Honestly, if you grew up during the late 2000s, your afternoons were probably spent arguing about which alien was actually the strongest or trying to replicate that iconic Omnitrix flick. For most of us, that obsession bled right into the consoles. We wanted to be Ben Tennyson. But when you look back at Ben 10 Alien Force all games, the history is a weird, fragmented mess of 3D brawlers, 2D platformers, and a few "lost" digital titles that you can't even buy legally anymore.
It wasn't just one game released on everything. It was a localized era of gaming where the version you bought for your Nintendo DS was a fundamentally different experience than what your friend was playing on the Wii or PlayStation 2.
The Game That Started the Teen Era
In 2008, the transition from the original series to Alien Force was a huge deal. Ben was fifteen. He had a jacket. He had five years of "retirement" under his belt. The first tie-in game, simply titled Ben 10: Alien Force, had to prove the franchise could handle a darker, more "mature" tone.
Monkey Bar Games took the lead for the console versions. They built a 3D beat-em-up that felt... okay. You had access to five aliens: Swampfire, Humungousaur, Jetray, Big Chill, and Spidermonkey. It was functional. You punched DNAliens, solved a few puzzles involving Gwen’s mana shields, and listened to Kevin Levin make snarky comments.
But here’s the thing: the DS version was developed by 1st Playable Productions, and it felt like a love letter to classic side-scrollers. While the consoles were struggling with clunky 3D physics, the DS version gave us Echo Echo and Goop—aliens that weren't even in the main console roster at the time. It’s a recurring theme in this era of gaming. The "lesser" hardware often got the more creative gameplay loops because the developers couldn't just rely on flashy 3D models.
Why Vilgax Attacks Changed the Scope
By the time 2009 rolled around, fans were demanding the full roster. Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks is generally considered the "peak" of this specific trilogy. Why? Because it actually let you use all ten aliens. Well, ten at a time.
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The story was actually pretty ambitious for a licensed title. You weren't just stuck in a generic forest or a boring city. You were traveling to different planets like Vulpin and Terradino. It felt like an intergalactic road trip.
- Console Gameplay: It was a 3D action-adventure. You’d swap between forms to solve environmental puzzles. Use Brainstorm to hack a terminal, then swap to Cannonbolt to ramp over a gap.
- The Upchuck Factor: If you played on the DS, you got Upchuck as an exclusive. There was something deeply satisfying about swallowing enemy projectiles and spitting them back as explosive loogies in a 2D plane.
- The Ship Sections: Remember the shooter levels? They felt like a complete departure from the brawling. On the DS, these were almost like "bullet hell" lite, utilizing both screens to track incoming fire.
The Forgotten Chapter: The Rise of Hex
Now, this is where things get "lost." Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex was a digital-only release for WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade in 2010. It didn't get a physical disc. It didn't get a massive marketing push.
Developed by Black Lantern Studios, it was a 2D side-scroller that leaned heavily into the puzzle aspect. It was the first time we saw Lodestar in a game. It was short—maybe three hours if you were taking your time—but it had a specific charm. Unfortunately, because it was tied to digital storefronts that have since been shuttered, it has effectively become abandonware. Unless you have it sitting on an old Wii hard drive, it's a piece of history that’s hard to revisit.
The Weird Divide Between Handheld and Console
If you look at the metadata for Ben 10 Alien Force all games, you’ll notice a strange trend in reviews. Metacritic scores for the Wii and PS2 versions hovered in the 40s and 50s. Critics called them "uninspired" or "sleep-inducing."
Yet, the handheld versions often scored higher. Why?
Part of it was expectations. A 3D brawler on a PS2 in 2008 was competing with the likes of God of War or Ratchet & Clank. A 2D platformer on the DS only had to be a "good version of Ben 10." The DS hardware allowed for a touch-screen Omnitrix. You could just tap the alien icon you wanted. On the Wii, you had to scroll through a wheel while the action paused or slowed down. It broke the flow.
There's also the "Vicious Engine" factor. Many of these games were built on the Vicious Engine, which was great for rapid development but often led to a "floaty" feeling in 3D space. When the games went 2D, that floatiness became "precision jumping."
Breaking Down the Roster and Realities
We often remember these games as being massive, but they were actually quite tight. Vilgax Attacks can be beaten in a single afternoon. The "difficulty" usually came from weird spikes in boss fights or camera angles that didn't quite behave.
| Game Title | Primary Platforms | Key Alien Features |
|---|---|---|
| Alien Force (The Game) | Wii, PS2, PSP, DS | First appearance of the AF roster; Gwen and Kevin are playable in certain segments. |
| Vilgax Attacks | Wii, PS2, Xbox 360, PSP, DS | Introduced the full 10-alien roster; first time exploring alien home planets. |
| The Rise of Hex | WiiWare, XBLA | Digital exclusive; introduced Lodestar; focused on 2D puzzles. |
It's easy to dismiss these as just "kids' games," but they represent a specific moment in time when licensed titles were the backbone of the industry. They weren't trying to be The Last of Us. They were trying to let you feel the weight of a Humungousaur punch.
How to Play These Today
If you're looking to dive back into the Ben 10 Alien Force all games library, you have a few hurdles.
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First, check the used market. Since many of these were released on the PS2 and Wii, they are relatively cheap at local retro shops. The Xbox 360 version of Vilgax Attacks is arguably the best-looking version because it supports a higher resolution, making the cel-shaded style pop.
Second, don't sleep on the PSP versions. They are essentially the console games ported to a handheld, and they hold up surprisingly well on a small screen.
Third, acknowledge the DS versions for what they are: the superior "gameplay" experiences. If you want a solid platformer, go for the DS versions of Alien Force and Vilgax Attacks.
The best way to experience these is to treat them as a time capsule. They reflect the peak of Cartoon Network's influence on gaming, before everything shifted to mobile-first apps. They have flaws—plenty of them—but the heart is there.
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Go track down a copy of Vilgax Attacks on the 360 if you want the visual "wow" factor, or find a DS cartridge of the original Alien Force if you want the best alien variety. Just remember to save often; that 2009 checkpointing can be brutal.
To get the most out of a replay, focus on mastering the "quick-switch" combos in Vilgax Attacks. Learning which alien counters specific enemy types—like using Big Chill to freeze shielded enemies—makes the combat feel less like a button-masher and more like the strategic fighter Ben actually is in the show.