Awesome Amiga Games: Alien Breed

[runequester]

Due to a request not to use "lets play" as the title, Im going with "AAG" instead

So.. .lets talk about one of my absolute favourite game series ever.. Alien Breed.

Sooo many awesome things.
I loved the frantic two player games, trying to make it across an alien infested room.
I loved the different weapons you could get.
I loved the crude and irreverent cheat codes.
I LOVED the title screen music of the first game (have it on my MP3 player)

This is one of the few series where I love each and every installment: The original game, special edition, 2, tower assault, 3D and Killing grounds (though really better in emulation).

Haven't played the Xbox live one, but Shadowgrounds is a pretty nice modern day version. No big interest in that though. This thread is for the classics.

So.. talk it up, or boot it up and tell me how your game goes

[fishy_fiz]

I think Ive written this in another thread semi recently, but I must admit I never really got right into the alien breed series. I didnt dislike them, but it was only the 1st half hour or so of playing the original when it was 1st released that I thoroughly enjoyed  any of them. To be fair I never really stuck with it, or gave the sequels much more than a casual play to check them out. I've finally got myself an a1200 again, after not having has a working "real" amiga for a few years, so I'll have to have another look at some of the classics (alien breed series included) when it arrives (Im excited

The exceptions though are the ab3d games, which is maybe a little ironic seeing as Im more of a 2d shooter fan than I am fps fan. The 1st one, despite the very low resolution, is not just a great attempt for custom chipset based amigas, but a great game fullstop. While it shares little more with Doom than it's genre and basic game style, it's just as good (and from me that's quite a compliment, as I see Doom as still being close to the pinnacle of it's ilk, sure it's dated, but they just got it right... good levels, good weapons, good enemies, new things being introduced at the right time for optimal effect, and so on).

AB3D2:TKG I actually never liked until I played it on amithlon using the rtg patch. With the hardware grunt behind it, it too holds up well against other games of the genre regardless of platform. (I'll have to try the turbo patch when my a1200 arrives, I've always been curious to see how much faster it makes things).
While there's some decent attempts, for me the AB3d series are the pinnacle of amiga specific fps games.

[barney]

Some more awesome games:

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (adventure)
Indiana Jones and Fate of Atlantis
Kings Quest Series
Out of this World
Menace
Agony
Shadow of the Beast

etc

[AmigaNG]

Alien breed they are a classic, I never got alien breed 1 or 2, in fact the first game I got of the alien breed series was Tower Assault on the CD32, it was a great game, difficulty was set a bit too high however for me to ever to get too far into it, but still it definitely  one of the best overhead shooter on the Amiga, not my favourite type of game play but it works in alien breed, and one of the better games that came out for the cd32.  
 
I got Alien breed 3d very quickly after that and boy that game did rock, and made my friends believe that the amiga could do a doom game. But blasting them red alien dogs apart was great fun, got to the very last level but could not get past that big green monster at the end.  
 
 Alien breed 3d 2, technically brilliant and was the first game I tried out on my power tower amiga when I got it, (040-40mhz) but did any one play test this game, I got no further than I think level two or maybe three, it ridiculously hard, and I what I did play I have to say I found a little boring, I remember entering the room thats meant to be the bridge, but just looked like any other part of the level, from interesting levels designs AB3d1 did much better.
 
 At the end of day I think I will regard them as classic but not awesome.

[runequester]

yeah, killing grounds is insanely hard. THe second level is brutal. After that, it levels out a bit and you can progress though its never easy.

Things I really like in the first AB3D:
Level design is so well done
Very good feel. Footsteps have different sounds based on the surface you are walking on etc
The text splash screens inbetween levels, and how they portray your guy as a pretty regular guy, rather than a macho marine dude.
Shotgun with reload animations
The satisfying splash sound as you waste another bad guy
The way sounds muffle underwater.
THe sloshing sound as you wade through knee deep water.

[motorollin]

Alien Breed was a series I desperately wanted to like, but I found the games so difficult that I got frustrated with them and gave up quite quickly. Maybe I'll give them another try as I do actually have them installed on my A1200.

--
moto

[runequester]

they are pertty brutal

2 is probably a little easier, once you get past the atrocious first level.

[motorollin]

Atrocious in what way? Design? Difficulty?

--
moto

[runequester]

Atrocious in what way? Design? Difficulty?

--
moto

The first level is pretty much not fun, in every way. Its basically a "run through the map, dodging flying obstacles that instant kill on touch" which has nothing to do with the game itself.
It also has the benefit of being far more difficult in two player mode.

Once you figure out the route, you can get through it quick, but its extremely frustrating until then.

THe rest of the game is well worth it though.

[motorollin]

Oh is it he outside bit where you get bombarded by meteors?

[runequester]

Oh is it he outside bit where you get bombarded by meteors?

yeah

[motorollin]

Hmyes I remember finding that bit very frustrating, but also the next level once you actually get inside. I could never work out where to go before getting killed!

[runequester]

Hmyes I remember finding that bit very frustrating, but also the next level once you actually get inside. I could never work out where to go before getting killed!

There's a sequence to blowing up the power generator thingies, as if you do it in the wrong order, you wont be able to reach the exit. Use the scanner a lot (M), and start off in the right side of the complex, working your way left.

Also... buy the rebound laser thing, as soon as you can afford it (25K credits). it makes the game 10.000 times easier

[motorollin]

Thanks... Think I need to RTFM and give it another try

[koshman]

Classic games, very nice,  but I suck at playing them, exactly as Moto writes - before I even figure out what to do I'm already dead.

AB3D though is absolutely awesome, despite the grainy graphics I think it's still the best Amiga FPS by far. TKG I haven't played much, because it crawls even on 060.