Alien Storm

Sega AM-1

Industry	Video games
Founded	1990
Products	Alien Storm

Alien Storm is a beat 'em up shooter launched in 1990 by Sega AM-1 as an arcade title. Subsequently, it was adapted for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System platforms. The Mega Drive edition was reissued on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and later featured in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. In 2022, it became available again through the Nintendo Classics service.

Plot

An aggressive alien species is attacking Earth, and the sole resistance comes from an elite squad known as the "Alien Busters." This team consists of Karen (who does not appear in the Master System release and is called "Karla" in certain versions), Garth (referred to as "Gordon" in some editions), and Scooter, a robot character (named "Slammer" in the Master System and PAL versions).

Gameplay

Alien Storm functions as a side-scrolling beat 'em up reminiscent of Golden Axe, sharing a comparable visual style. Players can choose from three characters—a male, a female, and a unique figure—and utilize collectible power-ups to activate special attacks. The game supports one player on the Master System, up to two on the Mega Drive, and three in arcade mode, with the objective of defending Earth from alien invaders.

All three members of the Alien Busters are accessible immediately. The game includes six missions (expanded to eight in the Mega Drive version), each containing multiple levels where players combat extraterrestrials across urban environments and ultimately confront the alien queen aboard her mothership. The challenge escalates progressively; enemies often conceal themselves within environmental objects such as plants or garbage bins. Tasks range from rescuing civilians to destroying UFOs.

When enemies are defeated, they drop flying skulls that can be shot to recover health or energy. Energy is required to execute weapon-based attacks like flames or electricity, as well as more powerful special moves.

Each character possesses infinite close-range attacks including punches and kicks, along with distinctive weapons—note that Garth’s lightning weapon is replaced by a flame-based one on the Master System. Special abilities differ: Garth summons a U.S. Air Force starship for a bombing run (substituted by Karen’s missile strike on Master System); Scooter vanishes leaving bombs behind before reappearing (in Mega Drive/arcade versions he detonates leaving his head for collection); Karen calls down a nuclear missile that incinerates all enemies on screen. These special moves consume considerable energy and cannot be activated if energy reserves are insufficient.

Boss battles are sparse. The arcade iteration features an alien spaceship, an alien brain, and a mid-level boss with three forms that later recur as standard foes. In contrast, the Mega Drive version separates these forms into individual boss fights. Each mission concludes with either a shooting gallery segment—similar to bonus stages found in Sega’s Shinobi and Shadow Dancer—or a side-scrolling running section resembling a horizontal shooter equipped with projectile weapons.

Release

In October 1993, Atari Corporation initiated legal action against Sega, accusing them of violating a patent dating back to the 1980s. The suit aimed to stop production, usage, and sales of Genesis and Game Gear hardware and software. On September 28, 1994, both parties reached a settlement involving cross-licensing arrangements permitting up to five games per year to be published across their platforms until 2001. Among the initial five titles Sega authorized for conversion to the Atari Jaguar was the Master System version of this game; however, it never saw an official release.

Reception

In June 1990, Game Machine recognized Alien Storm as the leading table arcade game in Japan. The Sega Genesis edition received a 78% score from MegaTech, which highlighted its accurate arcade adaptation, impressive visuals, and engaging gameplay, though it was considered somewhat too simple. Reviewers from Mega Play praised the title's graphics and animation quality, describing it as an almost flawless arcade conversion despite its resemblance to Golden Axe. However, they pointed out that the gameplay could become monotonous and lacked difficulty.

By 2023, Time Extension included the arcade release in its list of the top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time."

External links

• Mean Machines – Alien Storm – Mega Drive review at Mean Machines
• Alien Storm at Arcade-History.com
• Alien Storm available to play free online via the Internet Archive