Alien Hominid Interview

In an age of 3D gaming, it is perhaps more than a little ironic that games that manage to hold onto their 2D roots garner so much attention. It is as if players have a love affair with these games as they offer a glimpse into the past while still displaying gameplay that is every bit as rich today as it was during the eras of in gaming in which they were king. Very soon the developers at Behemoth will be releasing Alien Hominid on the current generation of consoles, and it looks to again capture gamers with it's 2D artistic style and old school gameplay. This week we had to opportunity to speak with Tom Fulp, Dan Paladin, and John Baez, three of the individuals working on this game in hopes to get a better understanding as to just what Alien Hominid means to us, and to the gaming community.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to speak with us about this exciting looking game. What has each of your roles been on this project, and what other games have you worked on before climbing onboard here?

DAN: My role here has been the majority of the artwork. I have worked on Soldier of Fortune 2 for Xbox and Whacked! for Xbox as well as a slew of webgames made with Tom Fulp.

JOHN: I do the business end of things. Mostly I'm on the phone trying to keep everything going. From manufacturing figurines, skateboard decks, clothing and doing the game I rarely have time to get into trouble. Before I started the Behemoth with Tom, Dan, and Brandon, I was an environmental artist at Gratuitous Games. That's where I met Dan, when we were working on the Soldier of Fortune format conversion.

TOM: I programmed most of the game play on both the console and the prototype. My background has traditionally revolved around web games. Some examples include Pico and Disorderly, a Double Dragon style brawler that takes place in a nursing home. I also own and run Newgrounds.com, one of the most interesting places on the web to see up and coming content.

Can you go into some of the story behind the genesis of Alien Hominid? For example, how it began as a demo on the internet and then how it evolved into a soon-to-be-released console title. Was this always the intention for the game?

TOM: We never imagined it would become a console game. At the time of inception, Dan and I were itching to build a Metal Slug / Contra style engine in Flash. As Flash hobbyists, we enjoy trying new genres and pushing the limits for what Flash is perceived to be capable of. Alien Hominid was meant to be a fun diversion and cool tech-demo to inspire other Flash artists. We never gave much thought to it being anything more than a web game.

JOHN: HAHAHA…you never imagined it would become a console game, but I knew the game had a destiny from the first time I played it. I'm just glad we were able to put it together instead of some mega publisher.

Everyone knows that 2D games are a dying breed. Why did you choose to go in that direction and what are you doing to ensure that the gameplay mechanics still feel familiar to fans of the genre but at the same time making things fresh for both newcomers and veterans alike?

TOM: Having grown up with 2D games, we have a lot of love for them. Playing 2D games puts me in a sort of comfort zone where I experience all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. I've spent countless hours tracking down the "final 2D games" from the mid-90s. These were arcade games that were too high-tech to be reproduced on the Genesis and SNES, but because they weren't 3D, they never crossed over to the Playstation or other future systems. There is basically this lost generation of unremembered 2D games, which fascinates me the most. By making a new 2D game, we are able to capture that magic by giving players something warm and fuzzy, yet fresh and exciting at the same time.

Alien Hominid has a lot of advantages over older 2D games. The controls are more tight and responsive than older games in the genre, for example. The basic actions are very classic, but we tossed in a lot of new moves that haven't been seen in other 2D games - such as riding on enemies and biting their heads off. Older gamers will find the game to be familiar and comforting, while younger gamers will see it as something new, completely different than the 3D games they have grown up with. No one will mistake it for a game from the 80s or 90s.

How have you kept the gameplay from becoming repetitive and stale throughout the duration of the game?

TOM: Considering the endless hours we have spent testing it, we believe we've done a great job at keeping the gameplay from becoming stale. There is a lot of variety throughout the course of the game, with different vehicles and characters mixing up the action. Most exciting is the large variety of bosses, who challenge you in every way imaginable. Some levels find you flying in your UFO, while another has you racing along on a snowmobile. There is one level that is dedicated to dodging endless bullets, a sort of homage to the bullet boat in Super Mario 3.

