Amiga Games - Alien 3 - Classic Commodore Amiga Game

Alien 3 Amiga
It was always nice to see an arcade game on your favourite machine which was a movie tie in, that wasn't actually crap.

Released in 1992 by Virgin Interactive (is it really twenty years ago already?) this was actually a decent run 'n gun game that appealed to fans of the movies and arcade gamers alike.

In true classic gaming tradition this game was very 'loosly' tied in to the movie, and also took elements from the first two films to help mould the gameplay.

Hence the inclusion of grenades, pulse rifles, flame-throwers and the motion tracker.

The Bitch Is Back - On Your Amiga

Taking on the role of a shaven headed Ellen Ripley the game was set on the Fury prison planet, with your aim being to rescue inmates who had been captured by those goddam xenomorphs and pasted to the walls with some sort of secreted resin. Yeah, but secreted from what?

It was a classic scrolling platform arcade game with plenty of ladders, lifts and tunnels to make the levels interesting.

You could collect different weapons as you explored the scenery, with the good old personal friend of mine, (the pulse rifle) being the most satisfying to use. Dealing out destruction to those pesky aliens was nicely satisfying as you cut them to ribbons or blew them away with your grenade launcher.

That'll be a scale and polish sir

A slight downside to the game was the fact that the aliens seemed to be able to sneak up on you without being seen on the motion tracker - so sometimes poor old Ripley would end up losing energy a little unfairly.

The aliens were in no short supply either - so it was lucky that there were plenty of weapons and ammo lying around for you to use. In a good touch you could also use your grenade launcher to blast through locked doors, which was sometimes a necessity.

It was also possible to fire your weapons as you climbed a ladder meaning you could take out aliens below you before you dropped to that platform. This type of attention to detail ensured a bit of playability.

The game was split into five overall levels (I think) and each one was tougher than the last. Fast reflexes and a fast trigger finger were required to succeed, as well as a good memory of the level layout.

It's A Bug Hunt

Graphically the game was pretty good, but it did lack the overall polish visually to make it a top class title. The music and sound effects were also pretty good and helped to rack up the tension and create a scary atmosphere as you made your way around the levels.

Overall this game was a good effort back in the day, and was a decent tie in to a great movie franchise. I played it quite a bit but never quite managed to finish it - I came close a few times but it was always game over man.

Stay Frosty...

We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Alien 3. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other Amiga game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys

GENRE: Arcade Game (Scrolling Platform Run 'N Gun)
RELEASE DATE: Late 1992
RELEASED BY: Virgin Interactive copyrighted by Acclaim Entertainment
DEVELOPER(S): Probe Software and Eden Entertainment Software
PRICE: £25.99 - UK

Classic Arcade Action

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Amiga Games - Alien Breed - Classic Commodore Amiga Game

Alien Breed Amiga
In Amiga Games no-one can hear you scream...

Well that is if I am playing Alien Breed from Team 17.

Team 17 were known for producing quality games for the Amiga, and this one was no exception.

It had it all; superb gameplay, excellent graphics, top notch music, brilliant sound effects and a claustrophobic and terrifying atmosphere.

The game would go on to spawn several excellent sequels, but this is where the alien horror all began for us Amiga gamers...

The game was a classic arcade top down eight way scrolling run 'n gun game which owed a little debt to the arcade classic Gauntlet.

The game was set within 'Intex Space Research Centre - Number 4' where you as a character named Johnson stepped into action to see why no contact could be established with the base.

In two player mode (which was brilliant fun) a character named Stone was also along for the ride.

Basically you had to negotiate your way through each level, killing lots of aliens, collecting money, keys and ammunition.

All of this led to the completion of a particular task allowing you access to the next level, but first let's talk about the games presentation...

The loading screen was simple yet effective.

Anyone familiar with the Alien movies knew what lay ahead - and once the game loaded and you got an earful of one of the greatest ever tunes composed for the Amiga you were into excitement overdrive.

The atmospheric and downright scary theme-tune to Alien Breed:


This quality continued with the game itself.

The background graphics were superb to look at with each level complete with huge spaceships, compact corridors, tiled floors and computer terminals. There were neat little signs around pointing out certain areas, fire doors, moving machinery and air ducts. All of these features made it seem as though you really were on a research station on some distant planet.

On top of this the character and alien sprites moved realistically and the in-game sound effects and speech were a pure joy.

"Player One Requires Ammo" still gives me the chills to this day.

There were lots of neat touches in this game that added to the overall class and polish, moving it from being a good game to great.

