Alien³ (SNES) Playthrough
334A playthrough of LJN's 1993 license-based run-and-gun shooter for the Super Nintendo, Alien³.
Games based on Alien³ released across eight home platforms between October 1992 and November 1993. Seven were developed by Probe, and most - including those on the Amiga, Commodore 64, Master System, Game Gear, and NES ( • Alien³ (NES) Playthrough - NintendoCo... ) - were ports and adaptations of the well regarded Sega Genesis game ( • Alien³ (Genesis) Playthrough ). The Super Nintendo version, however, was a new game altogether, built from scratch to take full advantage of the machine's capabilities.
Like the others, it's a run-and-gunner that transplants the action of Aliens into the Alien³ setting. Ripley's EEV crash lands on Fiorina 161, a remote planetoid hosting an ore processing refinery-cum-maximum security prison, and she unknowingly brought the aliens with her.
The SNES game differs in how it approaches the concept. Whereas the Genesis game was an arcade-style collect-a-thon that pitted players against a strict timer, the SNES game opts for a slower, more tense experience.
The refinery is divided into six major sections, and to move from one to the next, Ripley has to complete a series of missions that are tracked through the various computer terminals dotting the halls. Every mission sees Ripley making her way to a specific area in order to fix a problem - usually something like clearing rooms of xenomorphs, repairing broken pipes and machinery, or rescuing prisoners - while fending off the hordes with grenades, a flamethrower, and a pulse rifle.
The game provides plenty of direction, but it doesn't hold your hand. Each section is its own self-contained, open-ended maze of corridors, air ducts, and rooms. Missions can be tackled in any order you like, and they all require careful planning. Terminals helpfully provide blueprints with objective markers, and you'll want to study these to scout out the best route, as well as any detours you might need to take for supplies if you find yourself running low on ammo or health.
Ripley controls well, the weapons feel good to fire, and the challenge follows a satisfying curve through most of the game. (The difficulty spike that comes at the beginning of the fifth stage, though - so harsh!) What really made the game for me, though, was its memorable atmosphere. I loved the worn industrial look of the grimy backdrops, the detail in the animation work (like how sparks from the blowtorch light Ripley up, or the way acid sprays when shooting a xenomorph), and the parallax scrolling that lends everything a warped sense of scale. The sound effects are true to the movies, and the dramatic music does a nice job of giving everything a sense of urgency. The presentation really nails the sci-fi horror vibe.
Alien³ has a few rough spots, but overall, it's a quality game that spanks the majority of similarly license-based SNES carts. I didn't have the chance to play it back when it was new, unfortunately, but even now, decades later, I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.
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