Ancient Aliens – Jack

Heiankyo Alien captured my attention this month, and I was inspired to make some Perler bead sprites of our intrepid digging hero and his ancient alien enemies.
My favorite sprites are those that translate well into bead art, and the original Game Boy has them in spades. Technical limitations forced developers to create characters that were simple in design, yet instantly recognizable, with as much personality as could be crammed into four shades of grey. Heiankyo Alien is an excellent example of Game Boy sprites done right.

Jack likes to mod consoles in their spare time and, while there have been casualties, I have yet to mangle a Game Boy beyond repair. Check Jack out @GameboyCruller

Far Sighted – Rick V.

Look, it’s supposed to be corny. And hey, did you know Gary Larson has been drawing new comics lately?
Also, I enjoy many things about the game. It’s fun, it takes playing in feudal Japan, there are aliens, and the music is good. I just suck at it. I made it to the third level once.

Rick V.’s eyes currently hurt. Check him out before he gets his eyes checked. itsmerickv.com

Heiankyo Alien (1990)

This month’s game was picked by Blair from Colorful Plastic. It’s a game I have tried to play but couldn’t figure it out. I guess now is a good time to figure it out!
Blair had this to say about it:
Tom Delonge was right. The aliens have arrived and are now attacking your loved ones. What do you do? Dig a hole with a shovel, of course! I did not grow up with Heiankyo Alien but I wish I had. I don’t even remember how I came across this game but knowing me it was thanks to YouTube. Likely one of the countless “hidden gem” videos based on the Game Boy library. Heiankyo Alien is a maze chase puzzle game where your only line of defense against the invading alien race is a shovel. You run around a maze in hopes that advanced extraterrestrials capable of space travel fall into a hole you have dug in the ground. Once an alien has fallen into your trap, you must quickly bury it alive before it can escape. It’s a very simple concept but it’s done so well, not to mention extremely addictive, that you’ll wonder why it’s not more popular among retro gamers. It’s a really great game and no Game Boy collection is complete without it! I hope you all enjoy it!

So yeah! Play it and let us know what you think! Or…tell us how to play it.