Alien 3

GamePro praised the SNES version for its music, sound effects and graphics, and concluded that the game was "highly original–enough to please even jaded veterans of the Alien 3 wars on other systems." Jonathan Davies of Super Play praised the graphics of the SNES version and called it "damn good fun", while noting that it "makes effective use of the license without trying to be too true to it". Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame praised the sound and smooth animation of the SNES version and wrote, "Despite everything being gray and metallic-looking, the graphics are extremely impressive." Nintendo Power praised the SNES version's action, sound, graphics and its diverse variety of missions, but criticized blueprints for only being accessible from computer terminals. Nintendo Magazine System praised the large number of levels in the SNES version, as well as the music and sound effects, but noted that the control system "takes a bit of getting used to". Nintendo Magazine System praised the music of the Game Boy version, but criticized the lack of abundant sound effects, as well as the absence of a password system. The magazine concluded that it was a "spiffing game, imaginatively designed and well-programmed". Nintendo Power praised the "very effective" cinema scenes in the Game Boy version, but criticized the controls for being slow to respond. Skyler Miller of AllGame noted that the NES version "isn't a mindless shooting fest," and wrote that the "atmosphere is appropriately creepy, with a gloomy color palette, foreboding soundtrack, and some semi-gory scenes". GamePro reviewed the Genesis version, praising the music and writing that it "balances straight-up arcade-style action with enough tension to effectively capture the nail-biting mood of the movie". Shawn Sackenheim of AllGame reviewed the Genesis version, and wrote: "Graphically, Alien 3 has a lot going for it. The levels are vast and well detailed, the animation is smooth and believable, the game play is solid, and the challenge is just right. Control is excellent, though a bit troublesome when you are trying to land from jumps. [...] The sound and music are a bit shoddy, however. The music is a rather shallow PCM score that doesn't really add to the game. The effects are also a bit weak, sounding rather mono and unrealistic." Sega Force praised the Genesis version for its controls, its graphics, its large number of levels and noted that the "Suspenseful music gives the game a suitably scary feel." The magazine declared: "This is the game film fans have been waiting for!" Sega Force praised the graphics of the Master System version for looking similar to the Genesis version, and also praised its music, sound effects, and controls, but noted that the gameplay sometimes becomes repetitive. Sega Force also praised the music, sound effects and graphics of the Game Gear version, but noted the repetitive gameplay. GamePro wrote that players should not expect the Game Gear version to "pack the same pulse-pounding action as the Genesis version. The Game Gear obviously doesn't pack enough power to match up with the 16-bit special effects. However, challenging gameplay and lengthy stages give the game more punch than average Game Gear fare." Mean Machines Sega reviewed the Game Gear version and praised its character animations and music, but criticized its sound effects and similar-looking backgrounds. The magazine also noted that it "doesn't move as well" as the Genesis version. Kyle Knight of AllGame reviewed the Game Gear version and criticized its music and "some quirky and occasionally frustrating AI actions". However, Knight wrote that the game "successfully combines exploration and action", and that the "background details and alien sprites are nicely done, but unfortunately the main character isn't." CU Amiga praised the Amiga version's graphics, sound effects and music, and called it an "excellent Aliens game." The magazine's reviewer concluded: "This is one of the best movie-to-game conversions I've seen." James Price of Commodore Force praised the Commodore 64 version for its graphics, music, sound effects and abundance of levels, and wrote that "despite its obvious technical excellence, it's glitchy in places. But with its large amount of options, surprisingly unobtrusive multi-load and large, well-designed levels, Alien 3s a winner." Commodore Format reviewed the Commodore 64 version and criticized the "fairly standard" gameplay, the similar levels, and the easiness, but praised the "well-paced" action and noted that the time limits add to the game's tension. Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A− and wrote that "Where the movie had no armament and only one full-grown monster, this game has an armed-to-her-teeth Ripley racing against time to smoke hordes of fanged critters."