The first Alien Crush (which saw a re-release on the Wii™ Virtual Console) set the standard for sci-fi video game pinball. At the time, the TurboGrafx-16 title immersed the player in a battle with a demonic alien monster from an unknown location. Featuring fantastic pinball action, the original Alien Crush was truly a pioneer for its time and is still worth playing. Fast forward 20 years to Alien Crush Returns™, the all new WiiWare™ exclusive sequel bringing the sci-fi pinball action you crave! Set to release soon, we thought it best to give you a closer look at the different features that will be available to you once the game is released and is inevitably downloaded to your Wii!

 

The Story Mode is what most will want to tackle first, and rightfully so. After 10 years of deep space exploration by humans, a mysterious space station appears of unknown origin. Sensing the threat, Earth dispatches a squad of marines to dock up with the space station, currently orbiting one of Jupiter’s moons. Once on board, they discover the horrors that have been waiting for them…It’s up to you guide them through the sinister bio-mechanical stages and discover the mystery behind the disturbingly inhabited space station.

Each stage within Story Mode contains a set of objectives that you’ll have to complete in order to advance to the next challenge. Grotesque aliens know no bounds as they try to obstruct you from the various pathways in each level. Moving from board to board will bring various bosses that do more than intimidate with nasty looks. Afflicting your flippers with status effects, hidden weaknesses, and the ability to smash your pinball right off the table are just some of the hazards you’ll run into. With quick reflexes and smart use of the tilt (shake the Wii Remote) you may just be able to survive this unspeakable monstrosity of a space station!


Once you’ve gotten a taste of the Story Mode, try your hand at the Arcade Mode. Your only goal here is to dominate the score board! Stay alive as long as possible through high scoring and keeping an eye out for various power-ups on the board. It may be easy to set the High Score the first time but as your skills increase, you’ll find yourself to be your own rival as you try to top your score. If that wasn’t enough, upload your high score to the world through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to see how you really stack up. With enough practice and focus, you may just find yourself with the top score!


When you’ve got your pinball skills locked in, put them to the test with Versus Mode! There are two different ways you can compete, but all methods are only for use through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

The first is competing online with players from select regions. Select Worldwide if you think you have what it takes to play a random player from any corner of the globe! If you want to keep it slightly more local, select Region to find a player in North America. It’s up to you to reach a set high score before your opponents so just like in Arcade and Story mode, get the best power-ups and focus on destroying as many aliens on the board as possible to maximize your score!

The second way to battle online makes things a little more personal with Friend battles. If you know someone else who has downloaded Alien Crush Returns, exchange friend codes and connect with them online. Once connected, you’ll be tasked with the same goals as the other multiplayer modes: get to a set score before your friends do! If you’ve ever wanted to go head-to-head with a friend in frantic pinball action, it doesn’t get any better than this.

All in all, Alien Crush Returns is the total sci-fi pinball package coming exclusively for WiiWare along with future downloadble content. Keep an eye out for more information as the release date nears!

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Head over to the Alien Crush forums to let us know what you’re looking forward to the most in Alien Crush Returns!