Game Review - originally written by Spinner 8
Yep, here it is, Compile’s classic shooter. Hold the Spacebar, and shoot at multiple vertical-scrolling enemies. This version is really different from the one most people are used to (on the Master System), but the main gameplay is the same. Oh, and there is some serious slowdown going on here.
Yep, here it is, Compile’s classic shooter. Hold the Spacebar, and shoot at multiple vertical-scrolling enemies. This version is really different from the one most people are used to (on the Master System), but the main gameplay is the same. Oh, and there is some serious slowdown going on here.
Sometimes when playing retro titles the hardest part isn't choosing which game to play but which version of it. In the case of Aleste after seeing peoples opinions varying I decided to try both the Master System original release (known as Power Strike when released outside of Japan) as well as the MSX2 port released 5 months later.
I ended up playing the MSX version first which is why it's the version I'm reviewing, (that and the cool cover art anyway). The game is, for those unaware, the first part of a shoot 'em up series across several consoles ranging from Master system to Sega CD and beyond that is still going. You play the role of Raymond Waizen piloting the fighter ship Aleste trying to take down an infected supercomputer who when going rogue injured his girlfriend Yuri. This is all told in a short anime style cutscene before the game throws you into the action. And action it is! I was impressed by how smoothly this game ran with a ton of enemies and effects though sprite flickering was happening quite a lot as the MSX tried not to set itself on fire.
Aleste plays from a vertical view point with surprisingly fast scrolling. It is a fairly simple game due to the era, (remember this came out in 1988) with only two buttons for weapons. A base gun which can be upgraded with power chips for more salvos per shot and a type of gun that is interchangeable by power ups. These power ups are numbered with each number representing a weapon type from 1-8. The weapons are varied from forward lasers, spinning balls, waves etc. Though I found two of them completely useless the others were all strong in their own ways. One feature I did think was neat was the power ups move vertically away from you on the screen until you collect them. This means that it's unlikely you might pick one up by accident you don't want unless you play very front facing. It also means that selecting when to shoot a power up does matter as too quick and it will go off screen almost instantly. Of the weapon types available my favourite is no. 7 which acts like a ball of energy on the front of your ship acting like a battering ram and shield which destroyed bosses in seconds when available.
Of course the bosses themselves were easily crushed with any weapon frankly because it became apparent quite quickly they were all exactly the same following the infected computer story theme of panels and turrets in grid formations firing at you. In all honesty the bosses were brain dead and easy lacking any imagination or flair. It's rather disappointing when the main level is so much harder than the repetitive end stage challenges. To add to this the levels are extremely long with the same enemy patterns throughout meaning I found my attention drifting at times due to the monotonous nature of the action and challenges.
when starting the Master system original Power Strike after finishing Aleste it was a bit of a surprise to see there is no animated cutscene, in fact the whole first city level after it also wasn't there. Whilst the story context is less smooth I found it to be a more compact experience overall and the rest of the levels didn't feel quite as long or drawn out because of it. In fact Aleste on MSX took me about an hour and 10 minutes where as I finished the Master System version in about 45. Power Strike generally felt faster actually, the ships and pace the game moves at was really impressive. It made the smooth MSX version feel slow comparatively but equally because of that this game felt really bloody hard. Getting overwhelmed and dying happened a lot and the weapon power ups which have timers when used felt less frequent to boot. Dying is also a brutal result losing all your power chips to your base weapon really setting you back with no real way of getting back up to the power level quickly. It's either quite easy at full power or a brutal slog with little in between with mistakes punished unequivocally.
The visuals for both systems will be a matter of preference. I think I do prefer the MSX's smaller sprites, more detail and slightly less vibrant colours. Both games look pretty good though and there is something satisfying about Power Strikes chunkier visual design. What is more of a clear difference is the music where the MSX's capabilities really outshine the Master System. I like the soundtrack generally on both platforms but the quality difference is night and day. Compare Level 2 (starts at 6:15, could only find one video) with it's counterpart to see what I mean. Enjoyed both versions when playing, they have their charm but one is a far beat above the other.
So overall between the two of them the MSX version to me does edge out the Master System. Aleste's added cutscene, opening level, music and easier difficulty made it the better of the two. That's not to say the Master system's incredibly fast pace, and more compact experience don't have positive merits however.
As a game for either version though? Happy I played it but it's just fine. Some nice music and power ups but overly long and unvaried levels with no boss variation what so ever do leave the overall game feeling forgettable. For 1988 though? I bet this was pretty rad. I was only 4 then though.
+ Fast paced action.
+ Neat power up system make weapon selections easy and choices of them moving away tactical.
+ Nice soundtrack with some ear worms.
- Pretty hard.
- Levels are too long and repetitive.
- Bosses are just all the same.
I ended up playing the MSX version first which is why it's the version I'm reviewing, (that and the cool cover art anyway). The game is, for those unaware, the first part of a shoot 'em up series across several consoles ranging from Master system to Sega CD and beyond that is still going. You play the role of Raymond Waizen piloting the fighter ship Aleste trying to take down an infected supercomputer who when going rogue injured his girlfriend Yuri. This is all told in a short anime style cutscene before the game throws you into the action. And action it is! I was impressed by how smoothly this game ran with a ton of enemies and effects though sprite flickering was happening quite a lot as the MSX tried not to set itself on fire.
