Alien Soldier: too difficult to even bother with.

I've seen many describe Alien Soldier as another Treasure classic, so I was excited to play it. But when I gave it a try, I found a game that I absolutely could not enjoy because of its difficulty. I can't, after over a dozen attempts, even get past the first boss - even get CLOSE to getting past the first boss. Even on the easy setting. And I'm not that bad at these kinds of games - I've gotten pretty far in Gunstar Heroes and done Metal Slug 2 on ten credits.

You don't get much health, the boss gets INSANE health, the one-life thing is ludicrous, and the time limit makes a mostly-dodging strategy impossible. If the first boss is like this, I don't even want to think about the rest of the game.

I tried really hard to give Alien Soldier a chance, but I just can't. Am I the only person who feels this way?

i personally like games with 1 health..

in real life, what do you get? surely not 3 lives. ;) it adds to the challenge!

i say, keep trying.. i've never gotten past it either, but that's because i didn't try..

Well, I actually DID get past the first boss, but you´re right, the trial-and-error-gameplay is highly repetitive.
Also the visuals are good but they push the MD too far. The sprites keep flimmering and tearing when the action takes place.
It´s not a bad game, but not a true classic either. It´s cult-status comes mainly from it´s non-US-release, from the not-so-good sales and from the Treasure-hype.

Use good weapons, zero teleport at his weakest point when you are at full health and get more health by making his shots into health balls (or whatever they're called).

I think this game is a classic.

Like you I thought the game sucked at first, but after seeing a gameplay vid on the net I discovered that you really need to learn the moves, like in a fighting game.

The levels are mostly there so you can get your health back to full and use the zero teleport move on the next boss, but the bossfights do offer a lot of variety.

My only real gripe with the game, after beating it, is that it didn't use the 6-button controller which would've made some moves easier to figure out and pull off.

A seller on ebay has a copy "on sale" at the moment at US $139......if you can call it a sale price!

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Superb-Art...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Not bad though considering its the jap version.

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Originally Posted by retrosega

A seller on ebay has a copy "on sale" at the moment at US $139......if you can call it a sale price!

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Superb-Art...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Not bad though considering its the jap version.

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there was never a US version ;)

I completely agree. I made it past the first boss ONCE, but I died immediately after and just shut the game off. Cool music, though.

There's an easy mode and if you press start, you can slow the game down. That should be enough to finish it. I suck at these games and I still finished it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by evildragon

there was never a US version ;)

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Yes, but there was a European version, hence the need to specify.

I'm not a big fan of the game myself due to the high difficulty, but I admit I've hardly given it a chance.

That's interesting that the Japanese box has a hanging tab. The majority of JP MD boxes don't.

Yes that is why I specified....I have the Pal version (without instructions :( )

All the newer MD boxes have the tabs. I think the newer jap/asian MD box art designs look the best. Followed by the blue pal mega drive box art. The red genesis boxes look the worst.

Anything cardboard looks the worst.

The Japanese MD games with the blue spine that says "Mega Drive" have hanging tabs.

Alien Soldier's pretty tough, but it isn't really up there with the hardest games ever. It can seem impossible at first., but once you have learned how to play well it isn't too bad. Saving your zero teleport for the bosses is pretty vital.