Being closet pinball junkies, we here at theBBPS shit a collective brick when we first caught word that Alien Crush would be getting a modern update courtesy of Hudson Entertainment. Exclusively available through WiiWare, the title is set to capture everything we loved about the TurboGrafx 16 original (and we did love it -- check out our review here) and bring it into the 21st century.

Recently I had the opportunity to run a few questions past Peter Dassenko, the games producer. Here's what he had to say;

The original Alien Crush featured a single table. Can we expect to see multiple tables? If so, how will those tables vary from each other?

Yep, you’ll see a few different tables. They all have the same sci-fi alien feel, but each one features different enemies and has different target and ramp layouts.

Over the past few years a number of Pinball simulations have really nailed physics and experience. The Pinball Hall of Fame series is a perfect example of this. Have you taken any inspiration from any of the numerous pinball simulations that have been in the market in the past few years?

I wouldn’t necessarily say Alien Crush Returns takes any inspiration from recent pinball games. It really is its own game with its own feel: it’s pinball, but it’s not your father’s pinball. That being said, as gaming technology advances, we’re seeing pinball games get closer and closer to the exact feeling of real-life pinball physics. In that respect, Alien Crush Returns does have things in common with other pinball games, though it’s still very much a sci-fi pinball game.

When it comes to controls what can we expect?

You can expect the feeling of playing an actual pinball table, but of course without having your hands on the table or the flipper buttons themselves. You’ll have the nunchuck in your left hand and the Wii remote in your right hand. Press the nunchuck’s Z Button to use the left flippers, the Wii remote’s B Button to use the right flippers, and the joystick on the nunchuck for the launcher. If you’re left-handed, you can change the game’s settings to basically flip the controls. Also, you can shake the Wii remote as if you’re hitting an actual pinball table to move the ball, but if you shake too much, you’ll tilt.

While Alien Crush was a solid game, most old school pinheads would point to Devil's Crush as the superior entry in the series. Why choose to revisit Alien over Devil's?

Alien Crush was the first in the series, so it’s much more natural to revisit that one first. I’d also say that it’s the more iconic of the two games, though I’m sure Devil’s Crush fans would debate that with me.

Can we expect to see Devil's Crush get a similar treatment?

I sure hope so. If the fans show the love for Alien Crush Returns, it will make it much easier to convince folks here to revisit Devil’s Crush.

Any word on price point or release window?

None yet. Keep your eyes peeled, though.

Between Alien Crush Returns and Star Soldier R, it seems as though classic Hudson properties that fared well on the Virtual Console are getting a WiiWare update. Are there any other remakes/sequels that we can expect to see pop up on the current generation of consoles? Possibly a new Military Madness or Adventure Island?

Man, I want those games remade as much as everyone else. Also, Bonk. The special thing about Hudson is that we really do listen to what our fans want. We know there are a ton of fans out there demanding remakes or completely new versions of our more popular brands like Military Madness, Adventure Island, Bonk, and more. Like you said, you’ve already seen Star Soldier and Alien Crush brought back, and I’m sure we’ll see other series making the leap to current-gen soon enough.

Many thanks to Peter Dassenko and the team at Hudson for taking the time to speak with us.

Comments (7)

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment