You play as Dr. Ira Kane, and it's your mission to defeat the rapidly evolving alien goo known as Genus. Genus can take all sort of forms--from wall-hugging killer larva to vicious mantiwasps--but ultimately manifests itself in the hive mastermind known as Scopes.

Defeating all the incarnations of Genus is a daunting task, but you are well armed. True to the movie and cartoon, Genus is vulnerable to shampoo, and you have quite the arsenal: blue goo grenades, rapid-fire shampoo attachments, shampoo throwers--you'll never look at shampoo the same way again.

Graphically, it feels like you are in the cartoon, and the catchy music adds to the atmosphere. The mechanics of the game are great, too--they're simple, yet give a full range of motion. Ira can jump, crouch, climb up ladders and across monkey bars, and aim where he shoots, which is a handy feature if you find yourself hanging from one arm while an alien comes down at you from above.

The only downside to Alienators is that there's no battery save. The game does offer a password save feature, but that means you'll need a notepad nearby to jot down the cryptic codes if you want to continue your game. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• Great control and movement
• Graphics and music capture the feel of the cartoon nicely

• Lack of battery save and cryptic password system spoil the portable feel of the game