Alien Hominid

Allow me to turn the clock back to a time when the arcades were filled with 2D shooters that seemed to somehow suck the quarters right out of your pocket one-by-one until you were left with a really sore thumb and the satisfaction of seeing your initials flashing on the screen.  Times change, though, and these games have taken a back seat to some amazing 3D games but somewhere deep inside there still lurks the gamer that loved the old-school platform shooters.  That’s why when Alien Hominid first appeared as a free downloadable Macromedia Flash game on the internet, so many gamers just had to download it.  Well lucky for us Alien Hominid is now available on our GameCube and trust me when I say that this is one game you shouldn’t ignore.

For those who have never downloaded or even heard of this game before, Alien Hominid isn’t a huge production of a game of the Super Mario Sunshine variety nor is it backed up by heavy advertisement on television like the amazing Jak 3, but it does manage to achieve the perfect balance of side-scrolling 2D shooting action and great level design.  Packaged on the GameCube, the game brings us plenty of levels plus PDA-styled mini-games.  Not bad for a bargain priced game.

Alien Hominid tells the tale of a little yellow alien traveling along in his UFO, minding his own business, when the FBI spots him on the radar and shoots his craft down to Earth.  While he’s knocked out, the Feds disappear with his craft and thus begins the little guy’s killing spree and his search for his spaceship.  You start the game with a gun and a few grenades but the alien is also able to perform a few other useful tricks (aside from the fact that he can duck or roll).  He can jump on and ride on the backs of his enemies and then bite their heads off.  He can burrow underground like a mole and then, when an enemy passes right over him, drag him down and suffocate his enemy.  There are fat kids throughout the levels that not only cheer him on but also offer weapon power-up that can change his gun into a freeze ray or even a flamethrower.

The game’s many levels are designed well and there is always something different that gets in our hero’s way.  Aside from the Feds shooting their guns at you, there are Feds on helicopters and Feds driving tanks or armored trucks.  You can jump up on building and use it as safe spot or bring the building down on top of your enemies.  There are vehicles the alien can drive and you can run over your enemies with them.  In one early level you’ll be attempting to escape the FBI while driving through thick traffic.  In yet another level, you’ll get a hold of your UFO and use the tractor beam to lift up agents and toss them into a wood chipper.  You’ll also face more than a few level bosses that range from dangerous robots to some really huge weird ones like the pudding monster (that shoots pudding droplets that turn into crushing hands).

While great as the levels sound, the game is incredibly hard.  How hard is it?  You’ll be dying a lot in this game and dying means you’ll have to start at the beginning of the level all over again.  If a FBI agent or a Russian soldier manages to hit you once with a mere bullet, you die.  If the tall robot with the huge fists manages to slug you one, you die.  If the vehicle you’re driving blows up, you die.  You only get a number of lives before you have to start all over again.  It’s a bummer, alright, but at least the game has an auto save feature.  The good news is that you can play this game with a friend sharing the same screen and this helps with the game’s difficulty.  You’ll be glad you dragged a friend because the Area 51 level is best done with a friend.

Included is a mini-games mode called PDA Games, which offer a neat little PDA-styled 2D platformer.  It basically has you running and jumping as a little stick figure trying to make it to a relief point while avoiding patrol guards, spike traps and water.  Simple in design yet addictive, the game will keep you busy with its two hundred levels.  There’s even an Editor that allows you to easily make your own level, designing it anyway you want.

Graphically speaking, Alien Hominid has a unique look that’s not bad at all.  The environments, effects and characters look like they belong on a twisted animated show on Cartoon Network (or someplace just a tad more twisted). The 2D backgrounds are colorful and the buildings have funny little names so watching buildings collapse in a puff of gray smoke is really cool.  The alien is a cute little fellow with a ray gun that changes its blast color and type depending on the power-up and watching him slice a bulky FBI agent in half is more hysterical than horrific.  The gore certainly does fly in the game but there’s the option to turn it off.  Still, it’s the unique bosses that fill the screen that are the true eye candy.

The game’s sound is composed of some really cool cartoon quality tunes that play throughout the game.  The music isn’t bad at all and it’s the perfect substitute for a lack of voice work (although you will hear a lot of screams and cries of pain).  It’s the sound effects that dominate the audio and aside from some really cool explosions and the sounds of building being reduced to rubble, you’ll hear a variety of gunfire and the huge thumps of the huge bosses as they make their appearance.

Alien Hominid is the type of game that will win you over quickly with its fast-paced over-the-top cartoon violence and its addictive old-school charm that makes this one of those wonderfully rare gems.  The levels are downright clever, funny and won’t fail to put a smile on your face.  It’s really one of those games that shouldn’t be missed by gamers that want to experience something a bit offbeat but wonderfully unique at the same time.   

Gameplay: 8.5
They don’t make side-scrolling 2D shooters like this anymore and that’s just sad because Alien Hominid reminds us of a time when simplistic controls and cleverly designed levels equaled a game you just can’t stop playing.  The bosses in every level are wonderfully designed but plenty hard to beat.

Graphics: 8.2
It’s visual style will remind you of a wacky Cartoon Network cartoon and that’s a good thing because with animation this amazing you’ll think you’re looking at a cool new cartoon . . . a cool new violent cartoon.  Our alien friend looks incredibly cute wearing different little hats you get to unlock . . . that is, until he bites somebody’s head off.

Sound: 7.0
Like the visuals, the music feels right at home as a cartoon soundtrack.  There are plenty of sound effects here that range from great explosions to the sounds of the little guy slicing through gun-toting enemies.

Difficulty: Hard
Alien Hominid is one incredibly hard game even in the Normal setting due to its one-shot-kills and frantically paced levels where you’ll literally be surrounded by enemies.  Some of the massive bosses are hard to kill as well.  Prepare to be really challenged.

Concept: 8.0
Each level offers a variety of things to see and do and the action is always fresh and in your face.  I dare a gamer not to find at least one level you’ll love playing over again.  The PDA games might look simplistic but they’re just so darn addictive.  The Editor will assure you plenty of replay value.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The game is so much better with a friend helping you out, especially the harder levels.  The game adds some neat bonuses for two players so co-op definitely has its benefits.  Trust me when I say that there’s enough action and mayhem for two players on screen at once.

Overall: 8.5
Is there room in your growing library of games for a little game with a lot of big ideas and action so addictive that you’ll long for the days when 2D shooters felt this good?  If there is then Alien Hominid is one of those games that certainly deserves your attention and a purchase.  At the bargain price you can’t go wrong with this one.