is an

interactive fiction '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

and

eroge An ''eroge'' ( or , ''erogē''; ; a portmanteau of ''erotic game'' , ''erochikku gēmu'') is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. In 1982, Japan's Koei, founded by husband-and-wife team Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa (and later known for strategy ...

game developed and published by

Square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

, released for the

NEC PC-8801 The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan. The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the three major Japane ...

NEC PC-9801 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2000. The platform established NEC's dominance in the Japanese personal computer market, and, by 1999, more th ...

Fujitsu FM-7 The FM-7 ("Fujitsu Micro 7") is a home computer created by Fujitsu. It was first released in 1982 and was sold in Japan and Spain. It is a stripped-down version of Fujitsu's earlier FM-8 computer, and during development it was referred to as the ...

, and

Sharp X1 The , sometimes called the Sharp X1 or CZ-800C, is a series of home computers released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It is based on a Zilog Z80 CPU. The RGB display monitor for the X1 had a television tuner, and a computer screen c ...

systems in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

. ''Alpha'' uses a

text parser {{Refimprove, date=August 2007 In adventure games, a text parser takes typed input (a command) from the player and simplifies it to something the game can understand. Usually, words with the same meaning are turned into the same word (e.g. "take" a ...

to interpret the player's instructions and displays the results on screen.

Gameplay

The storyline of ''Alpha'' progresses as the player inputs short commands carried out by the game's heroine. Similarly to another interactive fiction game by Square, ''

The Death Trap is a text adventure developed and published by Square for the NEC PC-8801, NEC PC-9801, and Fujitsu FM-7 in 1984. The game and its supporting computer platforms were only released in Japan. ''The Death Trap'' is the first game developed by Square ...

'', but contrary to most games in the genre, the situations confronted by the main character are presented in still pictures. The text is displayed within a white-bordered blue background, also present in message windows of the early ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

'' installments. Hidden characters appear in the background of most scenes, and such as a ninja appearing outside a car window.

Story

''Alpha'' is set in the future after the Earth's natural resources have been completely drained. Humanity is forced to embark on a centuries-long trip to the titular planet on the space ship ''Daedalus''. Because technology for

suspended animation Suspended animation is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...

does not exist, only the distant descendants of the original passengers and crew are alive by the time the game takes place. The main character, Chris, begins the game with

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...

and a terrorist attack quickly draws her into a revolution which aims to overthrow the dictatorial ''Daedalus'' computer system. As Chris interacts with the revolutionary group, she uncovers the true nature of Alpha, the ''Daedalus'', and herself.

Development

''Alpha'' development began in January 1986. The game features animation techniques. Artist Minato Shibuya did illustrations for the Alpha game manual.

Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton Jo ...

was in charge of background music.

Music

''Alpha'' is one of

's earliest video game soundtracks. A promotional soundtrack was released on

flexi disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...

on August 7, 1986. It contains the tracks "Prologue ~Theme from Alpha~" and "CHRIS". The game was praised at its release for its animation quality and the rich facial expressions of its characters. A prison sequence that is repeated multiple times throughout the game became notorious among fans for depicting Chris naked.

Reception

''Alpha'' was unique in that it was an

, or erotic, title from game developer Square. The game is noted its difficulty, in that there are points where if the player loses an important item, they may not be able to retrieve it again, and if players make a mistake at crucial scenes, there is no opportunity to do it over. The game does not end if these things happen, but players can progress no further in the game either. In 2014, the game was released on a retro gaming distribution service called “Project Egg”.

References

External links

*
ALPHA -アルファ- for NEC PC-8801シリーズ

Alpha – SquareHaven
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alpha 1980s interactive fiction 1986 video games Eroge Japan-exclusive video games Square (video game company) games NEC PC-8801 games NEC PC-9801 games Sharp X1 games FM-7 games Video games scored by Nobuo Uematsu Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Visual novels