Aliens: Activision (C64)
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- Not to be confused with the C64 game without music.
Aliens is a computer game version of a five-month-old movie.
The game switches between original dialogue, digitized stills, a quiz, and six action games. Those seven minigames are altogether based on movie scenes and older Activision titles. By pressing two keys mentioned in the manual, you can skip any level but will see neither passwords nor ending.
The game was developed by several early employees at Activision headquarters, three of whom had also created Master of the Lamps and Hacker. Most European magazines criticized the simpleness, but most gamers worldwide enjoy the faithfulness to the movie.
European subsidiary Electric Dreams added the subtitle US Version 6 Game Compendium because they (as Software Studios) were producing a different Aliens game. Activision also gave two competing German magazines the titles Super Aliens, Superaliens, and Aliens - The second part.
Contents
Screenshots
Music
Russell Lieblich was one of the early employees at Activision. He had scored and co-designed Master of the Lamps over a year earlier, during which somebody remade his music driver.
The instruments are simple for late 1986, but effectively chosen. Only level 2 has music, although the sound effects throughout levels 1 and 4 may qualify as bass notes.
Out of the three conversions, only the Apple IIe one has music.
Recording
All songs were recorded from the game:
- in VICE 3.8 with C64 NTSC and a bias of -900. This is closest to Lieblich's intent, but few SID chips sounded like that.
- in VICE 3.8 with C64 PAL and a bias of 0.
- in VICE 3.8 with C64C NTSC.
- on a real C64C PAL with an 8580 R5 4091.
Track 2 was played twice plus for 10 seconds.
| # | Title | Composer | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Titles | Russell Lieblich | 0:51 | Download | |
| 102 | Status | Russell Lieblich | 1:02 | Download | |
| 103 | Drop-Ship Maneuver | Russell Lieblich | 1:58 | Download |
| # | Title | Composer | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | Titles | Russell Lieblich | 0:53 | Download | |
| 202 | Status | Russell Lieblich | 1:04 | Download | |
| 203 | Drop-Ship Maneuver | Russell Lieblich | 1:58 | Download |
| # | Title | Composer | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Titles | Russell Lieblich | 0:51 | Download | |
| 302 | Status | Russell Lieblich | 1:06 | Download | |
| 303 | Drop-Ship Maneuver | Russell Lieblich | 1:58 | Download |
| # | Title | Composer | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | Titles | Russell Lieblich | 0:53 | Download | |
| 402 | Status | Russell Lieblich | 1:08 | Download | |
| 403 | Drop-Ship Maneuver | Russell Lieblich | 1:58 | Download |
Credits
- Ripper: High Voltage SID Collection
- Recorder: Professor Chaos
- Game Credits:
- Sound and Music by: Russell Lieblich
- Music and sound effects by: Russell Lieblich
- Music & Sound Effects By: Russell Lieblich
- Not Credited Programmer: Unknown
(Sources: American cover, European disk cover, original tape cover, American manual, original European manual, opening.)
Game Rip
The rip plays track 3 too fast at PAL.
Audio Devices
This game uses the computer's built-in SID chip. Several instruments and sound effects differ on every machine because they use SID's unstable filters.
On PAL C64s, everything is automatically 65 cents lower and up to 22% slower.
Pressing the RUN/STOP key, or waiting about 54 minutes and then touching almost any key or joystick, pauses and resumes the game and all audio.
Releases
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Links
- mobygames.com/game/10463/aliens-the-computer-game/ - MobyGames.
- gamefaqs.gamespot.com/c64/564434-aliens-the-computer-game-activision - GameFAQs.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens:_The_Computer_Game_(US_Version) - Wikipedia.
| Alien (movie) | |
| Alien: Concept |  •  • 
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| Aliens: Activision | • 
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| Aliens: Software Studios | • • 
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| Aliens: Square | • 
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| Aliens: Konami | 
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| Alien³: Probe |  •  •  •  •  •  •
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| Alien³: B.I.T.S. | 
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| Alien³: Sega |
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