A Smashing Good Time: Alien Crush Returns Reviewed

Mature and hard-core gamers might recall Alien Crush’s lineage. Originally released in 1989 on the TurboGraphix-16 console, the title was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Devil’s Crush, the following year. Technosoft ported the follow-up onto the Sega Genesis, where it was renamed Dragon’s Fury to avoid the ire of parent’s everywhere. Recently, the original Alien Crush was released to the Wii’s Virtual Console, where it had aged surprisingly well, losing little of its charm.

                                         Launch the Pepto-Bismol ball before taking on the ‘Hot Wings’ boss

Now, nearly two decades later, Hudson was released Alien Crush Returns, a download-only title available on Nintendo’s blossoming Wiiware service. Thankfully, little has changed in the 19 year journey- at its core Alien Crush is still a still an enjoyable, diversion for quick play sessions. Although the title has upgraded its bit-mapped looks for textured polygons, and offered online high score tables, it is still astonishingly faithful to a simplistic physics model.

The title offers two modes of play: ‘Story’, which offers a text-driven, paper thin narrative, and is essentially a collection of challenges. ‘Arcade’ allows gamer to jump immediately to any of the games three tables, while ‘Versus’ offers a competitive game between either worldwide, regional, or players on your friends list (after a three minute wait for opponents).  Once players complete the story mode, they will unlock the one unique addition to the game- the ‘action ball’. This feature allows players to activate one of three special features: multi-ball, speedball, or time reverse, which assist in score building, or keeping the ball in play.

  The name Hudson not only references the developer but also the Aliens character who whined, “Game over, man!”

Graphically, the title replaces the typical metal and plastic components of a pinball machine, with an organic, pulsating alien body. Most tables look like the inside of extraterrestrial’s torso, often bordered with a Giger-eque intestine. Moving enemies, drop targets, and transporters are all clearly drawn; most players will become familiar with a table in minutes. Players expecting an intricate physics system may be disappointed- intricacies like ball spin are omitted.

Reductionary physics models aren’t the only setback- tables are just as simplistic as the original game, and lack the complexity of some of the tables found on the Williams Collection. Some may be turned off the scant three tables the title offers, although more are promised as a future download. Even with the bonus levels and enjoyable boss battles, the game seems a bit shallow.

Overall, Alien Crush is a worthy addition to the Wiiware service.  Pinball fans will want to pick up the game immediately; at eight dollars, the title offers a suitable amount of enjoyment. Ideally, the success of this title would be the incentive Hudson needs to make a full-fledged, disk-based, content-loaded version of the game. We’d love to see the game get the Geometry Wars: Galaxies treatment.