Alien Shooter (mobile)

Alien Shooter brought to Java phones the concept of an intense top-down shooter that Sigma Team made famous on computers with its massive massacre of alien monsters. The player moves through the enclosed spaces of a base or laboratory and faces unending waves of mutants and alien creatures, gradually collecting stronger weapons and upgrades in order to withstand ever denser and more dangerous attacks. The game's pace built on nonstop action without major pauses, which suited short, intense mobile gaming sessions well, since the player didn't need to deal with elaborate plots or long cutscenes.

The mobile version had to simplify both the graphics and the number of enemies on screen compared to the computer original, yet it still tried to preserve the basic feeling of overwhelming odds that the player gradually shoots their way through thanks to better equipment. Controls were adapted to the phone's keypad - movement via directional buttons and shooting either automatically toward the nearest enemy or via a separate button, which made playing easier without needing precise mouse aiming as on PC. The sound effects of gunfire and monster roars gave the game tension even in its reduced mobile form, though the atmosphere of dark corridors was necessarily somewhat less suggestive than on computer, where more elaborate lighting effects complemented the darkness and sounds.

Alien Shooter on Java appealed above all to players who knew the computer original and were looking for a similar adrenaline-fueled experience while on the move. It was one of the examples of how successful independent computer titles sought a wider audience precisely through mobile platforms, and even in its trimmed-down form the game retained its main asset - a relentless, action-packed pace that forced the player to constantly think about positioning and conserving ammunition. Even without flashy graphics, it managed to offer a satisfying feeling of gradually overcoming ever-stronger waves of enemies.

Why play it: For players who knew the computer original and were looking for a similarly relentless, action-packed pace while on the move - even in its trimmed-down form, the game preserves the tension of positioning and conserving ammunition.