is an
action-adventure video game developed by Nexa and released by
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
for the
Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
. It is based on the American television series ''
ALF''. Players control the title character as he attempts to locate parts with which to repair his spaceship, so he can meet up with his friends Skip and Rhonda on the planet
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
.
The game is the only
home console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
game based on the ''ALF'' television show. Other ALF games have been released for various computer systems, including ''
ALF: The First Adventure'', the first ALF game. A couple of
edutainment games based on the character were also released in later years: ''ALF's US Geography'' and ''ALF's Thinking Skills''.
Gameplay
The player controls ALF, who must collect the necessary items and solve puzzles to repair ALF's spaceship.
The game features several locations through which players can roam freely: ALF's house, street, basement of the house, ALF's backyard and a pond in the backyard. The player must collect various objects to progress in the game: a stick of
salami
Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days ...
, which can be used to deal with the bats,
scuba gear
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...
, allowing him to plunge to the bottom of the pond, and other objects. Items can be found as the game progresses and can also be purchased through the in-game store.
Some enemies in the game can be defeated, while others must be dodged, such as bats and street cyclists.
Development
The game was a side project for Kevin Seghetti, who at the time was under the employment for Nexa, then integrated with
Spectrum Holobyte, who in turn changed their name to
Sphere
A sphere () is a Geometry, geometrical object that is a solid geometry, three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...
. Although Seghetti was not a fan of the ''ALF'' TV Show, he worked heavily on the game's engine. The quality of the code he wrote was an improvement over the Master System version of ''
Monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
''. The artwork was done in
Deluxe Paint and converted via a
Commodore Amiga to become transferable character and map files.
In the later stages of development, ALF was lacking audio and the producer John Sauer did not have adequate game design experience. With only a maximum budget of $200, Sauer managed to find Randy Roseberry to compose the music and sound. With weeks of revision and cleaning up the game's code, the game was shipped by the end of 1989, overruling Sauer's objection due to the crude quality of the product.
References
External links
*
*
{{ALF (TV series)
1989 video games
Master System games
Master System-only games
North America-exclusive video games
Sega games
Single-player video games
Video games based on ALF (TV series)
Video games developed in the United States
Video games set in the 1980s