Nice looking and sounding game that is unfortunately WAY too difficult to be even remotely enjoyable to the casual gamer.
If you guys ever decide to release a version with a PROPER easy/casual mode so us casual gamers can play through in the shorter amount of time we have available, I will definitely purchase.
This is a brilliant game, but have to confess I'm stuck on the aliens falling through the three grills in the boss battle on the Next version, I'm playing on "easy", but the rate of change is just too fast, I get no chance to kill the grills. I've noticed compared to the 128k walk throughs that the Next version appears to run a lot faster. Am I a total loss or is this bit set too quick?
we hope you are doing great. I am Areeba (aka Titania) from the BrewOtaku-Team, we are launching BrewOtaku #003 - The Homebrew Gaming Magazine soon.
We loved your work, and we have mentioned "Aliens: Neoplasma II" in it. Kindly share your contact details so we can share it with you. You are anyhow free to share this on your social media channels or homepage
Really enjoyed Aliens Neoplasma, so I was thrilled to find out that there was a sequel. So I bought the download of Aliens Neoplasma 2 and have now completed it all the way through (128K). To be honest the gameplay is truly awful, you need to be pixel perfect with jumps, shots and grenades otherwise you are dead. It just becomes monotonous to have to keep repeating the same section time and time again to get through with luck rather than skill. The only wat that I could progress was by repeatedly making snapshots. I didn't have to do this with the original Alien Neoplasma, it was tricky but playable and importantly enjoyable. For me you have taken a good game an ruined it! This game is virtually unplayable.
It's very sad that you didn't like this game. I really don't understand what "pixel perfect with jumps, shots and grenades" you are talking about. The level design is made for beginners players, with no special experience in platformers. Mostly players on the contrary complain about the lack of difficulty.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment, I will set the game up over the weekend and get some screen shots of the areas that I found extremely difficult. As an explanation to "pixel perfect" I mean that you must follow a specific sequence of actions in time to get through the screen, it is like "Manic Miner" when you must jump from a specific point to be able to get through the cavern.
I played Aliens Neoplasma (128K) all the way through and enjoyed it so much that I bought the ZX Next version and then played that all the way through. Although I have the ZX Next version Aliens Neoplasma 2 I found playing the 128K version so frustrating I don't want to play it.
I can see what The-Red-Bayron is saying a little bit. Personally I am not great at games, so it can be frustrating navigating a tough sequence only to then get killed at the last moment before another check point, and then to end up at the last check point which might be what feels like five minutes back. I think more check points would help, not necessarily the interactive 'console' ones speaking with the immoral AI computer, but just as you go along. But I would only do this on 'easy' mode (if this isn't the case already?). Most regular players would likely make lighter work of it perhaps?
Please let that take nothing away from what you and the team have achieved, its staggering to be honest. It is so incredibly well presented, plays fluidly, and has superb sound tracks, and all on a computer I had as a child in the 1980s nearly 40 years ago - incredible. I am left in little doubt that as a technical feat, this is on or very very near the limit of what a humble Spectrum 128k can do.
Did you and the team make Survivisection? If you did, would you consider making a Chaos Engine de-make or better still an alternative Chaos Engine 2 game, in the same vein as the original given you likely have the engine and sprites from Survivisection. Keeping the original Chaos engine control pad input method (as well a mouse option). That game would be the ultimate for me.
Thank you again for another piece of Spectrum ZX magic - it is simply awesome!
Hi Adrian, Thanks for your comments. Like you I knew the Spectrum from the 1980's and although I like the games I'm not a gamer! So I'm a little slower.
Both these games are amazing at showing what is possible from an 8 bit computer. I just need a mode that I can play without getting frustrated with the gameplay.
No problem! :) I think we are so blessed in the ZX Spectrum scene to see so many new high quality games for a machine that finished in the UK at least as a commercial entity around 1992.. And don't worry, I am not the best gamer either! But it is wonderful playing on my +2 Spectrum, a computer I enjoyed as a boy many decades ago, using new software.. Its akin to the best kind of magic actually! Takes me back to care free Saturdays visiting my Gran, with the afternoon spent exploring the content of that months SU magazine cover tape! Take care, best regards.
Hi! Any chance of posting a changelog ? Already in v1.6.1, it keeps being updated but no one has any idea what's being fixed or changed... thanks for considering! :)
Another question - about the recent TZX version, is it 50Hz ? Thank you.
hello, congratulations for creating another masterpiece. I am reviewing it in Zzap! Italia and I have a few questions.
- is the megadrive pad the only controller that allows to use 3 buttons? I only got the game to recognize 1 button under retro virtual machine on windows using a usb pad.
