Way back in the early history of Co-Optimus, my first news article was a story on Aliens Colonial Marines. A few months after that first contribution, this series of articles launched. I have had today’s game in mind for a Co-Op Classic ever since the beginning, but wanted to tie it in to Colonial Marines’ release. So I waited, waited, and then waited some more. Colonial Marines has arrived, and the bad news is, it’s pretty bad. The good news is, almost five years later, I can finally talk about one of my favorite co-op games ever: Alien Vs. Predator.
If you grew up in the 80s, and had access to cable television or a VCR (remember those?), chances are you had watched the Predator and Alien films. While Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver were popular enough, the real draw was the baddies. Alien is one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and Aliens is similarly atop the action movie pecking order. Predator is easily the best movie ever created featuring two or more future US governors and their biceps. The slithery, techno-organic Aliens were scary alone and terrifying in large numbers. The Predators were less horrific, but had intelligence and a Batman-like array of nifty weapons and gear that put them over the top as far as villains are concerned.
The big debate was: who would win in a fight, Aliens or Predators? On the one hand, you have an overwhelming horde of double-mouthed, acid-blooded killers. On the other, a smart, sneaky race of hunters armed with crazy weapons and shoulder-mounted plasma cannons. Like the argument over Kirk and Picard, the debate raged on and on with no clear answer. And then, in 1994, Capcom released Alien Vs. Predator to arcades. It didn’t end the debate, not by a long shot, but it did keep us all pumping quarters inside and enjoying every minute.
It would have been very easy to translate Alien Vs. Predator as “Humans Vs. Non-humans”, but that was, fortunately, not the case. In AvP, you can choose to play as a human or as a Predator. Four playable characters are included as options, and best of all, they all play differently. Dutch, obviously patterned after the character from Predator, is a beefy, cyborg-armed soldier. Linn is a nimble, sword-wielding heroine with a deadly pistol. Two Predators, a Hunter and a Warrior, are also available. Though not quite as varied as the human pair, the Predators are still somewhat unique. Each character has access to special moves that further distinguish them from one another and add greatly to the game’s replay value.
As the game begins, Aliens are overwhelming the city. Our two human heroes are surrounded, their future looking grim. Suddenly, a ball of plasma bursts in the assembled Alien army, and the Predators appear. In the true spirit of cooperation, the otherworldly hunters team up with the humans to take down the Alien threat. As the game progresses, the allies take down a host of Aliens, discover a villainous plot, and even have a run-in with “mad” Predators who are very tough to defeat. Of course, fighting the Alien Queen is the main attraction, and fighting her is another one of the games many highlights.
AvP features both melee and ranged combat, as was common in Capcom games at the time. Players can punch or use spears, knives, and the like when the Aliens get up close and personal. Attacking from a safe distance is ideal, and each character has a ranged weapon, like the Predators’ shoulder cannons. To offset the efficiency of these guns, an overheat/reload mechanic is employed. Good players will balance melee and shooting to better keep the screen clear. Various other weapons can be picked up, too, ranging from submachine guns to flamethrowers and even chainguns. All the various methods available to reduce Aliens to piles of acidic goo make the game quite enjoyable from start to finish.
Alien Vs. Predator is an amazing game, but there is one nagging problem that brings it down from perfection. Though there are four playable characters, the game does not support more than three players at a time. The default AvP cabinet allowed for three players, but it wasn’t uncommon to see the game installed in an older cabinet with only two joysticks. It is a rather inexplicable design decision, for sure. In the era of Konami’s 6 player X-Men and various four player games like The Simpsons, TMNT, and Sunset Riders, what possible reason could there have been for a three player limit? It’s a shame, but it says a lot for the quality of the game that this is its only flaw.
Though there have been many Alien and Predator games through the years, some good and some not, Capcom’s Alien Vs. Predator is one of the best. It is a textbook example of the 90s side-scrolling brawler/shooter genre. The game is exciting, and very fan-friendly in that it remains respectful of the source material while expanding on it in a logical way. Though it is unlikely due to licensing issues, it would be fantastic if Alien vs. Predator showed up for download in Capcom Arcade Cabinet. In any event, if you ever happen across the game in the wild, do yourself a favor and plop in a few quarters. It is a Co-Op Classic in the truest sense of the term.