Aliens: Software Studios (MSX)

Aliens

Platform: MSX Year: 1987 Developer: Mr. Micro. Ltd

Aliens is an early first-person shooter converted from Aliens (ZXS).

Mankind has colonized a distant planet. After all contact is lost, a crew of six equals goes to investigate, only to find the base inhabitated by savage aliens. Your goal becomes to rid room 248 of alien life. At any time, you can choose to control an individual crew member directly, or order them to move a number of rooms automatically, using a map that came in the box. The aliens meanwhile stroll around, filling rooms with bio-mechanical growth that spawns eggs and disturbs the light generators.

The MSX game was ported from the ZX Spectrum by two people with unconfirmed surnames: Gary and John of Mr. Micro. The MSX manual, however, and the musicless C16 port credit J. F. White and Greg Duddle.

Screenshots

This page needs more screenshots.

Music

Only one song exists, and it plays outside gameplay. As one of the aliens passes by, your proximity meter rises in pitch. In turn, one loud shot gets its attention.

The music had long come out for the Spectrum's loudspeaker, and for the Amstrad CPC's AY chip. The MSX also has a speaker and an AY chip, but clocked differently, so every CPC port involves adjusting all pitches. With the MSX's graphics system being closer to the Spectrum's anyway, Gary or John ported the weaker audio as well. They did optimize the driver a bit and adjusted the durations.

Recording

This recording is incomplete.

The only song should be recorded twice plus 10 seconds, either from a real MSX or an accurate emulator. Some emulators add a high-pitched beep, assumingly an imprecision on their part.

The VGMPF calls the song by its usages, not knowing any official title.

#	Title	Composer	Arranger	Length	Listen	Download
01	Pause	James Horner, Unknown	Unknown	1:25	-	Download

Credits

• Ripper: N/A
• Recorder: N/A
• Game Credits:
  • Not Credited Composer: James Horner
  • Not Credited Composer: Unknown credited as Pennsoft and Soft Machine
  • Not Credited Arranger: Unknown
  • Not Credited Foley Artist: Unknown credited as Pennsoft and Soft Machine
  • Not Credited Programmer: Unknown

(Source for composers: Aliens (ZXS). Otherwise no source. MSX port does not have audio credits.)

Source verification is needed.

Game Rip

Format	Download
	N/A

Ripping MSX music is beyond the scope of this site.

Audio Devices

Unusually, this game does not use the computer's built-in PSG, but its speaker.

Releases

UK Title: Aliens - The Computer Game Platform: MSX 1/2 Cassette Released: 1987-1?-?? Publisher: Electric Dreams Software     Spain Title: Aliens - The Computer Game Platform: MSX Released: 1987-1?-?? Publisher: Proein Soft Line

Links

• mobygames.com/game/10461/aliens-the-computer-game/ - MobyGames.
• gamefaqs.gamespot.com/msx/936552-aliens-the-computer-game-software-studios - GameFAQs.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens:_The_Computer_Game_(UK_Version) - Wikipedia.

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