Alcatraz

Alcatraz is an action game developed by 221B and published by Infogrames in 1992 for MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. It's the sequel to another Infogrames title called Hostages, even though the two games are different.

Alcatraz can be defined as a multi-type game since it doesn't fit precisely in one of the usual categories. Normally this is a characteristic reserved for videogames derived from movies, such as Batman: The Movie or RoboCop.

The game is divided into three phases, each one with different gameplay. The first one is a horizontal scrolling action game/shooter with stealth elements. You will have to try to hide as much as possible and shoot the bad guys when necessary. You can collect their weapons and use them until they are depleted. What is really fun is the need to control 2 characters, each on his portion of the screen. If you play alone, you will have to switch between them, while if you play with a friend, you can play simultaneously.

In the second phase, the game switch to a first-person perspective. You will have to find your way in a maze-like building, trying to kill the enemies before they kill you. In the final phase, you have to climb the walls of the building using grappling hooks. In the end, if you are still alive, you can enter the building and capture the evil drug lord.

Many people appreciated Hostages, but Alcatraz can be even more fun, especially if you play in two. The only problem with the game is that it's too short; if you really try hard, you can complete it in 30 minutes. But well, it's going to be 30 minutes of fun!