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Heiankyo Alien (USA)

70 plays

Heiankyo Alien

Heiankyo Alien: GB Arcade

Heiankyo Alien on Game Boy is a portable port of the classic 1979 arcade maze game originally developed by Universal. This version brought the frantic hole-digging action to Nintendo's handheld in the early 1990s, offering the same simple yet addictive gameplay on the go. It's a straightforward arcade conversion that retains the core mechanics of the original, making it a faithful representation of the arcade hit for Game Boy owners. In Heiankyo Alien, you control a character moving through a series of maze-like screens. Your goal is to eliminate all the aliens by digging holes in the ground and tricking them into falling in. Once an alien is trapped, you can walk over the hole to destroy it. You also have to avoid the aliens while they are roaming, and you can only carry a limited number of holes at a time. The game progresses by clearing each screen, with the aliens becoming more numerous and faster as you advance. Today, Heiankyo Alien remains an interesting piece of Game Boy history as a solid arcade port. It's not a deep or expansive title, but its pick-up-and-play design makes it a fun break from longer games. If you enjoy classic arcade mazes like Pac-Man but want something with a different twist - digging holes instead of eating dots - this is worth a look. The Game Boy version captures the original's charm without adding unnecessary extras, so what you get is pure, straightforward alien trapping action.

GAME INFO

Platform
Game Boy
Genre
Arcade
Publisher
Meldac
Released
1990
Players
1
Region
USA

How to play Heiankyo Alien online

Getting started: When you start Heiankyo Alien, you'll see a title screen. Press Start to begin. You control a character in a grid-based maze. Use the D-Pad to move. The core mechanic is digging holes: press the action button (X or S depending on mapping) to dig a hole in the ground beneath your character. Only a certain number of holes can exist at once, so you have to plan your placements. Aliens patrol the maze, and your goal is to lure them into the holes you've dug. When an alien falls in, quickly run over the hole (by moving onto it) to destroy the alien. If you are touched by an alien while it's free, you lose a life. Each screen is cleared once all aliens are destroyed. After clearing a screen, you move to the next, which is harder because there are more aliens or they move faster. There is no save feature, so the game relies on high scores and continuous play. The controls are simple, but mastering the timing of hole digging and alien luring takes practice. If you get stuck, remember you can run to avoid aliens temporarily. The game's manual (if available) would detail scoring, but the core loop is easy to pick up through experimentation.

CONTROLS

Controls

  • Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
  • X: A button (jump / confirm)
  • S: B button (run / attack / cancel)
  • Enter: Start / Pause
  • V: Select

Heiankyo Alien FAQ

Can players save progress in Heiankyo Alien?

Heiankyo Alien on Game Boy does not include a save function. Progress is measured by high scores, and each session starts from the beginning. This is typical for arcade ports of the era.

Is Heiankyo Alien considered easy to pick up or challenging?

The game is easy to understand but quickly becomes challenging as the alien count and speed increase. Mastering hole placement and alien movement requires practice, so it offers a decent difficulty curve for a quick-play title.

Who developed Heiankyo Alien?

The original arcade version was developed by Universal (also known as Nihon Bussan). The exact developer of the Game Boy port is not widely documented in English sources, so the credit goes to the original arcade developer.

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