Alien Storm is a game I grew up with.

So its unsuprising I ended up buying it really!

Light on plot, but not light on gameplay.

There are three main sections to the game.

The side-scrolling beat'em up part popularised by the Final Fight and Streets of Rage, the side scrolling shooting parts (don't worry if you don't like this sort of gameplay, its only a small part, and its not so tough compared to traditional Shmups), and the first person gun parts, (a bit odd at first, but its really just shooting everything you see! XD).

The combination of the three elements do ensure the game doesn't get too stale, however, the game has an annoying design flaw: Its virtually impossible to complete the game in singleplayer mode!

In a typical playthrough, I normally end up running out of energy, (which is needed to do any real damage), and normally end up getting overwhelmed by enemies.

(The reason for that is that this game is actually a console port of an arcade game!)

Not even dash attacks can deny the enevitable.

Also, the bosses, like many quarter chompers, are normally very tough. You are definately going to get a lot of hurt on as you learn their attack patterns.

The game has suprisingly good music that hold up fairly well (in my opinion!).

The graphics are pretty average (again in my opinion) for a Megadrive game.

Overall, this game is not a brilliant beat 'em up, but it does have some very nice touches here and there that even developers of today should keep in mind.

I certainly would be interested in a modern day sequel! :D