Next in our look at old SNK pre-Neo-Geo arcade classics that are now available to download on PS3 and PSP as PS Minis is HAL 21. It’s a vertically scrolling classic 2-D shooter that bears more than a passing resemblance to Xevious.

Just like any other shooter, you fly your spaceship around, avoiding projectiles and enemies while blasting them with your own shots. Like Xevious, you can also bomb ground targets, and aim using a little crosshair that floats in front of your ship. As a whole, the game is a bit quicker than Xevious, though.

HAL 21 has a few things going for it that separates it from Xevious, however. One, you can continue right where you left off, even if you run out of lives. No more starting from a checkpoint. Supposedly, two players can join in simultaneously, which is always more fun.  Unfortunately, you can’t do this if playing on the PSP, and I can’t figure out how to make it work on the PS3 either.  But the demo screen shows two at the same time, so it’s a shame that they couldn’t get that to work.

Xevious is still the better game, and you can download it and an updated version of it called Xevious Resurrection on the PS3 with Namco Museum Essentials. But HAL 21 does have some good things going for it if you give it a chance, too.

Kid Factor:

HAL 21 is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence. But all you do is just shoot spaceships. Arcade classics are great for kids because they’re simple to play and no reading is needed. HAL 21 is especially good for families since  limitless continues keep things from getting too frustrating.

Tags: Game Reviews