Review
Release Date: 11.22.2004
Platform:
GameCubeDeveloper:
The BehemothPublisher:
O~3 EntertainmentReviewed by
Ryan Dean on 3.18.2005
| Review Rating: 8/10 | User Rating: 8.44/10 |
Is it not a rarity, in this day of complicated games and even more complex technology, to see a game designed with simplicity in mind? It is, and while these games do exist, most of them fall short of glory, and of quality. Possibly the most simple games are the ones we hold closest to our hearts, such as the early
Mario titles,
Pac-Man, and
Tetris. These titles were, and
are, amazing, but as the world and technology moved forward, it seemed improbable that 2D games would come back to your television, back to your heart. However,
The Behemoth knows that the improbable is not
impossible, and believe me, the result of their work is an incredibly brilliant game.
We're not sure if
Alien Hominid was meant to be "just another flash game". But really, that's how it all started.
AH did indeed start out as a flash title playable online, but, unexpectedly, the game rocketed to glory. The original title has style, flare,
moxie. Personally, I liked it, and I'm betting the other people did as well; the game was downloaded over nine million times. I think that defines success.
For
Tom Fulp, that success was enough encouragement to start his own company, The Behemoth. Yes, Tom decided he would create console games, since he has had so much success with flash ones, and what would be better than
Alien Hominid on your television?
Now, don't get confused here, the console version of
Alien Hominid isn't the same game you can play for free. When you drop down your hard earned thirty bucks, you'll receive a brand new game, featuring completely, (I stress,
completely) redone graphics, sound, and levels. For fans of the flash title, this is a whole new adventure, and a well done one at that.
Now, the first question that should enter any gamers mind before purchasing
Alien Hominid is of course, what
is a hominid?
According to my trustworthy dictionary, a hominid is, "A primate of the family Hominidae, of which Homo sapiens is the only extant species." While I can't say for sure that our little yellow hero is a primate, I can say that our FBI agents aren't eager to meet foreign creatures "Of the Hominidae."
The hominid was peacefully traveling over Earth when all of the sudden our men in black shot him down. Well, a broken ship is the least of the hominid's troubles, as the FBI want him dead. Really, this is just a poor tale of a hominid trying to make his way home.
Unluckily for us, he has weapons.
Really, the core of the game received a
major redo. Don't worry, the game is still a two-dimensional sidescroller, but so much has been added and changed from the flash game you remember. Instead of just shooting your enemies with a generic laser beam, you have quite the arsenal of tools to use in your anti-FBI parade. There are seven power ups in this game, each one changing the abilities of your gun and grenades and also giving you a shield. But of course, projectiles are not the hominid's only tools of destruction; while controlling our favorite alien you can burrow underground and pull your enemies to their deaths or jump on their heads and bite off their skulls. The Behemoth brought you a war and left you to fight it. It isn't just run and gun either, another addition to the game is the presence of vehicles. Tanks, cars, and your spaceship give you a break from the norm. Without the vehicles and extremely colorful, unique enemies, the action could fall from intense to boring pretty fast, which is a big problem with other new-age, modern side scrollers. However, The Behemoth doesn't fall short of their goal of fun, colorful, and retro action.
A big part of any shooter is all the enemies you face, and in
Alien Hominid, they are amazing. Dan Paladin, who did all the original artwork for the game, did an absolutely brilliant job on all the g-men, commies, and robots you will be facing. But not only are the enemies artistically well done, they are also smart. This game is extremely challenging. Numerous enemies will be thrown at you at once, and using the same battle tactics over and over again, I assure you, will not work. Don't plan on traveling through a level quickly by simply tapping the B button and holding the analog stick to the left, or by ducking into the ground everytime an enemy pops onto the screen. Enemies will fire low and high, timing shots to your jumps and ducks, and I'm not ashamed to admit I've died on the game's easiest setting, Thumb Sucker, once or twice.
Really, the gameplay flows magnificently. From the slick control scheme, to the graphics, this game defines 'fluid.'
Alien Hominid controls like something on par with
Metal Slug or
Contra, and for those who haven't played those games, this definitely isn't a complaint.
The graphics are very, very good. The art design is very good, and every different frame in the game feels like a unique drawing. The game's backgrounds are colorful and funny, the explosions and weapon effects look very good, and I've yet to encounter framerate slowdown. Graphically,
Alien Hominid is a success.
However, I can't say the same for the audio. I've love to cut the Behemoth some slack. I mean,
Alien Hominid wasn't a grand scale production that took years to produce, but the game lacks polish in the audio category. Weapon sounds are decent, and the music tracks are catchy, but there is absolutely no "wow" factor present for your ears. Of course, this isn't a failure, but it isn't on par with the other amazing elements of the game. Definitely some room for improvement, but you won't cringe in disgust.
Alien Hominid has good length, spanning anywhere from 10-25 hours, depending on the player's skill and the difficulty setting. Thankfully, there have been mini-games added to the final product, along with unlockable hats. However, these bonus elements of the game haven't lived up to the hype they have received. You won't be addicted to the side-games, but they will at least draw you away from the main quest, which I assure you, you will come back to. Multiplayer also has been included and is very accessible.
Alien Hominid is replayable, and that is to be expected when you look at how many people played the flash version, over, over, and over again.
In the end,
Alien Hominid was one of the best experiences I've had on my Gamecube, and at the very reasonable price of 30 dollars (and dropping), it is a must-have title. Fans of shooters should expect it to stay in their gaming rotation for a while, and any gamer should at least try it out.
