Area 51 (1995). Play Free Online

Summary

Area 51 is the iconic light‑gun arcade shooter that took a swing at the secretive U.S. base vibe. You grab a semi‑automatic pistol at the start, then work toward an automatic machine‑gun, a pump shotgun and finally an automatic shotgun, while hidden grenades add big‑screen explosions. The game’s hit‑or‑miss system drops you back to the pistol if you get hurt, keeping the pressure on. Its fast‑paced levels span a warehouse, eerie tunnels and the infamous Facility‑core, where you and the Special Tactical Advanced Alien Response team hunt down alien zombies that can shoot rockets, throw bricks or explode in fire. Development was a nightmare‑turn‑into‑triumph: Atari’s desperation led them to enlist Mesa Logic, whose team ripped data from a modified Jaguar and turned Atari’s SGI workstations into a clandestine render farm. After an arcade splash of over 20,000 cabinets, Midway ported it to PlayStation in 1996 (re‑released in 2001) with Konami Justifier support, preserving the cabinet’s frantic fun for home‑players.

Storyline

Area 51 drops you into a high‑stakes STAAR (Strategic Tactical Advanced Alien Response) operation. You play as Peterson, a soldier tasked with stopping the Kronn and their alien‑engineered zombies from seizing the secret base.
The mission forces you to eliminate genetically modified zombie soldiers and alien foes while protecting every member of your own STAAR squad. Friendly fire is punished: if only three STAAR teammates are hit, the game flips into Kronn Hunter mode, turning you into a Kronn‑sent hunter whose goal is to wipe out the remaining rebels. The dual‑play‑style keeps the tension high as you battle through the infamous facility.

Edited by Maya Carter