the location of a buried treasure from a group of villains. Ronald can defeat enemies by using a magic attack and can latch onto hooks with his scarf to reach higher platforms.

<i>Gley Lancer</i> 1992 video game

Gley Lancer is a 1992 scrolling shooter video game originally developed by NCS Corporation, published in Japan by Masaya and in South Korea by Samsung for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was re-released in 2019 by Japanese publisher Columbus Circle. It follows Lucia Cabrock, daughter of Earth Federation Navy admiral Ken, who disappeared while fighting in a war between humans and an unknown alien race that possess the ability to teleport, joined by her friend Teim on a journey to save her father by stealing a starfighter. Controlling the titular fighter ship, the player must fight waves of enemies and bosses, while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. The Gley Lancer ship is equipped with two satellites options, whose positions and formations are determined by the player.

<i>Hellfire</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Hellfire is a 1989 horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and North America by U.S.A. Games. The first horizontal shoot 'em up title to be created by Toaplan, the game takes place in the year 2998 where a space matter known as Black Nebula created by robot dictator Super Mech spreads and threatens to engulf human-controlled galaxies, as players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer taking control of the CNCS1 space fighter craft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies with the fighter craft's titular weapon.

<i>Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter</i> 1993 video game

Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter is a 1993 hybrid beat 'em up/fighting video game developed by Almanic Corporation, in conjunction with ALU and Team "Saga", and published by Vic Tokai for the Sega Genesis in North American and later in Japan and Europe by Sega. Based upon Go Nagai's MazinSaga mecha manga, which is considered a combination of Nagai's Mazinger and Devilman franchises, players assume the role of Koji Kabuto wielding the Mazinger Z armor to fight against powerful 'Bio Beasts' led by God Kaiser Hell. Co-directed by Satsuki Mizuno, Takashi Yoneda and "Tommy Bon Bon", the title was created by most of the same team that worked on previous projects at Almanic such as E.V.O.: Search for Eden. It was met with mostly positive reception from critics since its release.

<i>Space Harrier II</i> 1988 video game

Space Harrier II is the sequel to Space Harrier, developed and published by Sega. First released on October 29, 1988, it was one of the original launch titles released for the Mega Drive in Japan and one of the six Sega Genesis launch titles in the United States the following year. It was also later released on the Wii's Virtual Console in December 2006, and on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in April 2022. Like Altered Beast, another launch title for the Mega Drive, Space Harrier II features digitized human voice recordings during gameplay, and is also an example of some of the Mega Drive's early sound, composed by Tokuhiko Uwabo. A graphically enhanced version included with the Sega Genesis Mini 2 was released October 2022.

<i>Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen</i> 1994 video game

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen is a 1994 fighting game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. It is based on the manga series Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot follows the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, who is tasked by the ruler of the afterlife with solving detective-style cases involving both humans and demons threatening the living world. The story begins to focus heavily on martial arts battles as it progresses.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Thomas, Lucas M. (27 November 2007). "Alien Soldier Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Alien Soldier Review". Eurogamer.net. 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Provo, Frank. "Alien Soldier Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Alien Soldier, Sega Mega Drive, Japan 1995, Treasure Co., Ltd.
  5. 1 2 3 "名作アルバム -『ガンスターヒーローズ』-". sega.jp. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Hyper Mega Express for 16bit User: エイリアンソルジャー - 開発者! 1996/NAMI 『AS』". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 3. SoftBank Creative. March 1, 1995. pp. 120–122. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2016-10-04 at the Wayback Machine ).
  7. 1 2 3 前川正人とエイリアンソルジャー.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2016-10-04 at the Wayback Machine ).
  8. ↑ "Treasure". Game Hihyō (in Japanese). Vol. 5. Micro Magazine. September 1995. pp. 36–43. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2016-10-04 at the Wayback Machine ).
  9. ↑ Stuart, Keith (2014). Sega Mega Drive/Collected Works. p. 291. ISBN   9780957576810.
  10. ↑ "名作アルバム -『ガンスターヒーローズ』-". sega.jp. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 "エイリアンソルジャー [メガドライブ]". Famitsu . Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  12. ↑ "The SEGA Channel". IGN. 2008-06-11. Archived from the original on 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "「SEGA AGES 2500シリーズ Vol.25 ガンスターヒーローズ ～トレジャーボックス～」～奥成プロデューサーに再びインタビュー!～". game.watch.impress.co.jp. 14 March 2006. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ↑ "Sega Ages: Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box Import Impressions". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 28 August 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  15. ↑ "10年以上を経てもなお色あせない、メガドライブのマスターピース". www.itmedia.co.jp. 13 March 2006. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  16. ↑ "Alien Soldier on Steam". Steam. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Alien Soldier for Genesis - GameRankings". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  18. ↑ Elvira (April 1995). "Alien Soldier". Consoles + (in French). No. 42. p. 131. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  19. 1 2 "CVG Review / Showcase: Alien Soldier". Computer and Video Games (163): 52–57. June 1995.
  20. 1 2 "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: エイリアン ソルジャー". Weekly Famicom Tsūshin (324): 41. 3 March 1995.
  21. 1 2 "Mega Drive Review: Alien Soldier". Mean Machines Sega (33): 80–81. July 1995.
  22. 1 2 Calvert, Darren (3 November 2007). "Review: Alien Soldier (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  23. ↑ "Hyper Mega Express for 16bit User - エイリアンソルジャー". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 3. SoftBank Creative. March 1, 1995. p. 128.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.