Game of the Day 3/16/2016: Alien Syndrome (PS2)

[celerystalker]

Alien Syndrome is of course a beloved arcade classic that spawned quite a few home versions of varying quality. During the middle years of the PS2, Sega partnered with D3 Publisher to start the Sega Ages 2500 series, which began as a group of beloved arcade games re-imagined in a sort of crude 3D that looked a lot like if you could run a PS1 in high resolution with Dreamcast textures. Honestly, while all playable, most of these were pretty much taken as gross bastardizations of 2D classics, and probably rightfully so.... and then there's Alien Syndrome.

Included in the US compilation of these games, Sega Classics Collection, the new version of Alien Syndrome turned out to be a co-op riot. Using the same premise as the arcade original, you must rescue a number of human hostages aboard various craft and destroy the boss monster that is spreading the eponymous syndrome. On PS2, though, the controls have been reworked into a twin stick shooter, and the action is ratcheted up several notches.

Enemies swarm relentlessly from all directions, forcing you to stay on the go in search of those precious human lives. The graphics are on the dark side, which doesn't hurt when annihilating borderline phosphorescent enemies, but can mess you up around bottomless pits. There are tons of new weapons as well, many of which are rather satisfying to use... I prefer the flame thrower and FE gun. The time limits are tough as ever, so playing is a constant rush, with enemies constantly bearing down and time running out. The bosses are still grotesque monstrosities, though not as impactfully creepy as the awesomely weird jerks from the arcade game or the newer ones on Master System, and they squirt blood like it's a GWAR concert or something.

Alien Syndrome in any of its incarnations is best played co-op when available, and perhaps never moreso than on PS2. Mowing down wave after wave of aliens while talking through where to go next is seriously fun in my book, and three different friends of mine have all dug deep into it with me, and all ended up picking up copies of their own.

I really love this version of Alien Syndrome, warts and all... just don't be afraid to turn up the brightness. It helps.

Played this one?

[Emperor Megas]

Awesome; I didn't even realize I owned this until now. The arcade original was one of my favorite games BITD. Does the PS2 remake still have the directorial synth voice?

"THE-TIME-BOMB-IS-SET." "GO-TO-THE-EXIT." "HURRY-UP."

[celerystalker]

Awesome; I didn't even realize I owned this until now. The arcade original was one of my favorite games BITD. Does the PS2 remake still have the directorial synth voice?

"THE-TIME-BOMB-IS-SET." "GO-TO-THE-EXIT." "HURRY-UP."

It does still have a voiceover for those messages, but it's kind of a robotic voice, and sounds different to me than the arcade.

[Emperor Megas]

The arcade's voice was totally roboty, too, though.