Dotted around the levels were Intex computer terminals which you could log onto. The way the developers created the screen menu and the soft female voice samples used which announced "Welcome to Intex systems" was a stroke of genius.

On deeper levels the screen would crackle and break up as you logged on which really added to the already creepy atmosphere.

You could use these terminals to view a map of the current level and also to purchase items such as extra ammunition and weapons.

Being able to upgrade your weapons added a lot to the game - it was fun blowing those aliens away with your new powerful flame-thrower.

Also as you progressed through the game different aliens would appear - and they would also begin to popup through the floor. Sneaky bast*rds!

Throughout the game there was also a steady background 'hum' which was almost heartbeat like, which again added to the overall opressive atmosphere.

I remember the first time I flicked the switch to escape from the second level and the same soft spoken 'Intex systems' voice announced to me that destruction was imminent as the whole screen darkened to a deep red colour and an ominous warning klaxon began to sound.

With only sixty seconds to haul ass to the escape elevator it was nerve jangling stuff. If you didn't make it there in time it was game over man, game over.

I have to say that two player mode was a real blast. You could really plan your way around with one player covering the other and doubling up on firepower in those heavily infested areas.

The only niggles I have with this gaming classic is the fact that you can only shoot in the direction you are facing and the re-spawning aliens can get a bit much some times.

Aside from this, as far as top down arcade games go this is a total classic. The one were it all began.

We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Alien Breed. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other Amiga retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Arcade Game
RELEASE DATE: 1991
RELEASED BY: Team 17
DEVELOPER(S): Rico Holmes, Stefan Boberg, Peter Tuleby, Andreas Tadic, Allister Brimble
PRICE: £24.99 (UK)

Classic Arcade Action - Play It In The Dark:


Are you interested in space games? Then you should have a look at Bigpoint's Battlestar Galactica or try some sim games or a fantasy game!

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Amiga Games - Agony - Classic Commodore Amiga Game

Agony Amiga
This is a classic arcade game for the Commodore Amiga from Psygnosis which featured all of the ususal features from the publisher:

Beautiful box art (which quite often had little to do with the game itself!), fantastic atmospheric music, beautifully drawn cut-scene images and good in-game sound effects and music.

Some of the arcade games from Psygnosis tended to be a little hit and miss, but just like their early actioner Menace this shmup tended to be more hit than miss...

So let's take a lengthy dip in the atmosphere of the highly polished Agony...

Those beautiful cut-scenes

Before getting into the game proper, I have to comment on the intro music; it must be amongst the best ever created on the Amiga, and many Amiga gamers hark back to it again and again.

It is incredibly well composed and really highlights the capabilities of the Amiga's sound hardware.

The Intro Music To This Classic Arcade Game:


So, the game music set you in the mood for some classic arcade style action, and in the main, the game delivered to you nicely.

You took the part of a (superbly animated) owl, flying over a multi-layered parallax horizontally scrolling background - all of which was beautifully drawn.

The first level even incorporated a raging see which scrolled slowly by in the distance - putting this game up there with Shadow of the Beast for jaw-dropping visuals.

The visuals were right on the money

The game was pretty much standard fare, it was a case of shoot first (and shoot fast!) to cut through each level, killing as many nasties as possible and avoiding the myriad of weird and wonderful creatures.

In true classic arcade style there were powerups to collect (in the form of potions) which would give you a more powerful shot, a floating sword which would 'float' above you (giving a modicum of protection) and so on.

There were enemies that would come at you from unexpected places, and of course those end of level bosses which took a fair amount of damage before being overcome.

Once you got over the sumptious graphics the limited gameplay became apparent. It was actually a pretty simple shmup that lacked variety in the gameplay stakes.

Not that it makes it a bad arcade game by any means (this is still a good computer game), but when you compare it to the likes of SWIV or Apidya the gulf in class jumps up and beats you over the head with a stick.

Oh, and after a while the in-game music can tend to get on your tits too.

The game was not overly tough or long either, with six reasonable sized levels to play through, and most accomplished gamers (especially those of us who revelled in arcade games) could complete the whole game in a matter of days.

For me it falls short of the top, top shmups on the Amiga, but is still a good game in it's own right. The intro music is amongst the best ever created on the machine, and the game environments (and in between level scenes) are a joy to behold.

Each level did look quite different from the last, so kudos goes to the developers for ensuring the level design throughout the game changed as you made progress - one of the key points to any good shooter.


Despite it's relatively simple gameplay it also managed to be suitably atmospheric due to the game sprites and backgrounds having the right 'fantasy' look, evoking images of netherworlds, mythica creatures and mystical lands.

