Alien Terrain, by TB
Labs, $9.95
Reviewed August 2002
If you like shoot ‘em up type of
games, and you have a Palm OS device, don’t drop your
quarters in the arcade, play Alien Terrain. Developed by
TB Labs, Alien Terrain offers 10 levels of flying and shooting
experience and 70 different enemy units.
The game comes in 3 difficulty levels and
has the ability to add more level packs. Currently only shipping
with one action pack, the easy and medium levels are not
hard to beat. All three levels have the same attacking sequences;
in the hard level, the enemies will do more damage to your
ships. There is auto fire feature for those of you who just
want to concentrate on maneuvering the wings. There is a
nuke button, of course.
The game comes with variety of terrain
and some really bizarre looking enemies, which shows the
creativity of their creators. Combine the asteroid field
crashing towards you and bug like bio-ships shooting at you,
and you’ll have a feeling that you are indeed in an
alien world. The terrains are varied in each level by the
colors and styles, some look like the galaxy, some look like
above the surface of the Sun, though the bright yellow background
some times interfere with the yellow cannons your ship shoots.
Each level is also distinguished by its bosses and enemy
ships, some enemies look like they’re made of metal,
some organic. The constant change of scenery and new enemies
with new flying patterns make the game fun and challenging.
There are also ton of power ups. You can make to the end
of the game in the Easy and Medium mode just by collecting
the health, shield, and weapon power ups along the way.
The graphics look good at high moving rates.
There is a narrow health bar on the left side of the game
window and a shield bar on the right, so that you can easily
see your status. There is a narrow status bar at the button
of the screen as well showing you number of ships you have,
which level you are at, how many nukes, your score, etcetera.
The game supports all Palm OS devices including hi-res support
for the Clié.
All in all, the game is fun and addictive.
The creativity of terrain design, enemy ships and weapons
supersedes the occasional white out of the background. The
levels are packed with fast moving enemies, though after
you get handle on their flying patterns you can beat the
game in the Easy and Medium levels. While I’m still
trying to beat the Hard level setting, I’m left with
desire for more level packs. The controls are smooth; making
the game play a pure joy.
Mission Pack Update,
Feb 2003:
In the new version 2.0, Alien Terrain now includes a second mission pack "Asteroidal
Horror", which expands the game with another 9 action filled levels.
Asteroidal Horror keeps the look and feel of the original Alien Terrain
as well as the game play, the only difference is that you will see more
new enemies and get new weapons. The 9-level pack plays more like a long
journey because until level 7, you won't meet tough opponents whom you
can call boss. The level difficulties are increased by adding more enemies
and making them deadlier than before. There are some spectacular new
weapons that you just won't live without, literally.
TB Labs has promised to add more mission
packs that will provide new playgrounds for AT fans. Asteroidal
Horror is a strong mission pack and as we are told, a third
mission pack is in the works. The best of all, you don't
need to pay extra for this new mission pack.
Playing Hints and Tips
There are certain enemies that always
carry power ups. Find out what they are and destroy them
as soon as you seem them to claim your prize.
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
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