''Alpha Mission'', known as in Japan, is a 1985 vertically

scrolling shooter Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character m ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

developed and published by SNK for arcades. It was released by Tradewest in North America. It was later ported to the

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

in 1986 and released for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

in 1987. The arcade game was a commercial success in Japan, where it was the seventh highest-grossing table arcade game of 1986. A sequel, '' Alpha Mission II'', was released for the

Neo Geo The , stylized as NEO•GEO, is a video game platform released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. It was initially released in two ROM cartridge-based formats: an arcade system board (Multi Video System; MVS) and a home video gam ...

arcade system in 1991.

Gameplay

''Alpha Mission'' is a one-player

game in its segregation of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

Missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

s are used to destroy ground enemies, while

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

-like weapons are used for aerial opponents. Throughout each of the levels, the player must fight off waves of enemies that threaten several

space station A space station (or orbital station) is a spacecraft which remains orbital spaceflight, in orbit and human spaceflight, hosts humans for extended periods of time. It therefore is an artificial satellite featuring space habitat (facility), habitat ...

s and a boss must be defeated at the end of each. Like most early games in this genre, when the player dies, all weapons are lost and the player is moved to a point slightly before the point of death. The player's craft can also be upgraded to have more powerful weapons by picking up various

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...

s throughout the level.

Release

''Alpha Mission'' was released on the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

as part of PSP Minis via

PlayStation Store PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital distribution service for users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable content both ...

in 2011. ''Alpha Mission'' was also released on the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

in the

Nintendo eShop The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served ...

on October 25, 2018 and on the

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

via PlayStation Store on July 18, 2019 by Hamster Corporation as part of their ''

Arcade Archives is a series of emulated arcade games from the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s developed and published by Hamster Corporation. A sub-series called focuses on re-releasing Neo Geo titles in their original arcade format, unlike many s ...

'' series. The game is also included on '' SNK 40th Anniversary Collection'', containing both the original arcade and the NES version. It includes both the Japanese version and the Western/international version.

Reception

In Japan, '' Game Machine'' listed ''ASO'' on their December 1, 1985 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade cabinet of the month. It was later listed by ''Game Machine'' as Japan's fifth highest-grossing table arcade game during the first half of 1986, and it was the seventh overall highest-grossing table arcade game of 1986.

Notes

External links

''Alpha Mission''
at Arcade-History *

References

{{SNK 1985 video games Arcade Archives games Arcade video games Hamster Corporation games Nintendo Entertainment System games Vertically scrolling shooters Science fiction video games Single-player video games SNK franchises SNK games Tradewest games Video games developed in Japan