Difference between revisions of "ALF"

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{{stub}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a [[Sega Master System]] adventure game developed by [[Nexa]] and published by [[Sega]]. Released exclusively in the United States in May 1989, it is one of the first games produced under supervision of [[Sega of America]], and one of the system's first Western-developed games. Based on the titular 1986 American sitcom ''[[wikipedia:ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'', the game is infamous for its poor control, gameplay, and production values, and has gained a reputation as one of the worst games released for the [[Sega Master System]].
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{{sub-stub}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a [[Sega Master System]] adventure game developed by [[Nexa]] and published by [[Sega]]. Released exclusively in the United States in May 1989, it is one of the first games produced under supervision of [[Sega of America]], and one of the system's first Western-developed games. Based on the titular 1986 American sitcom ''[[wikipedia:ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'', the game is infamous for its poor control, gameplay, and production values, and has gained a reputation as one of the worst games released for the [[Sega Master System]].
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==Story==
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==Gameplay==
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===Stages===
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
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''ALF'' was one of the first [[Sega Master System]] games to be produced under supervision of [[Sega of America]], with actual development being outsourced to [[Nexa]]. The company was in the process of being absorbed into [[Sphere]], and while Nexa as a legal entity had ceased to exist at the time of publishing, development credit is given to Nexa regardless.
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{{MainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Development}}
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As one of the poorest-received [[Master System]] games ever released, the development of ''ALF'' has piqued the gaming community's interest for some time. Thankfully, the game's lead programmer [[Kevin Seghetti]] has provided a wealth of knowledge on the title's troubled production cycle and insight into the kind of game design choices that resulted in the game's eventual reputation.
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Production began shortly after development had ended on their previous [[Master System]] game, ''[[Monopoly]]''. Much of the game's art was produced on a [[Commodore Amiga]] using ''[[Deluxe Paint]]'', as an alternative to the apparently laborious mechanism for producing ''Monopoly'''s art, a process which required developers to use the [[Sega Digitizer System]] to burn data directly onto blank [[wikipedia:EPROM|EPROMs]]. The in-game font is Topaz, the Amiga's default 8x8 font face.
 
  
 
===Release===
 
===Release===
 
''ALF'' received overwhelmingly negative reviews upon release, and is often cited as one of the worst games released for the [[Sega Master System]]. Lead programmer [[Kevin Seghetti]] has, in good humor, agreed with this evaluation. Being only twenty years old at the time, and with only a single previous game as development experience (''[[Monopoly]]''), his inexperience compounded upon the fact that virtually all sections of the game were notably rushed to meet deadlines. Seghetti has suggested that, as he felt the [[wikipedia:ALF (TV series)|''ALF'' television series]] was just as bad, its [[Sega Master System]] counterpart is at least in line with its source material.
 
''ALF'' received overwhelmingly negative reviews upon release, and is often cited as one of the worst games released for the [[Sega Master System]]. Lead programmer [[Kevin Seghetti]] has, in good humor, agreed with this evaluation. Being only twenty years old at the time, and with only a single previous game as development experience (''[[Monopoly]]''), his inexperience compounded upon the fact that virtually all sections of the game were notably rushed to meet deadlines. Seghetti has suggested that, as he felt the [[wikipedia:ALF (TV series)|''ALF'' television series]] was just as bad, its [[Sega Master System]] counterpart is at least in line with its source material.
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===Quotes===
 
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{{quote|''Alf'' sucked.
 
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In my defense, I was only 20 at the time, and it was my second game.
 
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If you don't like the game design, John Emerson is the one to blame for that. (I didn't know what he did was called 'designing' back then, and he was also the producer). Of course, I am not sure one can design a GOOD Alf game. :-) As research, I actually started watching the [[wikipedia:ALF (TV series)|TV series]]. It also sucked (so our game was faithful to the quality of the licence ;-)
 
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Now the controls and playability was my doing, and I take full responsibility. I tried playing it a few years ago, and can't believe how difficult it is to control. Back then I was under the false impression that games should have proper physics, and you shouldn't be able to modify ones movement when in the air.
 
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Trivia: [[Amiga]] users may recognize the font in the Alf credits screenshot. It is topaz, the Amiga fixed width system font (which I also used on my [[Genesis]] and [[SNES]] games).
 
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All of the graphics were drawn in ''[[Deluxe Paint|dpaint]]'' on the Amiga, and converted using a custom tool I wrote. It worked MUCH better than the graphics pipeline [[Sega of America|Sega]] provided for ''[[Monopoly]]'', where there was this [[Digitizer System|large 2 monitor box with a light pen]], and the artist had to burn their graphics onto an [[wikipedia:eprom|eprom]], which we would then read on the PC (and there was never a blank eprom around when you needed one).|''Lead Programmer [[Kevin Seghetti]]''|ref={{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20210117211058/https://www.smspower.org/forums/7964-F16FightingFalconMonopolyRampartDevelopment#35655}}}}
 
  
 
==Production credits==
 
==Production credits==

Revision as of 23:29, 30 May 2022

n/a

ALF title.png

ALF
System(s): Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Licensor: Alien Productions
Genre: Action[1]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Master System
US 		5111

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ALF is a Sega Master System adventure game developed by Nexa and published by Sega. Released exclusively in the United States in May 1989, it is one of the first games produced under supervision of Sega of America, and one of the system's first Western-developed games. Based on the titular 1986 American sitcom ALF, the game is infamous for its poor control, gameplay, and production values, and has gained a reputation as one of the worst games released for the Sega Master System.

Story

Gameplay

Stages

History

Development

Main article: ALF/Development.

As one of the poorest-received Master System games ever released, the development of ALF has piqued the gaming community's interest for some time. Thankfully, the game's lead programmer Kevin Seghetti has provided a wealth of knowledge on the title's troubled production cycle and insight into the kind of game design choices that resulted in the game's eventual reputation.

Release

ALF received overwhelmingly negative reviews upon release, and is often cited as one of the worst games released for the Sega Master System. Lead programmer Kevin Seghetti has, in good humor, agreed with this evaluation. Being only twenty years old at the time, and with only a single previous game as development experience (Monopoly), his inexperience compounded upon the fact that virtually all sections of the game were notably rushed to meet deadlines. Seghetti has suggested that, as he felt the ALF television series was just as bad, its Sega Master System counterpart is at least in line with its source material.

Production credits

Programmed by Nexa. A division of Sphere
  • Musician: Randy Roseberry
  • Programmers: Kevin Seghetti, Jinda Pan
  • Producers: John Sauer, John Emerson
  • Artists: Jody Sather, George Kanalias


Hints

  • Master System US hints

Magazine articles

Main article: ALF/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer Action (DK)
25
[3]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
0
[4]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
16
[5]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
16
[6]
Sega Master System
 14
Based on
4 reviews

ALF

Master System, US
Alf SMS US Box.jpg
Cover
ALF SMS US Cart.jpg
Cart
Alf sms us manual.pdf
Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Master System
 ?
CRC32 82038ad4
MD5 bc1360afa99cd89fbab4ea55bef08aae
SHA-1 7706485b735f5d7f7a59c7d626b13b23e8696087
128kB Cartridge (US)

External links

References

  1. ↑ File:Alf SMS US Box.jpg
  2. ↑ Computer Entertainer, "June 1989" (US; 1989-06-19), page 16
  3. ↑ Computer Action, "Juli/August 89" (DK; 1989-0x-xx), page 35
  4. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  5. ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-13), page 36
  6. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 70


ALF

ALF title.png

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