More mystical lands to make your way through

If you like arcade games and scrolling shmups then you can't go far wrong. Whilst not being the best of it's type on the good old Amiga it's certainly far from being the worst, and there is no doubt that it this game is worth a look.
We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Agony. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other Amiga retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys

GENRE: Arcade game
RELEASE DATE: 1992
RELEASED BY: Psygnosis
DEVELOPER(S): Yves Grolet, Frank Sauer, Marc Albinet
PRICE: £25.99 - UK

Classic Arcade Action:


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Amiga Game - Apocalypse - Classic Commodore Amiga Game

Apocalypse Amiga
If you liked the classic arcade game Choplifter then the chances are you would (or did!) enjoy this effort from Miracle Games.

This was yet another Amiga game that was plagued with development problems and delays (a la Epic) before finally being released in 1994.

Unlike Epic it turned out not to be broken and bug ridden - and was an enjoyable arcade experience in the classic side scrolling vein.

So, we've got a big chopper, loads of bullets and plenty of bad guys to shoot at. It's got to be the ultimate 'game for the lads' eh?

I've got to say that this game was far from easy. Set (initially) in a sort of vietnam style jungle you had to rescue captured and wounded soldiers and bring them back to your base where they would no doubt be treated by Hawkeye and Klinger.

You really had to plan your way through each mission (there were 5 levels in total), for instance you had to take out the enemy helicopters before setting down with rescued soldiers or you would be mercillesly strafed whilst sitting on the helipad.

The bad guys were adept at using the jungle to hide - so being taken out by a rocket launcher was a common occurence until you really got the hang of the game.

But once you did get the hang of it, this classic game really opened up to you. The real fun to be had was with the variety of weapons at your disposal and using them to kill hundreds of bad guys. Yep, total slaughter had never been so much fun.

You could zip around the jungle surroundings letting rip with your auto cannon, shredding the enemy troops as they ran for cover. As you screamed past picturesque waterfalls and jungle canopy you could let loose with a flame thrower (watch those installations burn!), take out enemy heli's with missiles and even lay mines strategically to protect your own guys on the ground.

As you progressed through the game the scenery changed. The jungle gave way to an enemy battleship and eventually you ended up inside some sort of temple, which resembled the 8-bit arcade classic and far too bloody hard Airwolf.

The later levels really were tough and the lack of a save or password option is where the game fell down slightly. Once you lost all of your lives it was back to the start of level one, and playing all the way through to the same point again did become a little tiresome.

I did (and still do) like this game, as it had just the right blend of arcade action and strategy.

The jungle scenery was very nicely drawn, and the atmosphere was top notch with creatures chirping away, shimmering waterfalls and great little touches like your 'bullet splash' if you strafed the water, enemy soldiers running around with stretchers and so on.

If you like shoot em ups, helicopters and a challenge, then this game could be for you. If not - let Stringfellow Hawke play it instead.

We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Apocalypse. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other Amiga game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys

GENRE: Arcade Game (Shoot em up)
RELEASE DATE: 1994
RELEASED BY: Miracle Software
DEVELOPER(S): Frank Szendzielarz, Gordon Leggatt, Jeremy Ashton, Paul Docherty, Craig White
PRICE: £25.99 - UK

Major flying ace Lawrence Bartle Frere controls his chopper in classic arcade action:


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Amiga Games - Arkanoid - Classic Commodore Amiga Game

Amiga Arkanoid
In 1986 Taito took the classic breakout game from the 1970's and revamped it with style in the amusement arcades.

A back story was even created (for Breakout?!!) which went along the lines of...

"THE TIME AND ERA OF THIS STORY IS UNKNOWN. AFTER THE MOTHERSHIP 'ARKANOID' WAS DESTROYED, A SPACECRAFT "VAUS" SCRAMBLED AWAY FROM IT. BUT ONLY TO BE TRAPPED IN SPACE WARPED BY SOMEONE....

So, instead of a bat or paddle you controlled the 'vaus' craft which would get you through the levels against the legendary 'dimension controlling force' called... Doh. Yeah, crappy name for an uber villain.



We were treated to the Commodore Amiga version in 1988, and Discovery Software pretty much did the arcade original justice.


Just like the original arcade game Breakout, you control the 'Vaus' space vessel that acts as the game's 'bat' or 'paddle' which you use to prevent the ball from falling (past your bat) from the playing area, attempting to bounce it against a number of coloured blocks.

Striking a block with the ball causes it to disappear. When all have been destroyed, the player is transported to the next level to face another pattern of blocks. On each screen there are a number of variations (such as blocks that have to be hit multiple times, flying enemy ships, indestructible segments and so on.)


