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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alienstorm_md_jp_manual_01_6425.jpg]]
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3A Creator/{{Sega}} arcade game released in 1990 that's a cross between a BeatEmUp, a ShootEmUp and a RailShooter, depending on the section of the level. It was developed by Team Shinobi and essentially it's ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'' [[RecycledInSpace remade in a sci-fi setting]]. It was ported to the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, [[UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem Master System]] and various home computer formats.
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5The "plot" of the arcade version is thus: a man, a woman, and a robot witness an alien invasion and take their "Alien Burger" joint, which is also a van, relabel it "Alien Busters", and proceed to kick some ass. The Genesis version's plot is a more straightforward alien invasion story that takes itself at face value.
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7For the most part, you run through levels and fight grotesque and creepy looking aliens with moves that include punches, kicks, and shooting them close-range. There are moments where you switch to a side-scrolling shooter where you run forward automatically, and have to shoot enemies as you go. Most levels also contain at least one segment which switches to a first-person view where you move a crosshairs around to aim your gun and shoot enemies. The environment itself is destructible in these segmants.
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9The last level is a WombLevel, as you suddenly get eaten by a strange looking alien, which immediately flies off into space.
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11The ending of the original arcade version is just silly, and has the characters more-or-less "dancing" to weird random imagery, before you're graded on your performance by the heroes of other Sega games.
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14!!This game contains examples of:
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16* AlienInvasion: The entire premise.
17* AliensAreBastards: The aliens are here to conquer the planet.
18* AmbiguousEnding: In the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version, we're told in narration we don't know if the heroes survived, and the scene of their car/spaceship coming to pick them up is removed. However, the narration did imply their survival, stating that they will return in case there is another force that threatens peace on Earth. In the arcade version, they survive just fine. After the ending of both versions, though, we get a humorous "music video" afterwards.
19* ColorCodedMultiplayer: For some reason, the colors wore by the player characters in the arcade game differ between the 2-player version (where the player can choose his or her character) and the 3-player version (where they're assigned by the position of the controls).
20** 2-player version:
21*** '''Gordon''' (red)
22*** '''Karla''' (yellow)
23*** '''Scooter''' (gray[[note]]With a red orb on his stomach.[[/note]])
24** 3-player version:
25*** Player 1: '''Gordon''' (blue)
26*** Player 2: '''Karla''' (red)
27*** Player 3: '''Scooter''' (gray[[note]]With a yellow orb on his stomach.[[/note]])
28* CompositeCharacter: Karla is missing in the 8-bit Master System version, although Gordon wields her flamethrower instead of his usual thunder gun.
29* {{Engrish}}: Though the rest of the spoken one-liners - all voiced by Americans (or at least very fluent English speakers) - make sense, there's also this: "Heyyyy, let's challenge!" Spoken with a surfer dude accent, no less.
30* ExcusePlot: There are aliens! Let's get out of our burger joint-turned-car/spaceship and get them!
31* FireBreathingWeapon: You'll be using that flamethrower of yours to fry tons and tons of alien mooks.
32* GameplayRoulette: The game switches between three gameplay styles - BeatEmUp style combat, autoscrolling jumping and shooting, and first-person shooting in autoscrolling indoors environs. The Genesis version even adds a maze-like element to the WombLevel at the end.
33* {{Mooks}}: Creepers and Fattos are the most common of them. Others include Snails/Slugs, Flyguys, and kangaroo-like aliens which only appear in final level aka the WombLevel. Creepers and Fattos evolve into Spider Creepers and Flying Fattos in Running Mode. First-Person Mode also includes Deathsets whose attack is some kind of Self-Destruct, and Giant Creepers which completely harmless in Genesis version, but for Arcade version, they become....
34* MookMaker: Giant Creepers in Arcade can spit out some Creepers to attack you.
35* SelfDestructMechanism: Scooter's SmartBomb has him blow himself up except for his head, which deals huge damage to all enemies... then a headless new body comes in to pick it back up.
36* ShoutOut: The design of the weapons (connected to backpack batteries) appears to have been inspired by the hit movie ''[[Film/Ghostbusters1984 Ghostbusters]]'' from a few years earlier.
37* TokenTrio: Gordon (a man), Karla (a woman) and Scooter (a robot).
38* TotallyRadical: Just listen to Gordon's voice in the arcade version. His voice sounds like a complete surfer dude, as he spouts lines like "You're TOAST, duuuuude!" and "Bad breath, maaan!", along with the makes-sense-in-Japanese-but-not-in-English "Heyyyyy, let's challenge!"
39* VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck: Generally averted, the flamethrower can deal plenty of damage and kill multiple aliens in short time.
40* WombLevel: Comes out of nowhere. Where'd that guy come from who just eats you with his alien tongue in a split-second? The inside of his body has multiple paths in the arcade version, but is much more maze-like in the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version, complete with a map that shows up if you pause. It ends with you destroying its brain.
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