Totally Games has revealed that adding RPG elements and keeping things a little more logical for Alien Syndrome is proving to be a challenge. On a recent developer diary log from senior designer Jeff Kung, new details have been dropped as to what this new PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii title has in store.

Game historians will recall the original Alien Syndrome as an arcade-style run and gun classic by Sega. The resurrection of the franchise sees a change in genre as  a more action-RPG-oriented presentation is utilized. Emphasis on balance, realism, and quirkiness have taken the premium and it's looking good.

Starting with weapons, the devs made it a point that a balance must be struck between melee and ranged weapons to give everyone a playing field level enough to accommodate everyone's style of play.

While melee weapons require you to get close to enemies, they do offer a chaining effect that allows you to pull off devastating combos against foes. Ranged weapons such as fire trees cause immense damage from afar, but they do require lots of ammo which can be challenging to procure.

On the RPG side of things, the guys at Totally Games have realized that towns and stores can't be placed in space realistically, so they included a robot that tags alongside your character and recycles items you don't want to convert them into more useful commodities.

Lastly, about the Wii version, mini games in Alien Syndrome will have a profound effect on how you'll manage uber items. Great items will be dropped when you kill a boss. They'll have tremendous stats which can be harnessed if you can solve a maze puzzle with the Wiimote. If done correctly, the item will reflect its potential and reward you with gear that will help you own the enemies in the game.

That's it for now as far as new details on Alien Syndrome go. We'll give you a heads-up when new reports are forthcoming so keep it locked here.

Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]

  

It's always interesting to find out how remakes of classic games come about. Apparently, we're not the only ones who feel that way because that's precisely the topic of the second post in the Alien Syndrome development blog.

Totally Games approached SEGA suggesting a remake of Alien Syndrome for both the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo Wii, adding that they wanted to make a totally new game based on that franchise for the PSP and Wii. SEGA approved their request and as soon as the initial pre-production milestones were met they began development of the game.

The developers started out with a concept: big meaty levels where players could sink their teeth into the game and play for as long or as short as they wanted. They made it clear that they didn't want just another RPG game that was too heavy on action and not enough role playing. So here is the skinny on the development the company has done on both versions of the game and how it compares to their initial plan.

PSP Version:

The game was designed with every intention of making it a full scale action RPG. This pretty much means "hundreds of items, weapons, monsters, and tons of action." We have to say that it's looking good because they've created five different classes each with its own weapon advancement tree and specialty proficiencies to spec into. Of course they did mention that "it was a huge challenge to fit this big of a game into the PSP" but they're proud to announce that they have managed to do it without losing any of the scope of the original design.

Wii Version:

The developers focused on the design for the Wiimote/Nunchuck control system. With the added power that the console brings, they were able to "polish the game's infrastructure and core gameplay ideas as well as the math and itemization curves". Since most of the level development was handled in the PSP, they were able to concentrate on controls and multiplayer. It was also said that the game should provide about 30 to 40 hours of gameplay on just one difficulty level, which is pretty impressive in itself.

The developers seem really proud of their work as seen in the dev blog. If you want to read the full post, feel free to use our read link to do so. We have to see if their release lives up to the expectations of gamers when it comes out on July 24.

If you still have some savings after purchasing the final installment in the Harry Potter book series last July 21, you might want to check up on this week's game releases. It's quite a big library to stir into your gaming cauldrons. In this week's On Shelves lineup, we find Square Enix's Final Fantasy II: Anniversary Edition for the PSP. That game's got a story epic enough to match the events at Hogwarts.

Console gamers can live on the fast lane this week with NASCAR 08 on the the PS3 and Xbox 360, while Wii owners get the thrills and horrors found in Escape from Bug Island - you might want to take some tips from Hagrid first though.

Those who want to go casual can pick up handheld games the likes of Ultimate Puzzle Games: Sudoku Edition and Chameleon: To Dye For! on the Nintendo DS. PSP owners though, who want to do an Ellen Ripley impersonation ("Get away from her, you b*tch!"), might want to opt for Alien Syndrome.

PC gamers could either take the high road or the low road, with intense action in the latest Combat Mission installment or a baseball game with Charlie Brown.

Get your checklists done; we're heading off to Diagon Alley for some shopping this week!

Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition. Decades since its original release, this PSP remake clocks the 20th Anniversary of the FF franchise. With improved graphics and CG cinematics from the FF Origins release, this iteration of the much re-released classic will revisit the story of orphaned Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon in their quest to overthrow the power-hungry emperor. FF fun-fact #18274: FFII is the first FF title to introduce the staple "Cid" character and the recurring chocobos.

• PSP - July 24
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Square Enix

Check out this week's "On Shelves" list by clicking on the Full Article link below!

Buy: [Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition (PSP)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]

Ready for another dose of alien exterminating action? Well, we've got another batch of screenshots from Sega and Totally Games' upcoming video game for the PlayStation Portable and Wii, Alien Syndrome.

As Lieutenant Aileen Harding, players will have to stop the alien invasion that is threatening the universe. To battle the alien infestation effectively, there are five character classes to choose from: Demo Expert, Firebug, SEAL, Sharpshooter, and Tank. In the new Alien Syndrome screenshots, we see a couple of the classes, judging from the armor. One is a blue graying outfit that looks a bit alien looking, while the other looks like it provides lighter armor.

