Alien Hominid HD -Xbox 360-
Alien Hominid HD -Xbox 360-
Review by Pete
Alien Hominid HD revitalizes the roots of 2D side scrollin’ action games. It is reminiscent of all the older arcade style shooters like Contra, Metal Slug, and Contra 3: Alien Wars. Alien Hominid HD is filled to the brim with charadcter and style that will charm you from start to finish. The lovable little yellow alien will most certainly have you enamored by games end. But just like the 2D shooters of days past, Alien Hominid HD can be difficult and punishing in less than desirable manners.
I would like to make note of Alien Hominid’s origins and how it came to be: AH was originally born in 1992 as a web browser flash game. Its popularity grew very quickly and the idea of a full length console version was proposed. The developers joined together and formed “The behemoth”. The console versions were released in 2004-2005. Then, in 2007 Alien Hominid HD was released for the Xbox 360.
I actually first played and beat AH back when it was released original Xbox. I had heard quite a few positive things about the game and went out of my way to get a copy. It did not dissapoint. And the Xbox 360 version is a direct port of the original console version. I bought the Xbox 360 version the day it came out for 800 microsoft points.
In AH, You play as an unnamed alien who just crashed his spaceship on earth. Upon crashing, the FBI immediately commandeer your ship and attempt to capture/kill you. In a journey to reclaim your ship, you’ll be plotted against hundreds if not thousands of FBI agents, and throngs of all kinds of creatures and robots.
The gameplay is pretty simple, but will feature some variations throughout the game. You’re gonna be runnin’ and gunnin’ the whole game through. You are equipped with an alien laser gun with the capability of upgrades, you have pretty superb jumping skills, and have roughly 4 lives. Be on your toes, cause it only takes one single bullet to take you down. Interspersed with the action, you’ll find some puzzles, memory games, and platforming.
What makes these style of games so great is the co-op multiplayer. Almost every side scrollin’ shooter features multiplayer. If it doesn’t, then there’s something terribly wrong with the game. With a trusted friend at your side, you’ll surely take down any foe placed in your path.
What really makes Alien Hominid unique is its cartoon like artistic style. It is very fun and inviting. With the flood of 3D games into the market, and the rush to max polygon usage, its nice to see a game make things more simple. With this type of art style, artists can go over the top with expressions and emotions and OK.
I hope I was able to convey what Alien Hominid is. Its a fun lighthearted “pick up and play” shooter with a ton of character and charm. I had fun with it for as long as the adventure lasted. I liked the game enough to beat it on two separate occasions on two different consoles. I really enjoy games that developer “The Behemoth” produces and I’m looking forward to the next game they produce. 4/5
Review by Pete May 28, 2010
