Difference between revisions of "ALF"

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{{Bob
 
{{Bob
 
| bobscreen=ALF title.png
 
| bobscreen=ALF title.png
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| publisher=[[Sega]]
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| publisher=[[Sega of America]]
 
| developer=[[Nexa]]
 
| developer=[[Nexa]]
 +
| distributor=[[Tonka]]
 
| system=[[Sega Master System]]
 
| system=[[Sega Master System]]
 
| licensor=[[wikipedia:Alien Productions|Alien Productions]]
 
| licensor=[[wikipedia:Alien Productions|Alien Productions]]
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| sounddriver=
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| sounddriver=    
 
| peripherals=
 
| peripherals=
 
| players=1
 
| players=1
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| sms_date_us=1989-05{{magref|ce|8.03|16}}
 
| sms_date_us=1989-05{{magref|ce|8.03|16}}
 
| sms_code_us=5111
 
| sms_code_us=5111
−
}}}}'''''{{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]].
+
}}
 +
}}
 +
{{stub}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a [[Sega Master System]] platform 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]].
  
−
==History==
+
==Story==
−
===Development===
+
{{quote|Everybody knows Alf; that 229 year-old, furry, lovable alien life form from the planet Melmac! He's everywhere ... even on your Sega system in an all new exclusive adventure.
−
''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 developer was in the process of being absorbed into [[Sphere]] (later [[Spectrum HoloByte]]), and while Nexa did not technically exist at the time of publishing, development credit is given to that name regardless. Production began shortly after development had ended on their previous [[Master System]] game, ''[[Monopoly]]''.
+
 
 +
It all started in 1986 when Alf left Melmac to find a space-age candy store. Everyone on Melmac plugged in their hair dryers at the same time ... and the planet exploded! Only two other Melmacians escaped, Alf's good friends Skip and Rhonda. They ended up on Mars. The Alfer crash-landed on Earth in the Tanner family's yard. Now he's getting home-sick for his two pals. Especially for Rhonda, who is the cutest little ball of fur!
 +
 
 +
The problem is, Alf's spaceship has seen better days. It needs to be fixed before he can go zooming off into space. But to do it he needs your help.
  
−
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.
+
Next to the Tanner's house is a space scooter. It will take you into the sky .…. if you figure out what it needs to go ... and where to get it! This game will take you from deep space to the bottom of lakes ... from city streets to dark caves ... up-stairs and downstairs! Collect all the necessary items and you'll be able to make it to the moon!
  
−
===Release===
+
But remember ... the Alien Task Force knows the Alfer is around ... and they're out to get you! And they aren't the only obstacle to your success!
−
''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.
 
  
−
==Quotes==
+
So sit back, grab your Control Pad and get ready for a rockin' good time with the Alien Bad Boy himself!|''US manual''|ref={{fileref|Alf sms us manual.pdf|page=4}}}}
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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 ;-)
 
  
−
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.
+
==Gameplay==
 +
ALF's goal is to collect all the scattered pieces of his spaceship so he may reassemble it and return to his home planet. As a side-scrolling platformer, ALF can move along a horizontal plane with {{Left}} or {{Right}}, and jump with {{1}}. The {{2}} button serves as a general-purpose "use" button, utilized to operate the menu, open doors, and pick up items.{{fileref|Alf sms us manual.pdf|page=5}}
  
−
...
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===Stages===
 +
{{InfoTable|imagewidths=50|
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Home
 +
| bobscreen=
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Cave
 +
| bobscreen=
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Street
 +
| bobscreen=
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Lake
 +
| bobscreen=
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Sky
 +
| bobscreen=
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
}}
  
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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).
+
==History==
 +
===Development===
 +
{{MainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/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.
  
−
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|https://web.archive.org/web/20210117211058/https://www.smspower.org/forums/7964-F16FightingFalconMonopolyRampartDevelopment#35655}}}}
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===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.
  