- i noticed enemy hit points are restored if you stop hitting them before they die. Is that a bug or a feature?
- also noticed you can throw grenades even further if you not just hold the button but do so while running. Is that intentional?
Hello. This game is great, I would like to play it on a real machine, but I can't get it to work. First, before recording it to a cassette tape or to the zxduino, I have tested it in the fuse emulators and in spectaculator using real-time loading (in fast loading the games do work perfectly in the emulators), despite this I have recorded the game (like all your games (Castlevania, Final Fight of which I sent you copies...) to try to load on a real machine and in the same way as on the emulator (with non-fast loading) the game crashes when you hit a key to play. Any solution to be able to enjoy it on real Spectrums? Greetings and congratulations
Hi! Many emulators and devices for converting TAP to sound, make the pause between files too short. I added TZX folder to the ANP2_v1.6.1 archive, try to get the download file from there.
Hello, thank you very much for your attention and quick response. It has worked perfectly, I lengthened the pauses in the .tap before transferring it to cassette tape and this is the result..
Just to thank you for putting this together, and I cannot wait for part 3! I had loads of fun playing the first game, and playing through this game's TAP version on a 128K Emulator was fantastic. I can't even imagine how it would have been like if this game had been around when I was a kid playing on my actual ZX Spectrum. Keep up the great work!
Unfortunately the Demo Version don't work with "Speccy 5.9"-Emulator at all. After pressing Space in the Title screen the message "Stop the tape and press any key" appears on the scren, but after doing that, the screens stays black with a grey border (tested with a 128KB machine). Too bad! We would have liked to show it in our next livestream on Saturday. 🙁
Guys, can you help Mike to make the Next version working on CSpect emulator? This is what he said when I asked him about it. "okay... I see it. I'm not sure this is something I can do on my own. It would require the creator to debug the specific areas and let me know what's different. Otherwise.... I'd have to debug the whole game, and figure out the entire thing to even find the routines, never mind what'd wrong.
If they want to debug inside CSpect and figure out what's not working, I'll be happy to address it.... but without them, I'd be looking for a needle in a haystack."
The game does not work in newer versions of CSpect because bit 2 of register #22 does not turn off the original ULA interrupt. That's the main reason. In the old version of CSpect V2.12.36 this works properly, you can play the game in it.
The second point is related to copper co-processor, sound effects are not playing correctly because of this. So far they are not reproduced correctly in any version of CSpect.
Yes, that's right, because you don't enter the password to "load" the desired level, but to "skip" the level (don't forget you're dealing with tape) i.e. first you enter the first password, load the second level, and enter the second password, and load third level.
Okay, I get it - It is not possible to go directly to level 3 with password, you have to load level 1 and 2 first. Why is there no level skip password in the TRD version ?? Thanks for the game, it is a much bigger game than the first one, and seems to be everything the first game could have been if it were not rushed to be finished for the ZX-Dev competition!
In trd and next versions password is not needed, because after passing the level the game saves state to disk, so you can continue the game from the same level after turning off the computer.
There is still something weird with the tap file. I have the same problem in both Spectaculator and Fuse: Both passwords loads level 2. Level 3 can not be loaded with password, and when completing level 3 the ending does not load.
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I bought both this Neoplasma 1 and have been playing the 128k version on my Next (switching over to TRD so I can persist saves!)
The game is incredibly addictive and polished - I've stayed up for hours playing it when I should know better.
The art direction is also stunning - I actually prefer the 128k version but I miss the 2xAY tunes.
I look forward to whatever you do next.
Nice looking and sounding game that is unfortunately WAY too difficult to be even remotely enjoyable to the casual gamer.
If you guys ever decide to release a version with a PROPER easy/casual mode so us casual gamers can play through in the shorter amount of time we have available, I will definitely purchase.
This is a brilliant game, but have to confess I'm stuck on the aliens falling through the three grills in the boss battle on the Next version, I'm playing on "easy", but the rate of change is just too fast, I get no chance to kill the grills. I've noticed compared to the 128k walk throughs that the Next version appears to run a lot faster. Am I a total loss or is this bit set too quick?
Really enjoyed this game, are there any plans for a physical release?
Greetings Sanchez Crew,
we hope you are doing great. I am Areeba (aka Titania) from the BrewOtaku-Team, we are launching BrewOtaku #003 - The Homebrew Gaming Magazine soon.
We loved your work, and we have mentioned "Aliens: Neoplasma II" in it. Kindly share your contact details so we can share it with you. You are anyhow free to share this on your social media channels or homepage
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards
Titania
Damn by mistake I bought 2 times AN1 instead of AN2! =8(
Emil me please: gamesofthepastchannel@gmail.com
Too kind... email sent!
