Home‎ > ‎Games‎ > ‎

Alien Crush Returns - WiiWare Review

WiiWare | Hudson Soft | 1-4 Player Online | Out Now | 800 Wii Points (£5.60 / $8.00 Online)
Controller compatibility: Wii remote and Nunchuck
Reviewer: Billy White

    Think about this for a second. This is a pinball game - based around a horror theme. Yes, you read that correctly. A pinball game - based around a horror theme. How the hell (see what we did there?) could that work? The answer: pretty well indeed.

    This game still includes all the trademarks of your average pinball game. Bouncy ball physics, seemingly random mini games, holes you never knew existed, extra little flippers towards the top of the screen are all included here, alongside the hardcore pinball fan's tilting ability (which has been pretty well executed with a swish of the remote).

    Some of the more disappointing trademarks of pinball games are here too, though, such as a lack of several stages (there are just three here - not including the two boss battles featured in the rather short and out-of-place story mode) and the feeling that most of the game is just based around luck.

    For those who are still looking for something a little different though, there are some additional special ball moves that can be activated every few seconds. There's an action ball that shoots the ball fast for a brief moment, adding a higher rate of power, a mirror ball that moves in the opposite direction to usual for a second and (our favourite) a power that adds a second ball to the game for a short while. These are all pretty good, and can be selected and executed using the D-Pad and A button, providing little distraction from the game in hand.

    In addition to this, there are also a few online features. Online regional and worldwide games are playable on any of the three stages, but this mode feels awfully pointless, since you never interact with the other player at all, as you race to get to 10 million points in the fastest time possible (which is then recorded on the leaderboard). This mode would have been better as a standalone mode without opponents, as it still allows the "loser" to carry on going for the 10 mill, and it wouldn't require the painfully long process of searching for opponents (which carries on for three minutes until four players are there - of which there hardly ever are). There are leaderboards for playing the stages in single player as well, which is a much more worthwhile addition and is more likely to keep fans happy as they show everyone who is "da bomb" at getting high scores, rather than fast times.

    I see what you're wondering though: why the horror theme? Well, the whole game is based around a story about people investigating aliens (or something of the sort), which (obviously) means they have to flick a pinball inside the actual body of the alien. Yeah, we were confused too. Thankfully, this actually looks pretty good, with the squirmy texture around the edge of the playing area really adding to the "alien feel" to the game.

    If you love pinball games, this is definitely one worth checking out on WiiWare. Although the online multiplayer isn't much cop, hardcore fans should have fun getting high scores on the world tables and there is also the promise of new downloadable action balls and stages in future, thanks to the magic of Nintendo Wi-fi Connection. The idea of extra stages means that the game could be much longer than you first think, though news on this is still awaiting us at the time of writing (although we have worked out that the lack of the Nintendo Pay & Play icon from the Wii Shop Channel page means that the downloads will be free of charge - yay!).

Final Score
25/30
Very Good
Gameplay 8
As horror pinball games go, this one is certainly our favourite
Presentation 9
We absolutely love the effect given by the alien graphics, but if the style doesn't appeal to you you may want to minus a couple of points
Enjoyment 4
The truly great level design ensures that you'll rarely feel frustrated by the game
Other 4
Although the multiplayer is a mess, the high score tables and future downloadables add to the game's lifespan


Bookmark and Share

How we rate games: EXPLAINED