Alien Hominid HD

Alien Hominid HD is a re-release of the iconic run-and-gun platformer that first launched on consoles back in 2004. Developed by indie studio The Behemoth, Alien Hominid HD takes players on a wild side-scrolling adventure with an oddball sense of humor and delightfully chaotic action. Though over 15 years old, this HD remake shows that Alien Hominid still holds up as an engaging and entertaining experience for both newcomers and nostalgic fans alike.

Frantic Run-and-Gun Gameplay

At its core, Alien Hominid HD is all about blasting through levels with lightning fast reflexes. Players take control of the titular tiny yellow alien as he runs, jumps, rolls, and shoots his way past enemies and obstacles across each stage. The gameplay is surprisingly nuanced, with abilities like digging underground to dodge hazards or chomping on foes to regain health adding some strategy to the head-on action.

Boss fights are plentiful and prove to be particular highlights, testing players' memorization and reaction skills against screen-filling monstrosities. There's also local 2-player co-op to double the chaos, making for even more enjoyable couch sessions with a friend. Overall, the smooth controls and relentless pace make traversing Alien Hominid's world an absolute blast.

One of Alien Hominid's biggest draws is its visual presentation. The entire game is rendered in a retro pixel art style that oozes charm and personality. Sprites are full of little animated details that bring the zany characters and locations to life. Backdrops are brightly colored and varied, from the suburban streets to secret government bases. The HD polish ensures it all looks as crisp as ever on modern displays. This faithful reconstitution of Alien Hominid's iconic art captured the anarchic tone perfectly back in the day, and still does in the present.

Wacky Sense of Humor

Alien Hominid HD's absurd sense of humor is woven into every aspect of the experience. The plot involving secret agents, cows being used as weapons, and an adorable big-headed alien creating untold chaos sets the silly tone. Visual gags and over-the-top animations sell the wackiness further. Being able to eat the heads of enemies to regain health while their corpses run around spurting blood is morbidly hilarious. The brief cutscenes have a certain South Park-esque crudeness to them as well. Some jokes certainly feel dated, but the sheer ludicrousness of it all still elicits laughs.

On top of the main campaign, Alien Hominid HD packs in a ton of extra content. There are over 200 PDA mini-games that have you doing everything from popping balloons to disarming bombs. It essentially includes a whole second collection of small, varied games within the main one. Challenge mode provides remixed levels that test your skills. Lastly, there are weekly and monthly leaderboards for competing against others. All combined, you're looking at dozens of hours of gameplay here for your money.

Review: 8.5/10

Almost two decades later, Alien Hominid HD remains a must-play homage to retro 2D action games. The tight platforming and shooting hold up incredibly well even today. It's easy to see how Alien Hominid gained a cult following back in the day that led to the formation of The Behemoth.

Pros:

• Frantic, finely-tuned run-and-gun gameplay
• Wonderfully authentic retro pixel art style
• Hilarious, if juvenile, sense of humor
• Tons of extra content and challenges

Cons:

• Very challenging, sometimes to a fault
• Some jokes come off as dated