Really enjoyed Aliens Neoplasma, so I was thrilled to find out that there was a sequel. So I bought the download of Aliens Neoplasma 2 and have now completed it all the way through (128K). To be honest the gameplay is truly awful, you need to be pixel perfect with jumps, shots and grenades otherwise you are dead. It just becomes monotonous to have to keep repeating the same section time and time again to get through with luck rather than skill. The only wat that I could progress was by repeatedly making snapshots. I didn't have to do this with the original Alien Neoplasma, it was tricky but playable and importantly enjoyable. For me you have taken a good game an ruined it! This game is virtually unplayable.
It's very sad that you didn't like this game. I really don't understand what "pixel perfect with jumps, shots and grenades" you are talking about. The level design is made for beginners players, with no special experience in platformers. Mostly players on the contrary complain about the lack of difficulty.
Hi SaNchez,
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment, I will set the game up over the weekend and get some screen shots of the areas that I found extremely difficult. As an explanation to "pixel perfect" I mean that you must follow a specific sequence of actions in time to get through the screen, it is like "Manic Miner" when you must jump from a specific point to be able to get through the cavern.
I played Aliens Neoplasma (128K) all the way through and enjoyed it so much that I bought the ZX Next version and then played that all the way through. Although I have the ZX Next version Aliens Neoplasma 2 I found playing the 128K version so frustrating I don't want to play it.
I hope to send you some screen shots next week.
Hi SaNchez,
I can see what The-Red-Bayron is saying a little bit. Personally I am not great at games, so it can be frustrating navigating a tough sequence only to then get killed at the last moment before another check point, and then to end up at the last check point which might be what feels like five minutes back. I think more check points would help, not necessarily the interactive 'console' ones speaking with the immoral AI computer, but just as you go along. But I would only do this on 'easy' mode (if this isn't the case already?). Most regular players would likely make lighter work of it perhaps?
Please let that take nothing away from what you and the team have achieved, its staggering to be honest. It is so incredibly well presented, plays fluidly, and has superb sound tracks, and all on a computer I had as a child in the 1980s nearly 40 years ago - incredible. I am left in little doubt that as a technical feat, this is on or very very near the limit of what a humble Spectrum 128k can do.
Did you and the team make Survivisection? If you did, would you consider making a Chaos Engine de-make or better still an alternative Chaos Engine 2 game, in the same vein as the original given you likely have the engine and sprites from Survivisection. Keeping the original Chaos engine control pad input method (as well a mouse option). That game would be the ultimate for me.
Thank you again for another piece of Spectrum ZX magic - it is simply awesome!
We are not worthy!!
Best regards, Adrian
Hi Adrian, Thanks for your comments. Like you I knew the Spectrum from the 1980's and although I like the games I'm not a gamer! So I'm a little slower.
Both these games are amazing at showing what is possible from an 8 bit computer. I just need a mode that I can play without getting frustrated with the gameplay.
All the best B
No problem! :) I think we are so blessed in the ZX Spectrum scene to see so many new high quality games for a machine that finished in the UK at least as a commercial entity around 1992.. And don't worry, I am not the best gamer either! But it is wonderful playing on my +2 Spectrum, a computer I enjoyed as a boy many decades ago, using new software.. Its akin to the best kind of magic actually! Takes me back to care free Saturdays visiting my Gran, with the afternoon spent exploring the content of that months SU magazine cover tape! Take care, best regards.
Excellent game guys. Just finished it and looking forward to see what you do next.
Just a query, what are the fixes between v1.0 and the current v1.6?
Is it possible to buy only the ZX Spectrum version?
Hi! Any chance of posting a changelog ? Already in v1.6.1, it keeps being updated but no one has any idea what's being fixed or changed... thanks for considering! :)
Another question - about the recent TZX version, is it 50Hz ? Thank you.
hello, congratulations for creating another masterpiece. I am reviewing it in Zzap! Italia and I have a few questions.
- is the megadrive pad the only controller that allows to use 3 buttons? I only got the game to recognize 1 button under retro virtual machine on windows using a usb pad.
- i noticed enemy hit points are restored if you stop hitting them before they die. Is that a bug or a feature?
- also noticed you can throw grenades even further if you not just hold the button but do so while running. Is that intentional?
Hi! Thank you!
1) As far as I know, only SMD gamepad with 3 buttons. For emulator you can use some mapper app to map gamepad buttons to keyboard buttons.
2) Yes, that's the way it was designed.
3) It seemed to you:)
thanks for replying😄 regarding #3, I swear to God I can reproduce it, I’ll try and record a video of it😂 awesome game btw
Hi! Many emulators and devices for converting TAP to sound, make the pause between files too short. I added TZX folder to the ANP2_v1.6.1 archive, try to get the download file from there.
