A remaster of Alien Hominid
Alien Hominid HD the award winning side-scroller classic from the Behemoth is now available for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade. They've got your spaceship and you will blow up anything in your path to get it back. Completely hand-drawn high-definition graphics, coupled with old-school game play, results in ultimate mayhem and hours of fun! Features: 16 levels and over 20 Bosses High Definition Resolution 7 mini games 2 Xbox Live Arcade Multiplayer games All new PDA Game levels Leaderboards with REAL trophies!
Released on
Genres
Reviews View More
A sloppy, hard-as-nails arcade-style run-and-gun with a uniquely 2000's aesthetic that is absolutely charming. I remember playing the browser demo back when I was in my early teens, and itching to buy the Gamecube release, though never doing so. I didn't own a 360, so it's first re-release also evaded me. This is my first experience with the full package, and I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected!
This is definitely more Contra 1 than it is Hard Corps. Despite clear homages to the latter, the gameplay is raw as hell, with little thought on player convenience. Hominid's movement is stiff with few mobility options, and enemy attacks have very strict tells. I grew up playing a ton of brutally difficult NES releases, so I'm tolerant to this sort of gameplay. I think it's charming and serviceable, but your mileage may vary.
My only real gripe with this game is attack visibility. On-screen chaos can tend to blend together. Particularly, enemy bullets. They flash several different colors, which is meant to catch your eyes, but depending on what is occurring in the playfield at the given moment, they can blend in with explosions or corpses. Next thing you know, Hominid's on the floor, and you're left with no explanation. I think a sharp outline, or bolder colors to contrast against the slightly-washed palette would've been enough to address this issue.
Alien Hominid feels like a game that would be hard to recommend. I think the appeal it does have is niche in this day and age. I'm surprised it took this long for us to finally see it again on modern storefronts, and I don't really expect even the smallest surge in its popularity, though I'd love to be wrong. Still, it's jam-packed full of charm. If the game ever caught your eye back in the day, and you've yet to experience it, I think you'll find something to like. Give it a shot.
This is definitely more Contra 1 than it is Hard Corps. Despite clear homages to the latter, the gameplay is raw as hell, with little thought on player convenience. Hominid's movement is stiff with few mobility options, and enemy attacks have very strict tells. I grew up playing a ton of brutally difficult NES releases, so I'm tolerant to this sort of gameplay. I think it's charming and serviceable, but your mileage may vary.
My only real gripe with this game is attack visibility. On-screen chaos can tend to blend together. Particularly, enemy bullets. They flash several different colors, which is meant to catch your eyes, but depending on what is occurring in the playfield at the given moment, they can blend in with explosions or corpses. Next thing you know, Hominid's on the floor, and you're left with no explanation. I think a sharp outline, or bolder colors to contrast against the slightly-washed palette would've been enough to address this issue.
Alien Hominid feels like a game that would be hard to recommend. I think the appeal it does have is niche in this day and age. I'm surprised it took this long for us to finally see it again on modern storefronts, and I don't really expect even the smallest surge in its popularity, though I'd love to be wrong. Still, it's jam-packed full of charm. If the game ever caught your eye back in the day, and you've yet to experience it, I think you'll find something to like. Give it a shot.