There are some great PSP Mini games out there, I’ve enjoyed a fair few of the first wave released.  Unfortunately, Alien Havoc isn’t one of them.

Udder Abduction
Alien Havoc sees you playing the alien and in typical alien fashion you have to abduct farm animals.  Why?  That’s not important.  You just do.

Which sounds fun.  Who wouldn’t want to hover over a cow and watch it panic as you pull it in with a tractor beam.  But it isn’t.

Walk Like an Alien
This is because you’re not in a ship.  For some reason you’re walking.  In fields.  Very slowly.

Not only is this very annoying, enough to make you give up at the start, but there is a farmer who seems to be able to get to you a lot quicker than you can get to the cows.  Ok, so you can pick up cabbages and rocks too and use them to throw at the farmer, but when the same button is used for picking up cows, rocks and veg and for throwing them you often end up throwing the cow by mistake.

Just like in the ‘good ol 8-bit days’ once the farmer catches you then you go back to the start and lose one of your 3 lives.  It’s a pain and seems to be just down to lazy programming. 

Alien Landscape
Not only is the game from the 8-bit stable, but the graphics are too.  Much as I like the C64 I don’t really want to see my new games on the PSP looking like a C64 game.  It’s horrible and the bad collision detection makes it even worse. 

Even the music grates.  They’ve tried for a ‘farming/country’ feel and ended up with a ‘chew my own ears off’ feel instead.

Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs…
Don’t buy Alien Havoc.  It’s only £2.50 I know, but it’s £2.50 you will rue spending and the game will soon be deleted from your memory stick.  I’d suggest using the money to buy a big stick and get someone to hit you over the head with it, it’ll be more fun than this game.

1/10