Just to thank you for putting this together, and I cannot wait for part 3! I had loads of fun playing the first game, and playing through this game's TAP version on a 128K Emulator was fantastic. I can't even imagine how it would have been like if this game had been around when I was a kid playing on my actual ZX Spectrum. Keep up the great work!
Unfortunately the Demo Version don't work with "Speccy 5.9"-Emulator at all. After pressing Space in the Title screen the message "Stop the tape and press any key" appears on the scren, but after doing that, the screens stays black with a grey border (tested with a 128KB machine). Too bad! We would have liked to show it in our next livestream on Saturday. 🙁
Hi! You can use another emulator that is more compatible with real hardware.
The files of ZX Spectrum Next are missing. There is just only the ZX Spectrum files in many laguages. That´s all.
Just checked. There ARE the Next version game in the archive. I really have no idea, what you're talking about. There's a folder called NEXT.
Excellent game. I also added it to my new "Gameplay of New ZX Spectrum Games from May 2024" video.
Here is my tribute to this game - so glad I brought it. A subscribe would be most welcome from any new viewer.
Fantastic game! My 1st play and review
Guys, can you help Mike to make the Next version working on CSpect emulator?
This is what he said when I asked him about it.
"okay... I see it. I'm not sure this is something I can do on my own. It would require the creator to debug the specific areas and let me know what's different. Otherwise.... I'd have to debug the whole game, and figure out the entire thing to even find the routines, never mind what'd wrong.
If they want to debug inside CSpect and figure out what's not working, I'll be happy to address it.... but without them, I'd be looking for a needle in a haystack."
The game does not work in newer versions of CSpect because bit 2 of register #22 does not turn off the original ULA interrupt. That's the main reason. In the old version of CSpect V2.12.36 this works properly, you can play the game in it.
The second point is related to copper co-processor, sound effects are not playing correctly because of this. So far they are not reproduced correctly in any version of CSpect.
Thanks. I will pass your message to Mike.
Awesome work as always. although trying the TRD version it kept crashhing
If you are using Spectaculator, remember to allow writing to a floppy disk.
Brutally hard game but rewarding at the same time. Here is my 1st 1/2 hour trying the game. Thanks, TJ
Please tell me there's going to be a physical release? ❤️❤️
I hope so too.
If there is a DVD cover sheet and an optional SD card label sticker, I can print them and convert into physical release.
I am looking for people for a co-op bundle
https://itch.io/jam/itchio-roaring-summer-bundle
I just noticed v1.1 being released. What are the changes?
minor changes that improve overall performance
Amazing game, even better than part one. Great job!
Complimenti sinceri, un capolavoro con pochi eguali nella storia dei videogames per Spectrum Scorpion e Pentagon !!!!!
Io uso x80 per Amiga sotto Winuae, e' fantastico molto meglio di qualunque altro emulatore per pc.....
Ironico vero ??!!
Eterna vita al Kempston....infatti uso i tasti cursore e il tasto backspace per l'azione e space per il jump...!
If you enter the password for level 3 in the tap version, you are told it is a incorrect password...
Yes, that's right, because you don't enter the password to "load" the desired level, but to "skip" the level (don't forget you're dealing with tape) i.e. first you enter the first password, load the second level, and enter the second password, and load third level.
Okay, I get it - It is not possible to go directly to level 3 with password, you have to load level 1 and 2 first. Why is there no level skip password in the TRD version ?? Thanks for the game, it is a much bigger game than the first one, and seems to be everything the first game could have been if it were not rushed to be finished for the ZX-Dev competition!
Thank you!
In trd and next versions password is not needed, because after passing the level the game saves state to disk, so you can continue the game from the same level after turning off the computer.
There is still something weird with the tap file. I have the same problem in both Spectaculator and Fuse: Both passwords loads level 2. Level 3 can not be loaded with password, and when completing level 3 the ending does not load.
Just checked in Spectaculator and Fuse, I have everything working correctly, levels and ending are loading.
Thanks!
Any chance of releasing the Speccy version as a single release?
Another fantastic game, congratulations to everyone involved.
Hey guys, any chance of a split so us real hardware guys can just buy the ZX version for a fiver etc?
V.1.1 still unplayable on CSpect😭on ZEsarUX after a while also becomes unplayable..
This is a problem with emulators. It works without problems on real hardware.
No doubt, it's message for people like me, who only have emulation option, to warn them, not to purchase, and first try if Demo works correct.
Would it be an option to include a Windows version with all versions included like you did with Delta's Shadow?
thanks a lot