M-Alien Paranoia - PC

Akaei and Eclipse Software have produced a quirky little number that goes by the name of M – Alien Paranoia. M, a friendly alien, has a fetish about video games (don’t we all) that leads him to crash his second-hand UFO on a seemingly docile planet. Your challenge is to help him find the parts he needs to fix his spacecraft. By doing so, you can send him on his way to the love of his life, “N” (hmmm), with whom he can live happily ever after.

After installing the game and playing it for the first time, it will become blatantly obvious that M – Alien Paranoia is targeted primarily towards kids. The introduction establishes the theme of the game well, featuring cartoon-like animations and environments, with a bit of comedy thrown in. Fortunately, being a cartoon adventure, violence is kept to a minimum.

The game takes place over five large environments that are heavily populated with plenty of obnoxious nasties that need to be left seeing stars by the titular hero. There’s plenty of combat, complete with comical weapons such as boomerangs, lasers and fruit. Puzzles also play a large part in the game, involving moving platforms, wobbly bridges and friendly dinosaurs, to name but a few.

M – Alien Paranoia is a lovely little title that is entertaining, challenging, and perfect for its target audience. more