ROM Hacks: Alien Soldier 6-Button Controller Support

[RHDNBot]

Update By: TwistC

If you're itching for a good action platformer experience on the Sega Genesis, there's never been a better time to pick up Alien Soldier. Released in 1995 by Treasure and developed by Hideyuki Suganami, this game has become a cult classic due to it's fast paced gameplay, impressive technical feats, and difficulty geared towards hardcore gamers. Unfortunately, due to the declining sales of the Megadrive in Japan, the game was released shy of many of the developer's goals. Despite this, Alien Soldier is still considered one of the all time greatest games for the console. The number one complaint about this game has been that its 3-button control scheme is a little too crowded. However, it is now possible to play with a 6-button controller!

This overhaul of the controls makes the game more comfortable and accessible while maintaining the original spirit.

Two versions of the hack are available: one leverages the rarely-used "mode" button to provide two different ways of changing shoot mode (toggle vs hold) and is intended for use with controllers with shoulder buttons; the other is likely to be more comfortable for those with a standard 6-button.

- The dash is now done with the Z button, replacing down+C.

- The "Counter Force" parry is now done with Y, replacing B+B.

- The shoot mode toggle is now done with pressing X, replacing down+A.

- The password input screen has been touched up, so that increasing the number is done by pressing up and decreasing by pressing down.

The original 3-button control scheme is maintained as well, and the game will switch between the two modes automatically depending on which controller you have plugged in. In other words, when a 3-button controller is inserted, the gameplay is indistinguishable from an unhacked cartridge.

"Alien Soldier. In the two years ӏ worked on creating you, ӏ never once tired of you. ӏ've thrown my life away on the Megadrive, and gambled it all on Alien Soldier. The only one who can love you because of, not in spite of, your various flaws is mе. What, is it unbecoming of a developer to say all this? Well, ӏ want to say what ӏ want to say. Should ӏ not put such things in my game? Can you trust the self-praise of the developer? ...Alien Soldier is mine. ӏ don't care if you believe me! Am ӏ being... strange? Alien Soldier is my beloved, and ӏ'm madly in love with her. Waking, sleeping, ӏ only think of her... 'Hey, who do you think you are?!' Call mе Nami-sama." ―Hideyuki Suganami, lead developer of Alien Soldier

RHDN Project Page

Relevant Link

[KingMike]

No 6-button support? I could sworn when I tried the game in emulator many years ago, there was a 6-button mode option already. Am I remembering wrong?

[NaOH]

I'm pretty sure there's no version of the game out there with 6-button support other than this hack.

[EvilJagaGenius]

Vonderful goot.  Though I wonder if it'd be easier to port this hack to the US/Europe ROM or to port the less-Engrishy opening text to the Japanese ROM.

Hey BillyTime, if you're reading this, do you think you could make a version of your Ammo Regen hack that works with this?

EDIT: Thanks BillyTime =)

[Antonio Nero]

One of my favourite games when I was a kid. Great implementation.