 
==Production credits==
 
==Production credits==
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*'''Producers:''' [[John Sauer]], John Emerson
 
*'''Producers:''' [[John Sauer]], John Emerson
 
*'''Artists:''' Jody Sather, George Kanalias
 
*'''Artists:''' Jody Sather, George Kanalias
 +
| source=In-game credits
 +
| pdf=ALF SMS credits.png
 
| console=SMS
 
| console=SMS
 
}}
 
}}
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==Hints==
 
==Hints==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
ALFSMSUSHints.pdf|Master System US hints
+
ALFSMSUSHints.pdf|US hints
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
==Magazine articles==
 
==Magazine articles==
 
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
 
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
 +
 +
==Promotional materials==
 +
{{gitem|MDMS MX advert.png|MX advert (1991)}}
  
 
==Physical scans==
 
==Physical scans==
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===ROM dump status===
 
===ROM dump status===
 
{{romtable|
 
{{romtable|
−
{{rom|SMS|sha1=7706485B735F5D7F7A59C7D626B13B23E8696087|md5=BC1360AFA99CD89FBAB4EA55BEF08AAE|crc32=82038AD4|size=128kB|date= |source=Cartridge (US)|comments=|quality=|prototype=}}
+
{{rom|SMS|sha1=7706485B735F5D7F7A59C7D626B13B23E8696087|md5=BC1360AFA99CD89FBAB4EA55BEF08AAE|crc32=82038AD4|size=128kB|date= |source=Cartridge (US)|comments=|quality=}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
*''[https://nicole.express/2021/remember-alf.html Collision Detection is Hard: The Story of Alf]'' article by Nicole Branagan at [https://nicole.express Nicole Express]
 +
*''[https://nicole.express/2021/alf-2-alf-harder.html Alf 2: Collision Detection is Hard, Blog Posts are Harder]'' article by Nicole Branagan at [https://nicole.express Nicole Express]
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 17:27, 21 September 2024

n/a

ALF title.png

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

















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

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

ALF is a Sega Master System platform 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

“ Everybody knows Alf; that 229 year-old, furry, lovable alien life form from the planet Melmac! He's everywhere ... even on your Sega system in an all new exclusive adventure.

It all started in 1986 when Alf left Melmac to find a space-age candy store. Everyone on Melmac plugged in their hair dryers at the same time ... and the planet exploded! Only two other Melmacians escaped, Alf's good friends Skip and Rhonda. They ended up on Mars. The Alfer crash-landed on Earth in the Tanner family's yard. Now he's getting home-sick for his two pals. Especially for Rhonda, who is the cutest little ball of fur!

The problem is, Alf's spaceship has seen better days. It needs to be fixed before he can go zooming off into space. But to do it he needs your help.

Next to the Tanner's house is a space scooter. It will take you into the sky .…. if you figure out what it needs to go ... and where to get it! This game will take you from deep space to the bottom of lakes ... from city streets to dark caves ... up-stairs and downstairs! Collect all the necessary items and you'll be able to make it to the moon!

But remember ... the Alien Task Force knows the Alfer is around ... and they're out to get you! And they aren't the only obstacle to your success!

So sit back, grab your Control Pad and get ready for a rockin' good time with the Alien Bad Boy himself!

„

— US manual[3]


Gameplay

ALF's goal is to collect all the scattered pieces of his spaceship so he may reassemble it and return to his home planet. As a side-scrolling platformer, ALF can move along a horizontal plane with Left or Right, and jump with 1. The 2 button serves as a general-purpose "use" button, utilized to operate the menu, open doors, and pick up items.[4]

Stages

Home
Cave
Street
Lake
Sky

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
Source:
In-game credits
ALF SMS credits.png
[5]


Hints

  • US hints

Magazine articles

Main article: ALF/Magazine articles.

Promotional materials

MDMS MX advert.png
MX advert (1991)
MDMS MX advert.png

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
[6]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
0
[7]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
16
[8]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
16
[9]
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. ↑ File:Alf sms us manual.pdf, page 4
  4. ↑ File:Alf sms us manual.pdf, page 5
  5. ↑ File:ALF SMS credits.png
  6. ↑ Computer Action, "Juli/August 89" (DK; 1989-0x-xx), page 35
  7. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  8. ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-13), page 36
  9. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 70


ALF

ALF title.png

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