Overview
You play as one of four brave...er, crazy fighters, a Predator Warrior, Predator Hunter, a Robotic Major or a Female Ninja Master. The idea? Destroy every enemy in sight with tons of weapons, combos and machinery at your disposal. In a nutshell, this is Final Fight on steroids.
Graphics 9/10
Capcom has mastered the art of 2-D graphics and A vs. P clearly exemplifies that statement. With the 2-D power of the CPS-2 System, there is no single detail left out. From the dust to the spewing of green alien innards, you simply take them for granted, but once noticed, you'll see the hard work and how meticulous the designers are. The design fits the mood of the classic Alien and Predator themes so well, as you battle your way through filthy space cabins, egg nests, and militaristic space stations. I can't think of another 2-D side scrolling fighter that reaches this graphical level. This is a beautiful game, and while you may not appreciate the small details as you play it yourself, watch a buddy go through the game and you'll see what I mean.
Gameplay/Controls 10/10
There isn't one complaint I have with this game's interaction--the gameplay is top-notch, with very tight controls, a plethora of combos and a weapon supply that only Arnold Schwarzenegger could be proud of. There is so much variety in terms of destroying your enemies that you feel a little wicked sometimes. Scary, but true. With such classics as Final Fight, you have some pretty basic moves/combos, but A v. P is that and so much more. Take Linn Kurosawa for example--this girl is a luna-chick. Her weapon of choice is a samurai sword, which you can literally use to stomp on your enemies head, toggling from one to another, finishing your foe off with an air throw after those sequence of moves. There are so many maneuvers, combos and executions, there's still more to learn long after you think you've mastered the game.
One of my favorite Capcom moves is the traditional uppercut-it just wouldn't be a Capcom game if this beauty didn't show up somewhere. So they gave it to a true warrior--the Warrior Predator. Yeah, it's a load of laughs when you're watching a Predator uppercut an Alien; you'll swear it's Ken or Ryu under that Predator jumpsuit. It's more amusing to use Linn and shoot the Aliens in the ass while their backs are turned against you--that'll lift your sprits!
Sound/Music 9/10
What's a game without the tunes to make you get into the game? Besides the modest volume of the background music, Capcom out did themselves once again. James Cameron himself couldn't produce better music or sound effects if he wanted to. Right from the start the music draws you into the eerie, slimy theme of the Alien world. From the slashing effect of the swords to the unloading of the massive guns and grenade launchers, you'll scream for joy when you pick up weapon after weapon and nuke those ugly bad boys away.
Replay Value 9/10
Unlike most beat 'em ups, if you want to master all the fighters and challenge yourself to passing the game one a single credit, you will come back for more. Variety isn't the problem here, it's staying alive. Unless you own this game personally, bring a roll of quarters, because the Aliens will not only devour your body parts little by little, but you'll find that you've probably played one of the toughest 2-D games of all time. Unforgiving and quarter crunching action, but do you think the ugly beasts really care?
Overall 10/10
Alien vs. Predator is by far the best 2-D fighting side scroller I have ever played. With so much action on screen at one time, unfortunately, the only way to play this is either in the arcades (which is unlikely at this point) or you just have to own the CPS-2 board yourself. Final Fight fans will worship this game, while non-fans might want to pop in Cameron's Aliens DVD and chill it with some fried chicken and popcorn. On a serious note, you're missing out if you've never experienced A v. P. Don't just check it out...own it!
- by TRIEU