Sometimes when hitting a block a power-up capsule would drop down the screen which could help to tip the balance of gameplay in your favour.

Enhancements such as expand the 'width' of the Vaus, multiply the number of balls, equip the Vaus with a nifty laser cannon, warp directly to the next level, slow down the ball speed and more could be collected to help you clear a screen.

My personal favourites were the 'expand your bat' and 'slow down the balls' - the laser cannon always got on my nerves as I'd be too busy aiming at targets and not watching the ball.


The final stage is the fabled screen 33, where in true arcade game tradition you take on the game's boss 'DOH', a sort of huge head being who looks like a cross between Marvel's The Thing and a stone monument from Easter Island.

DOH requires multiple hits to destroy and shoots spinning shapes out of his mouth towards you which you must avoid.

Beat him and you beat the game - and probably get the top score on the high score table too. Hooray!

Arkanoid is a pretty good game on the Commodore Amiga. It plays well, the graphics are nicely drawn and overall it captures the spirit of the arcade game nicely. If you lose you last life you can always shout D'oh! to releive the tension.

We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Arkanoid. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other Amiga retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys

GENRE: Arcade Game (Breakout Clone)
RELEASE DATE: 1988
RELEASED BY: Discovery Software
DEVELOPER(S): Chris Chirogene, Joe Sleator, Eric Reinhart and Rick Ross
PRICE: £24.95 - UK

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Amiga Games - Another World - Amiga

Another World
This classic game was an original and rewarding gaming experience and still stands out as one of my all time favourite Amiga games.

Another World is a classic game amongst the vast ranks of software available for the Commodore Amiga.

The game begins with an very atmospheric movie-like intro showing your character Lester Knight Chaykin arriving, in his Ferrari (very swish), at a laboratory.


He begins an experiment using a particle accelerator just as a storm starts. The lab is struck by lighting which enters the accelarator and next thing you know poor old Lester (and most of the desk he was sitting at) disappear in a flash to, you've guessed it, Another World!



The action quickly starts as you appear in this new and dangerous place. If you're not quick enough with the joystick as soon as Lester arrives underwater you can quickly find yourself dragged away to an unknown but no doubt horrible death by a large tentacled monster!!

The game is a 2D sideways action adventure, but what really set it apart from other games in the genre were the brilliantly animated characters, the wonderfully atmospheric backgrounds and immersive sound effects.

On-screen there were no health bars or scores display. You were dropped in at the deep end (literally!) then had to wander around to find out where to go or what to do next.

The story progressed by way of cut scenes setting up the next stage and hinting at what you need to do. Many times it took trial and error to find the right path or to get the timing right to complete the next part of the game.

One major complaint aimed at the game was its length. You could probably complete the game in under an hour once you got the hang of it. The game was short but it was one of the few games that I played more than once.

You had an unlimited number of lives and as you progressed to the next stages when you died you would be given a code to continue from that point. Sometimes this did prove frustrating on later levels when you died just before the start of a new section and had to redo the entire last part. But as frustrating as it was, you always came back for 'one last go'.

In the first level Lester can defend himself by kicking. But very quickly he acquires a gun. This gun added an another element to the action, as it was equipped with three modes of firing:

1. Fire a laser beam that would turn people to skeletons that exploded into dust (very cool)
2. Hold it down for a short time to create a force field to protect you from laser fire
3. Hold it down for a full charge to generate a massive laser beam to blast through solid barriers like walls and the bad guys' force fields.

Another great element of the game was teaming up with your cell-mate at the start of the second level. This friendly alien comes to your aid and you to his throughout the game and creates a very cool cooperation element. This helps immerse you in the game's world and you really care what happens to the big guy - its the start of a beautiful friendship, even if you don't really know what 'MATSEWAWAH' means!

The game is also one of the first games I remember that creeped you out. There were numerous monsters dotted about and each new monster you discovered seemed to kill you in a more gruesome way!

The popularity of the game prompted it's creators Delphine Software to create a 'sequel' - it wasn't really a sequel but it was similar in style. This game was called Flashback and it was awesome! I'll write a post on that pretty soon.

As you can probably tell I am a big fan of Another World and if you haven't played it I suggest you download an Amiga emulator (WinUAE is pretty good) and get playing. Try Lemon Amiga for an idea of where to find the game.

Developer: Delphine Software

Year Released: 1991

Genre: 2D Arcade Adventure

Check out the video below to see our hero Lester meeting some of the inhabitants of Another World.

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