NewGrounds.com knew they had a good thing going with Alien Hominid. After 6 million plus people downloaded the original Flash game off their website, it must have seemed like a stellar idea to produce a full fledged game and release it to the masses. Being one of those 6 million plus people, I couldn’t have been more excited to see this game begin to rise on the horizon. Comparisons to the great Metal Slug series were being drawn and after playing the Flash game, it’s easy to see why. Now, after having the full version in my hands I’d have to say that developer Behemoth not only did the Flash game justice, they surpassed it in every way.
"... Behemoth not only did the Flash game justice, they surpassed it in every way."
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Alien Hominid is one of those titles that makes you excited to be a fan of old school gaming. In an era where developers are usually concerned with the amount of polygons their game is pushing, or how open ended something can be, it’s refreshing to experience the rare flavor of straight forward, balls out, 2D chaos. While Alien Hominid isn’t as revolutionary or complex as something like Viewtiful Joe, its simplicity offers a different and more pure form of joy.
As Alien Hominid starts out, an FBI agent is sleeping on the job. As you fly your ship over earth with no intention of visiting, you pass through the radar field this agent is supposed to be monitoring and an alarm goes off. He wakes up, presses a button, and your ship is shot down. After plummeting to earth the FBI collects the parts of your ship, cleans up the mess, and assures the player that “there’s nothing to see here.” It’s really an amusing opening to what might be one of the funniest games ever.
Humor is something this game delivers better than maybe any other game I’ve played. Locations in the back ground are titled things like “Hairy Mommy’s Day Care” and “House of Nut.” Enemies make hilarious facial expressions when they witness the head of a fellow soldier be devoured by our little yellow protagonist. Come on, this game has a character named Fat Kid for crying out loud! Even the mini-games included are humorous. The whole “advanced Flash game” type of graphics also add to the camp value, with slick animation, crisp environments and sharp character models. The dramatic music is also a huge factor in lightening the mood. The game “Super Soviet Missile Mastar” could have passed for a game on the Atari 2600, and done well even. While the gameplay of this distraction is limited, its presentation literally makes it roll around on the floor hilarious.
"The main course... offers what might be some of the [best] 2D shooting we’ve [ever] seen ..."
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The main course however, offers what might be some of the most enjoyable 2D shooting we’ve seen in years. You start out equipped with a gun that fires single shot regular bullets and also the ability to fire a larger charged shot. You can fire left and right obviously, but you can shoot up, and fire down when in the air. You also have a bubble like shield that can defend one shot before breaking, leaving you vulnerable. Sometimes enemies will drop power-ups with more creative shots than your standard bullets, or sometimes you’ll have them handed to you by the ever present Fat Kid. These power-ups include but aren’t limited to rapid fire, spread shot, flame thrower, and my personal favorite the poison burst, which disintegrates enemies in a toxic gaseous cloud. The power-ups also recharge your shield. You’ll only have a limited number of these special bullets though. You’re also equipped with a small number of grenades, though I didn’t find them to be too useful.
As you’re traveling through the levels, the FBI (or the Russian government later on) is on your trail trying to stop you from reaching your space ship. Though you have to mow through them, there is more than one way to skin a federal agent. Aside from your gun and your grenades, you’re able to burrow into the ground and hide. When an enemy passes over head, you can reach out and pull them in killing them instantly. This can also be used to avoid special attacks from regular enemies or bosses, though you can’t stay under too long or you’ll suffocate. Also, when close to an enemy, your alien will automatically employ the use of a battle knife and tear the opposition in half. There’s no greater feeling than running through a platoon of FBI agents swinging a battle knife. Additionally, you can leap onto an enemy and ride them around as they panic. When you’re done, you can chomp off their head. It’s not only fun, it’s also slightly useful. When another enemy is watching this (i.e. facing you) they become horrified, and pause for a moment.
You’re given more than enough chances to use all of these attacks because the FBI literally has an army of agents attacking you. They’ll rappel down ropes from the sky, come from both sides of the screen in swarms, and even come in a few vehicles. Helicopters and armored trucks are the usual for these guys, though the bosses and minibosses are more varied. Each of the 15 stages comes equipped with at least one miniboss and one main boss, and they’re never reused. The battles rely on pattern observation and memorization similar to how you’d play in Metal Slug or Contra, so while a boss may seem too hard at first, you’ll soon learn its pattern and take it quickly.
The stages themselves offer up a decent amount of variety as well, though the main game can be played through in one sitting. Usually every other stage will have you doing something besides running and gunning. Sometimes you’ll pilot your ship around in some shooting levels, and sometimes you’ll be riding a vehicle of some sort. One level where you’re riding a snowmobile along side a Russian supply train stands out in my mind as a fairly challenging romp across the wastes of the “mother land,” though the most creative vehicular segment comes in the form of a giant snow yeti. Riding this yeti, you’ll pound your way through a Russian defensive line, destroying military towers Rampage style. It’s definitely one of the coolest parts in the game, even if it lasts about two minutes.
This type of game is ideal for a co-op mode, and Behemoth knew this. You’re given the option to take this game on with the help of a friend. Given the amount of action going on at one time, it’s sometimes too much to sort out when playing alone, but if you add in another player, it’s downright crazy. It’s maybe a little too crazy for its own good, as I noticed we died a lot more in co-op than we did in single player, but it’s still a lot of fun and adds replay to a game that would be too short without it.
"...this game comes equipped with a set of mini-games that will extend the life of this title ..."
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Speaking of replay, this game comes equipped with a set of mini-games that will extend the life of this title by at least two. Super Soviet Missile Mastar, which I already mentioned is accompanied by a few other modes (a boss battle, a points battle), though almost eclipses the main game itself. It’s simply titled “PDA,” and it shows that the Behemoth knows how to create an enjoyable game out of a really simple set of building tools. You control a stick figure, and your goal is to get to a door on the other end of the level. In order to open the door the player will have to eliminate all of the enemies on the stage by jumping on them, or crushing them. Some enemies can also fire bullets which can be jumped over or ducked under. The player will also have to cross watery pits, and spiked floors, by utilizing either their double jump, or by creating a bridge of some sort with pushable objects to reach the exit. These objects are either rocks (which can crush you if you’re not careful) or boats, which when pushed into the water can be ridden across. The player can also try to get all of the fruit placed throughout the level for extra points. The entire stage is visible, much like it is in Bubble Bobble, so what you need to do is usually apparent.
PDA has over 200 unique stages, includes a level editor if that isn’t enough, one hell of a catchy song, and can be played by four people at the same time (on the GameCube, I’m not sure about the PS2 version). This game could have passed for an entire NES title. It is quite the surprise, and adds a huge amount of value to this title.
Alien Hominid is one hell of a package for only $30. This Cinderella story definitely sets up for a happy ending; I just hope that it sells well enough not to spoil it, because the end product is something that should be experienced by anyone who enjoys side scrolling shooters. With so much to offer, I think it’s safe to say that NewGrounds.com made a successful business move with Alien Hominid, and would be quite the exiting stocking stuffer this Christmas.
