SHMUPS





ALESTE GG - COMPILE









ALESTE GG

Compile - Sega Game Gear 1991

Reviewed by Druuna.

I really love this game, I played it for the first time back in 1993 when I bought my Game Gear and I started to replay it this year....11 years later.

Compile created a lot of nice titles for the 8bit Sega consolles: Power Strike I, Power Strike II for the Master System and Power Strike II for the Game Gear. Aleste GG unfortunately was developed only for the japanese market and never saw a release in USA or Europe.

Graphics are simply great, the best ever seen on the Game Gear and only surpassed by the sequel 'ALESTE GG II'. Considering the limitations of the hardware the graphics are incredible with a lot of colors on screen and nice explosions, there are also a great variety of backgrounds and enemies.There is a vast arsenal of weapons to choose, it's very important to choose the right weapon in the right stage but I think that 'W' and 'H' type are the best.If you collect 'power ups' your firepower will increase allowing your ship with a devastating firepower that is essential to complete the game in the last stages.In the last stages bosses you really need a great firepower not only to kill the boss but also to defend your ship from his multiple attacks.

Bullet patterns are nice and it's clear that a lot of modern shmups take inpiration from this game and from other Compile classics, you will find some very similar to the ones present in Judgement Silversword and Chaos Field.

Sounds are quite decent, considering the poor sound processor of the Game Gear, but there are a few good ones: I really loved the Bonus Stage music, one of the best ever heard on this handheld and the music in the title screen.

Gameplay: simply addictive, if you start to play this game you have to finish it and to do it with only 1cc.Enemy bullets are very fast but always clear ro see and when you get killed it's always because you did something wrong not because you don't see a bullet arriving.Bullets are created with yellow,green or red colors always in contrast with the dark colors of backgrounds.There're a lot of enemies and a great variety of end bosses always with a different type of kill strategy, weak points and bullet patterns.

Conclusion: Aleste GG is one of the best 8bit shmups ever created.It looks and plays very good considering the Game Gear poor hardware. It's technically perfect.



  

Aleste GG Cover

This is the original Japanese cover.


Level 1

This is the Level one: little firepower and a lot of enemies on screen, you have to move fast to avoid all the bullets fired at your ship

  

Stage 3 >>

This is the level 3 Boss, quite easy if you understand quickly his bullets pattern

      

<< Level 2

A lot of ships at your back, you have to stay in the screen center or you get killed very fast



Overall: 9 out of 10

If you have a Sega Game Gear you must have this little gem with you.



TOP | HOME

shmups!
www.shmups.com   © 1997 - 2007  Malcolm Laurie