AvP vs. AvP

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Can the original compare to the PC update?
By Gregory D. George

March 1, 2001

The classic movie monsters of the big screen face off!   All the aliens explode in a shower of acid no matter how they are killed.   "Umm... Yeah... Two Predators are a little much for me. Bye!"   Yikes! Looks like I interrupted a little feeding party. The following screenshots courtesy of www.avpnews.com Not something you want to meet in a dark corridor.   The Queen is about to have herself a snack.   The Predator can finally see his prey in the dark.   "Ahhhh! Get it off me man! Help!"

Alien vs. Predator is by far one of the best games for the Jaguar. Without question, it was the reason I bought a Jaguar in the first place! I waited almost a full year after the Jag was released just for this game.

Well, time marches on and Rebellion has gone on to greener pastures and have written a PC version of their smash hit Jaguar game. When it was released, I was the first one in line for AvP PC. And I absolutely loved it. But I also love the Jaguar version as well. So, here is a breakdown of the Jaguar version versus the PC version.

Jaguar Graphics

When it was originally released, I was blown away by the graphics in the Jaguar version. I had never seen Doom before and felt that this was the pinnacle of video gaming. Looking back, I wish that the creatures were 3D models instead of sprites. I always liked the close-up graphic (on your face) of the facehugger! My favorite graphic is of the Queen. She's a bad mama jamma! (6/10)

PC Graphics

The PC version is *SUPER FAST*, and that was on a PII-300 with Voodoo I card! Speed was probably the biggest complaint about Jaguar AvP. The graphics are much more realistic in the PC version. The walls are at varying angles. You can go outside into a rainstorm (just like in ALIENS). You get to see the ship the aliens come from, complete with the dude from the chair. You see holes burned through the floors. You can shoot off limbs and watch acid fly all over the place. And wounded aliens don't just rollover and die. They crawl towards you and will not give up until they are completely dead. It's just incredible! (8/10)

Jaguar Music & Sound FX

The upside is that the Jaguar has some really great sound effects. The downside is that there is no music whatsoever. However, that downside could be an upside if you look at it from the perspective of: "Real life does not have music, so Jag AvP is more realistic!" I love the alien screeching and the Predator's roar! Both are superb on the Jaguar. I also get a laugh every time I pick up a new weapon! I can't wait to hear what Lance will say! "Bug Soup!" Heh heh heh... The motion tracker sound is dead on as are the weapons. (7/10)

PC Music & Sound FX

The music is perfectly suited and remains true to the original. I mean, you get a whole music CD with 15 tracks that match the movies perfectly! Great for playing in the dark! The sounds are also fantastic. They're perfect for this game. More alien screeching, growling, and even "swiping." The weapons also carry perfect signature sound effects. I love the smart gun! (9/10)

Jaguar Weapons

The whole arsenal is here. But I was a little disappointed in the marine's flame thrower and the pulse rifle is weaker than it was in the movies. Especially since there is no "pump-action grenade launcher." I actually use the shotgun more than the pulse rifle. The smart gun is an absolute monster! It can drop an alien in about a second! The predator's weapons are good, but they're more for close range than the marine. I like the disc in the Jag version much better than in the PC because you don't have to retrieve it. (5/10)

PC Weapons

The pulse rifle finally kicks some major hiney! Remember that pump action grenade launcher from the films? Well, it's BACK! The smart gun will TRACK your enemies like it always should have done. You can lay mines, shoot grenades... There's even a mini-gun for true alien-soup.

One of the coolest things is when you get your hands on the flame thrower! When you hit an alien with the flame, it runs around on fire before exploding in a shower of acid and fiery bits. It's totally cool...

The Predator's weapons aren't as exciting. He's got the shoulder-mounted Plasma gun, spears, his arm mounted knifes, and, of course, the disc. The disc's problem is that you have to retrieve it, which is a pain. But guess what friends? The thermal imager is FINALLY USEFUL! As for the alien, it  has claws and its tail for attacks. I was hoping for more jaw-action, but THAT comes when you feed. And feeding really makes you feel like and alien. (8 of 10)

Jaguar Intensity

Bar none, this is, without a doubt, the scariest game I've ever played. Maybe it's the lack of music, or the fact that those buggers pop up behind you and scare you to death. Either way, I've yet to play a game as intense as this. Try making it to the escape pod in the time allotted to see what I mean. (9 of 10)

PC Intensity

This game has more than it's share of scary moments.

Aliens do a lot of screeching, so you can sometimes tell they're coming. But not all the time! Playing the "Skirmish" mode on the "Stranded" level just OOZES intensity! In this mode, it's just you versus and endless amount of of aliens. The aliens are everywhere!! I really feel like I'm *IN* this game rather than just playing it!!

Playing as the alien is wild.... Especially when you see your jaw inch out at cowering, crying, and screaming humans in anticipation of a meal... (7 of 10)

Overall

Aside from the save feature (fixed with a patch) I cannot think of a single problem with PC AvP. I'm not taking anything away from Jaguar AvP. It's one of the best on the Jaguar and will always be one of my favorite games. BUT, it's also several years old. I love the Jaguar version because of the tense atmosphere. The PC version is basically what AvP2 would have been if it were on the Jag. And for the price, AvP for the PC is cheap.

PC Score - 9 of 10

Jaguar Score - 10

This game is highly rated as a Jaguar game. But Jag AvP looks dated next to it's PC counterpart. As a Jaguar game, I'd give it a 9 of 10, but drops to a 7 next to the PC version.

Note: The score here represents AvP as a Jaguar game not in comparison to PC AvP.

Game Data		Scores
Title	Alien vs. Predator	Graphics	90%
Publisher	Atari	Sound/Music	85%
Genre	Adventure	Gameplay	85%
System	Jaguar	Control	80%
		Overall Score	95%