"Better than average light gun game"

Area 51 is a relatively recent light gun game. Like almost every other light gun game in existence, the game has you roaming an area (in this case, a military base) shooting enemies (in this case, aliens). Not very innovative. But games aren't all about innovation, they're also about fun. And in that field Area 51 does not disappoint.

Control - 10/10
Point the gun at an alien, pull the trigger. Avoid shooting your fellow S.T.A.R.S team members. Shoot off screen to reload. Standard light gun game controls.

Graphics - 6/10
Overall, decent for the time the game was made. However the game makes use of shots of real people superimposed into the game, which doesn't look very good. That being said, the aliens themselves looks quite creepy.

Sound - 6/10
In general the sound is nothing to write home about. Most of the time the music is so quiet you can barley hear it. What you can hear is surprisingly mellow which doesn't much fit the atmosphere of the game. As well when an alien is killed it makes a strange kind of death knell which can get annoying after awhile.

Challenge - 6/10
Area 51 is not an incredibly hard game but it's not exactly easy either. Almost all of the aliens take only one or two shots to kill and even when you get five of them onscreen at one time it's not too hard to deal with them. The real challenge and the most innovative part of Area 51 is when you're forced to shoot objects that come flying at you before they strike you. Whether it's an alien hurling toxic waste drums at you of shrapnel flying from a burning heap, it's probably the most challenging aspect of the game.

Fun - 8/10
Despite the feel of a generic light gun game Area 51 can be both very fun and very addicting.

Rent or Buy?
This doesn't really apply since this is an arcade game, but if you happen to see one in your local arcade give it a try. I happened upon one in a convenience store behind the bus terminal in Newmarket, Ontario. Now I stop in to play a few games every time I'm there. (Look for EGC on the highscore list) If you're a fan of light gun games in general you'll defiantly want to give Area 51 a try. Even if you don't usually play light gun games Area 51 is still worth a look.

Overall - 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/03