is a 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 ...

developed by

Compile In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...

, originally published by

Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...

in 1988 for the

Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...

and then by CP Communications for the

MSX2 MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Cor ...

. The Master System version was released outside Japan as ''Power Strike''. The game spawned the ''Aleste'' and ''

Power Strike ''Power Strike'' is a series of vertically scrolling shooter video games, developed by Compile (publisher), Compile for the Master System and Game Gear. It consists of three titles, only one of which was designed from the ground up as a ''Power Str ...

'' franchises.

Plot

The story of ''Aleste'' concerns the manmade supercomputer DIA 51, which has been infected by a hybrid virus that is spreading like wildfire, eventually leading DIA 51 to eliminate the human race. When Yuri, Ray's girlfriend, gets injured in DIA's assault, Raymond Waizen has all the reason in the world to get rid of DIA 51 once and for all in his Aleste fighter.

Releases

The game was originally released for the

in February 1988. This version was released outside Japan, as ''Power Strike''. The US release was initially a mail-only limited edition, however it did later see some retail distribution at Toys R' Us and other chains in North America. The European release was a regular retail package. An

version was released in July of that year, featuring two new stages, lowered difficulty, and a series of

cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...

s. A version of the game has been released on phones by

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...

, presumably based on the MSX2 version. The MSX2 version has been re-released on

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...

service in Japan. It along with '' Aleste 2'' had also been rereleased through the now-defunct WOOMB service.

Reception

The Master System version called ''Power Strike'' received positive reviews. ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...

'' scored it 86% in 1989. ''

Console XS Paragon Publishing Ltd (or Paragon for short) was a magazine publisher in the UK, which published computer games and other entertainment titles from 1991 to 2003. Brief history Paragon Publishing Ltd was formed in a small office in Trowbridge, ...

'' scored it 90% in 1992.

''Aleste'' series

''Aleste'' was followed by several sequels: * '' Aleste Gaiden'' (MSX2, 1989) * '' Aleste 2'' (MSX2, 1989) * '' Musha Aleste'' (

Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

, 1990) * '' GG Aleste'' (

Game Gear The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth-generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and in 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily ...

, 1991) * '' Super Aleste'' (

SNES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Oceania an ...

, 1992) * '' Dennin Aleste'' ( Mega-CD, 1992) * '' GG Aleste II'' (Game Gear, 1993) * '' GG Aleste 3'' (

Game Gear Micro The is an 8-bit fourth-generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and in 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the A ...

, 2020) * ''Senjin Aleste'' (Arcade, 2021) * ''Aleste Branch'' (TBA)

Cancelled games

* '' Dennin Aleste 2'' ( Mega-CD, cancelled)

Related games

There is also a number of similar games, some of which various ''Aleste'' entries are based on; for example, ''Gunhed'' would inspire ''Super Aleste'' on the SNES. ''Zanac'' is the game that set down the template for the Aleste series and nearly all of Compile's future shooters. Finally, it is known that around 1993, various employees left Compile and joined

Raizing stylized as 8ing, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was formerly known as It is known for its shoot 'em ups and its licensed fighting games. History Raizing and Eighting were formed in part by former staff of Compile, t ...

, where they made some similar games. * ''

Zanac is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Compile (company), Compile and published in Japan by Pony Canyon and in North America by Fujisankei Communications International, FCI. It was released for the MSX computer, the Family Computer Disk Sys ...

'' (MSX, FDS,

NES 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 ...

, 1986) * ''

The Guardian Legend ''The Guardian Legend'' is a 1988 hybrid action-adventure/shoot 'em up video game developed by Compile for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the sequel to the 1986 MSX game ''Guardic'', and was published and released in Japan by ...

'' (NES, 1988) * '' Gunhed'' (

PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation, it launched ...

, 1989) * '' Gun-Nac'' (NES, 1990) * ''

Seirei Senshi Spriggan is a 1991 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed by Compile (company), Compile and published by Naxat Soft in Japan for the PC Engine CD-ROM². In the game, the player assume control of Jega and Rikart piloting the Spriggan in order t ...

'' (

PC Engine CD The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation, it launched in ...

, 1991) * '' Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project'' (PC Engine CD, 1992) * ''

Mahou Daisakusen ''Sorcer Striker'' is a 1993 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Raizing (now known as Eighting) and published in 1993 by Able Corporation in Japan and Europe. In the game, players assume the role from one of the four bou ...

'' (Arcade, 1993) * '' Power Strike II'' (Master System, 1993) * '' Sylphia'' (PC Engine CD, 1993) * ''Spriggan Powered'' (Super Famicom, 1996)

References

External links

* {{Aleste, state=expanded 1988 video games Compile (company) games Macrospace games Master System games MSX2 games Sega video games Single-player video games Square Enix games Vertically scrolling shooters Video game franchises introduced in 1988 Video games developed in Japan Video games set in the 21st century Virtual Console games