Aleste plays from a vertical view point with surprisingly fast scrolling. It is a fairly simple game due to the era, (remember this came out in 1988) with only two buttons for weapons. A base gun which can be upgraded with power chips for more salvos per shot and a type of gun that is interchangeable by power ups. These power ups are numbered with each number representing a weapon type from 1-8. The weapons are varied from forward lasers, spinning balls, waves etc. Though I found two of them completely useless the others were all strong in their own ways. One feature I did think was neat was the power ups move vertically away from you on the screen until you collect them. This means that it's unlikely you might pick one up by accident you don't want unless you play very front facing. It also means that selecting when to shoot a power up does matter as too quick and it will go off screen almost instantly. Of the weapon types available my favourite is no. 7 which acts like a ball of energy on the front of your ship acting like a battering ram and shield which destroyed bosses in seconds when available.
Of course the bosses themselves were easily crushed with any weapon frankly because it became apparent quite quickly they were all exactly the same following the infected computer story theme of panels and turrets in grid formations firing at you. In all honesty the bosses were brain dead and easy lacking any imagination or flair. It's rather disappointing when the main level is so much harder than the repetitive end stage challenges. To add to this the levels are extremely long with the same enemy patterns throughout meaning I found my attention drifting at times due to the monotonous nature of the action and challenges.
when starting the Master system original Power Strike after finishing Aleste it was a bit of a surprise to see there is no animated cutscene, in fact the whole first city level after it also wasn't there. Whilst the story context is less smooth I found it to be a more compact experience overall and the rest of the levels didn't feel quite as long or drawn out because of it. In fact Aleste on MSX took me about an hour and 10 minutes where as I finished the Master System version in about 45. Power Strike generally felt faster actually, the ships and pace the game moves at was really impressive. It made the smooth MSX version feel slow comparatively but equally because of that this game felt really bloody hard. Getting overwhelmed and dying happened a lot and the weapon power ups which have timers when used felt less frequent to boot. Dying is also a brutal result losing all your power chips to your base weapon really setting you back with no real way of getting back up to the power level quickly. It's either quite easy at full power or a brutal slog with little in between with mistakes punished unequivocally.
The visuals for both systems will be a matter of preference. I think I do prefer the MSX's smaller sprites, more detail and slightly less vibrant colours. Both games look pretty good though and there is something satisfying about Power Strikes chunkier visual design. What is more of a clear difference is the music where the MSX's capabilities really outshine the Master System. I like the soundtrack generally on both platforms but the quality difference is night and day. Compare Level 2 (starts at 6:15, could only find one video) with it's counterpart to see what I mean. Enjoyed both versions when playing, they have their charm but one is a far beat above the other.
So overall between the two of them the MSX version to me does edge out the Master System. Aleste's added cutscene, opening level, music and easier difficulty made it the better of the two. That's not to say the Master system's incredibly fast pace, and more compact experience don't have positive merits however.
As a game for either version though? Happy I played it but it's just fine. Some nice music and power ups but overly long and unvaried levels with no boss variation what so ever do leave the overall game feeling forgettable. For 1988 though? I bet this was pretty rad. I was only 4 then though.
+ Fast paced action.
+ Neat power up system make weapon selections easy and choices of them moving away tactical.
+ Nice soundtrack with some ear worms.
- Pretty hard.
- Levels are too long and repetitive.
- Bosses are just all the same.
I did a few runs, but I eventually want to aim for a 1CC run.
It is technically a pretty impressive shmup for the Master System that was released initially in 1988, considering how crowded the screen can get with both enemies and bullets.
The ammo system makes the player be a bit more considerate with their approach, but it's never difficult to have their stocks replenished; in fact, I sincerely believe that Weapon 3 pretty much breaks the difficulty. I can absolutely understand the frustration of getting hit and losing all of your power ups, which can result in a bumpy road to recover to your previous power level.
I also really liked the implementation of a dynamic difficulty, meaning that no playthrough will ever feel the same.
It is technically a pretty impressive shmup for the Master System that was released initially in 1988, considering how crowded the screen can get with both enemies and bullets.
The ammo system makes the player be a bit more considerate with their approach, but it's never difficult to have their stocks replenished; in fact, I sincerely believe that Weapon 3 pretty much breaks the difficulty. I can absolutely understand the frustration of getting hit and losing all of your power ups, which can result in a bumpy road to recover to your previous power level.
I also really liked the implementation of a dynamic difficulty, meaning that no playthrough will ever feel the same.
Played the MSX version this time. Despite actually having an opening cutscene and even an additional level, I think I altogether prefer the SMS version. The screen is larger/sprites are smaller on the MSX version, so enemies more easily build up in large numbers (something that the persistent sprite flickering and slowdown suggest is beyond the prudent limits of the system). Enemy patterns also feel more repetitive, particularly in the level missing from the SMS version (I think) and particularly with an enemy that spirals vaguely towards your ship, which takes far too many bullets to kill for the high numbers it spawns in with.
A solid, but derivative vertical shooter.