Check out the screenshots to see what we mean. Alien Syndrome is slated to blast into the shelves in a couple of days, on July 24 so you better mark your calendars.

  

Totally Games Senior Designer">Jeff Kung, the senior designer of Totally Games' remake of Alien Syndrome for the Wii and PSP, recently posted an article on the Developers Blog over at IGN regarding control scheme of the game.

While the original title was purely an action game, the developers wanted to make sure that they preserved that sense of combat with the Action RPG version of it, and much of that was translated in the control scheme of the game.

Kung declared that they came up with what they think is the most natural controller configuration for a third person action game, "three-fourths view action game hands-down. "

The senior designer proceeded to discuss the Wii control scheme where pointing the Wiimote on the screen dictates where your character faces while movement is handled through the joystick on the Nunchuck.

They also integrated it in the PSP version which Kung described as a "pick-up and play" type of game. He noted that it emphasizes action thus allowing players to start up the game and get "right into the fray". This wouldn't have been possible if not for the fact that they've "made the controls incredibly intuitive for the PSP."

There you have it from the senior designer of the game himself. And we have to add, Alien Syndrome indeed looks very promising. There were quite a few more details that were discussed in the post, so you might want to check it out though our Read link.

Can't wait to kick some alien behinds? We just got more info on the upcoming video game for the PlayStation Portable and Wii, Alien Syndrome. Today, we'll tackle a very important subject: Alien Bad Guys 101. We'll be following one of Sun Tzu's ("Art of War") famous quotes: know thy enemy.

First up are the infected humans. Think infected Terrans from StarCraft. They're mindless drones, though don't underestimate their zombie factor. Next up are the Lumber Giants. They're big, bad, ugly, and very dangerous. The Giants are the tanks of Alien Syndrome, so you should be well aware of the run and gun tactics you'll take. Players will need to take out the flamethrower (and other flame-based weapons) and explosives to take care of them alien infected humans and lumber giants with relative ease.

As the name suggests, the Mutt Bombers are two legged kamikazes that will go boom once they get too close. They're fast and powerful so you'll need to watch it and bring them down before it starts ticking. Phase Rippers, on the other hand, are a bit tricky. They're long range units who have an annoying habit of teleporting when you hit them. Lastly, we've got the Vivisector. What's special about this green alien scum? Aside from the long arms that end in sharp claws, Vivisectors will try and feign death. You'll know it's really dead once it blows up into smithereens.

Anyway, check out the alien art and the video. We're sure the lesson will come in handy once Totally Games and Sega's Alien Syndrome hits the shelves. In the meantime, enjoy!

Check them out in action on the video after the jump!

Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]

And the developer chronicles saga for video game title Alien Syndrome continues.

As you all now by now, video gaming site GameSpot conducted a video interview with Sega and developer Totally Games, and has been uploading the clips in various installments. In this particular interview, we hear lead artist Mike Cicchi talk about the game's creative process.

Alien Syndrome for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Portable is set around 100 years after the events in the original franchise transpired. In this game, we see heroine Aileen Harding slugging it out with at least 20 different baddies who are out to conquer Earth.

Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]

Those who are old enough to remember the coin-op Alien Syndrome original will certainly share this developer's thoughts on remaking the classic video game. Albert Mack, Totally Games' technical and design lead shares some insight on how the remake came about and the storyline.

In this dev diary, Mack discusses how Sega approached them with a list and they (Totally Games people) jumped on the chance to do a makeover on Alien Syndrome. He mentioned the storyline, which centers on the adventures of Aileen Harding investigating and eventually going against the Alien Syndrome. It's set 100 years after the original and the human race is again in jeopardy from the alien menace.

We'll let you watch the video and see just how far the video game has gone from then arcade to the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Portable. Enjoy!

Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]

Last time, we brought you the Alien Syndrome developer diary for Wii controls straight from senior designer Jeff Kung. Recently, he sat down with Gamespot for a video to get us acquainted with the weapons.

Of course, how would you obliterate the gazillion aliens in Alien Syndrome if you didn't have the proper hardware? According to Kung, the weapons (20 total) will be introduced to players gradually. The weapons will get better and better as players progress through the game. He also mentioned how the proficiencies would work with weapons (think of them as skill trees) and how, throughout the game, players could upgrade their implements of death.

Sounds mighty interesting, doesn't it? Totally Games and Sega's alien-smashing adventure is set to hit the PSP and the Wii on July 10. To learn more, just click on the embed below.

Can't get enough of the alien blasting action in Alien Syndrome? We've got another sneak peek for the Sega classic's revival for you guys.

What do you do if you're outnumbered a million to one? Those are odds a Spartan would love - and hardcore gamers, too. Those are the odds that Earth Command Trooper Aileen Harding faces in Alien Syndrome. Sound like fun? This new trailer features the intrepid heroine in a number of locations, on alien planets and onboard spaceships. We also see the wide assortment of alien uglies - and of course, how she disposes of them.

Alien Syndrome from Totally Games is slated for release in May so stay tuned for more updates. Anyway, we'll quit babbling so you can enjoy the video.