The only thing missing is a little girl named Newt. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14086 Those familiar with 80's arcade games should know the name Alien Syndrome quite well. Originally released to arcades in 1986, the game was a simultaneous two-player overhead maze adventure featuring two humans blasting their way out of alien-infested space stations. Sega now brings an updated version to Wii, keeping the core gameplay intact while adding a host of improvements and additions to the original formula.
Billed as a "Sci-Fi Action RPG", Alien Syndrome tells the story of Earth Command Lieutenent Aileen Harding, sent to investigate an alien infestation on the planet Phygia. What she finds is a research facility overrun with constantly-mutating monsters, with her only choice being to fight her way out.
Featuring fifteen levels (and several side quests) totalling over twenty hours of gameplay, Alien Syndrome includes eighty different types of weapons and many different types of armor and bonus items. It also boasts over one hundred types of enemies, fifteen sub-bosses, and five main bosses. You can pick your character from a collection of different character classes, and fighting monsters nets you experience points that you can use to acquire new abilities. You also have a robotic buddy, Scarab, that fights alongside you. He can be upgraded as well, making him even more effective in battle.
Multiplayer takes the concept of the original game and expands it. Four players can play through the adventure on a single screen, working together as a team to battle through the alien hordes. It's easy to tell who's who by the colored icons above their heads, which will come in handy when things get really hectic.
Wii-specific functionality has been incorporated into Alien Syndrome as well. You can perform jab and spin attacks by jabbing with the Wii Remote or waving it in a circle, and you can execute finishing moves by thrusting downward with the nunchuk and Wii Remote when a monster is down for the count. There are also mini games specific to the Wii build to keep players busy.
Promising a lengthy quest, plenty of action, and extensive multiplayer, Alien Syndrome looks to take the concept of the original to the next level.