How difficult can we expect the game to be? Could you detail the handicap system a little more?

TOM: We continually refined the difficulty over the course of production. The end result is a game that still exudes old school challenge, but without being frustrating. If the player chooses, it can be definitely easier than the web version.

The handicap system is player specific, meaning one player can be set to EASY while another is set to HARD. Based on your difficulty setting, you will have a different number of lives and continues. You will also spawn with more or less grenades as well as a shield if you are in the easier settings. The difficulty setting also impacts how much damage your bullets inflict on enemies.

Shields have made a big change to the difficulty because they eliminate one-hit kills to a degree. You receive a shield when you grab a weapon upgrade. Your shield can be powered up to a level of two, so that you can take two hits before it disappears. In hard mode, you will never receive a shield, while in easy mode, you will spawn with one. In medium, you won't spawn with a shield, but you can obtain one with weapon upgrades.

Much has been said about the enemy A.I. that has been implemented in this game? Can you give us some examples describing just what players can expect from this aspect of Alien Hominid?

TOM: The enemies have a lot of personality. They will duck under bullets as well as jump over them, as well as a variety of other maneuvers. Tougher enemies will even be able to deflect your close range knife attack, which can result in some frenzied slashing action if you keep on them. Unlike the web version, enemies now have close-range moves of their own. They may pistol-whip your alien to break his shield, or grab you in a full nelson, Double Dragon style. When an enemy is holding your character, he will actually turn to face oncoming bullets. You need to wiggle your joystick to break free - it's all classic arcade moves. Nearby enemies will panic when you bite off someone's head. They also accidentally kill each other a lot, because they aren't THAT SMART. We love the chaos.

Are there any particular gameplay changes that occur when two players are playing as opposed to just a single player?

TOM: The bosses become a bit tougher so that you can't easily overpower them with two players. There are combo moves, such as the ability to ride each other and jump extra high, or transfer shields to each other. When an enemy is holding one of the players, the other player can run through and cut his friend loose with a mighty slash of his knife. Some of the vehicles also accommodate two players, so one player can drive the van while another sits in the back and just shoots stuff.

How long should it take most gamers to complete the game and, besides returning for the gameplay, what have you implemented to help increase the longevity of the game?

TOM: We have implemented a delightful hat system, so players can unlock and collect a variety of hats to customize their alien. There is a lot of replay value to be had with the PDA games and their level editor, which allows you to build your own platform puzzle levels to share with friends. The possibilities are endless, and it supports four players. If you play straight through the main game, it takes a good bit longer than a traditional game from the run-jump-shoot genre. When you add on the additional mini-games, you have hours and hours of gameplay.

The graphics are "cutesy," in a way, though the prototype of Alien Hominid had some rather graphic, though exaggerated, violence. With the graphics being as they are, kids may be drawn to the game, and as such, is there any option to tone down the gore?

TOM: Yes, we have added a GORE MODE toggle, so that the blood can be replaced with flowers and sparkles. There is definitely something to be said about biting off someone's head, only to see a bouquet of flowers spray all over the place. It is quite lovely.

Speaking of the game's graphics, Alien Hominid certainly does have its own unique look and feel. What was the process at arriving at the game's particular visual style?

DAN: Lots of practice and development with art itself is how I got here. Nobody sat down and decided to instantaneously come up with the aesthetic - It was slowly cooked at 212 degrees in an oven for about 6 years until I got to the visual style I have. Blow on it a little before chewing because it's still a little warm.

Again, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today about this game. I know we are all very excited about it. Is there anything you would like to add before we let you go?

JOHN: Make sure your readers stop by www.alienhominid.com for the latest info and to check out our store. Their support will help keep us happily toiling away making games!

DAN: I love you.

Oct 28, 2004 - 12:00 am | 0 comments
Jason Dobson