Sega Ports: Alien Storm
26/06/2019If you read my Action Fighter review you'll know that after the Speccy, I got a SEGA Master System. I didn't have many games for it, but one game I did have was Alien Storm! And just like Action Fighter, I never knew a Spectrum port existed until recently.
The Spectrum port of Alien Storm was released in 1991 published by US Gold, and as ports go it's rather bloody good.
So quick intro first... Alien Storm is a shoot-em-up where you have to go shoot aliens.. There are two and a bit modes that your shooting takes place in: the first is a side scrolly kind of affair (with one stage slightly different where you're running and jumping and shooting), the second is a first person view shooting at things through a crosshair. Both of these are monochrome on the Spectrum port but the graphics still look great - the crosshair movement is slow compared to the Master System version which does add a little frustration when there's so much stuff being thrown at you; this is probably the biggest weakness in the Spectrum port.
The Spectrum version has two things the Master System doesn't though: a choice of 3 characters to play - the Master System only has 2 and is only a single player game whereas the Speccy joins the other 8-bit ports and also their 16-bit counterparts in having 3 characters and are 2 player games.
All in all this is another fine port of a SEGA classic for the Spectrum - the graphics & sound are good and movement is smooth. My real only complaint is the crosshair speed when on the first person stages - which incidentally includes the final stage aswell!
Score
Graphics 9/10Sound 8/10
Addictiveness 8/10
Features 9/10
Overall 9/10
Definitely worth a play!
Download Alien Storm from World of Spectrum.