The Strong Survive and This Game Perishes
I'm not familiar with the 2001 film Evolution, but we have it to thank -or blame- for Alienators: Evolution Continues. Actually, Alienators is based on a short lived, animated, kids' TV show that was based on the movie, and we all know the quality of product that is churned out when a kids' show is adapted into a video game. In this case, though, Alienators is playable, and that's more than I could say for most games of this sort. The game puts you in control of Ira, a scientist/mercenary/soldier character who fills the typical hero role. The story is told in blocks of text between each of the levels, and it really doesn't matter all that much. The game could just as easily started with a message that read “There are monsters and stuff; go blow them up.” the game wouldn't have lost anything important and it would have gained style points, in my eyes, at least.
Gameplay is what you might expect: there's some shooting, there's some jumping, and there's a fair bit of collecting. As you progress through the game, you'll have to explore each of levels, collecting items as you go, before finally finding the exit and moving on. What can I say; it's a tried and true formula, and there's a reason why it's often used: it just works. There are times, though, when Alienators feels like it's a bit worn thin, especially when you stop and realize that other games have done the same things, only better. It may not be a fair comparison, but games like Mega Man ZX, Metroid: Zero Mission, and even Star Wars: Apprentice of the Force feel similar and superior to this game. Also, the controls feel loose to me, but that's a subjective gripe, so I won't dwell on it.
What is less subjective is the atrocity of the game's password feature. There is no save option in the game, if you want to put the game down for a while and then pick it back up later, you'll have to write down an eight digit password before you leave. Then, when you come back to the game, you'll have to input that password to return to your location. While it may sound like it wouldn't be a big deal, there's just no excuse for a Gameboy Advance game to not have a cartridge save feature. The only reason why a company would release a game without a save feature is to avoid having to put a battery in the cartridge, and therefore cutting the cost of each copy created. It's a penny pinching move that doesn't reflect well on the production values of the game. It wouldn't be so bad, it could even be overlooked, if the game allowed you to continue when you die, but as it is, you'll have to re-input the password every time you die: more often than you might think considering the fact that enemies respawn while health items do not.
While I might not call the graphics beautiful, I must say that I have a soft spot for sprites, and the game provides passable visuals. The enemies might not have the most original designs, but they're all good looking, and the backgrounds aren't bad either. The music is fine, if a little repetitive on the menus, but the music on the levels ranges from alright and repetitive to mind numbingly annoying and repetitive. Sound effects aren't anything to write home about: just about typical.
Come to think of it, if I were to use one word to describe this game, it would probably be “typical.” There's not a lot here that you haven't seen before in other, better games. I don't think there's anything here that needs to be played unless the Alienators TV show holds some sort of nostalgic appeal to you. If you want to prove me wrong, though, you won't have to break the bank to get your hands on a copy of the game. If you shop around a bit, you can find Alienators: Evolution Continues for around $5, but if you take my advice, you'll steer clear of this game.
--Tom
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