Aleste is coming back?!

[MachineAres 1CC]

Maybe this has been discussed but I guess there is no official way to pronouce Aleste? I always thought of it with the last e silent like Celeste. But I've also heard it as Alestey or Alesteh. I think having a name with ambiguous pronunciation should be part of the official definition of a shmup. My mind was blown that Darius is really DaRYEus.

It's a little confusing why Aleste somehow got Romanized as "Aleste" when the Japanese pronounciation is essentially "Arresta," which, like BIL just said, might be their way of saying "arrester," which is already a weird word that no one besides engineers would use in English. But how it became "Aleste" when Romanized is still a mystery to me.

I don't think I've ever heard any other English-speaking person besides myself pronounce Darius correctly as DaRYEus (and I've hung out with dozens of people who enjoy and play the series in person) and I think Gradius isn't far behind that, since it's technically prounounced "Grahdius" and not "Graydius"

[Knightmare]

Is the scarf-wearing fellow with the goggles on the cover of the collection supposed to be the protagonist of Power Strike II, or Ray Waizen, the pilot from the first Aleste? The goggles make me think of the more steam-punkish PS II but I could be wrong.

I am having such a blast with this collection. Really looking forward to Aleste Branch, and here's hoping M2 gets to work on even more Compile shmups in the future.

[Rastan78]

It's a little confusing why Aleste somehow got Romanized as "Aleste" when the Japanese pronounciation is essentially "Arresta," which, like BIL just said, might be their way of saying "arrester," which is already a weird word that no one besides engineers would use in English. But how it became "Aleste" when Romanized is still a mystery to me.

I don't think I've ever heard any other English-speaking person besides myself pronounce Darius correctly as DaRYEus (and I've hung out with dozens of people who enjoy and play the series in person) and I think Gradius isn't far behind that, since it's technically prounounced "Grahdius" and not "Graydius"

I guess trying to apply logic and understanding to Japanese shmup naming conventions is a fools errand.

I always wondered if Gradius was a misspelling of Gladius like the sword, but it turns out the devs weren't aware of the meaning of the word until after they released the first game. They just thought Gradius was a word that sounded cool. Could be Aleste was named in the same way.

[MachineAres 1CC]

I guess trying to apply logic and understanding to Japanese shmup naming conventions is a fools errand.

Yeah, this about sums it up. It's interesting to ponder for a minute, but unless the creators have actually made public statements about the naming origin, after a few minutes, your head will just start spinning trying to imagine how words and languages got all mixed up and became the final name somewhere along the line. This seems especially true of shmups, for sure.

I always wondered if Gradius was a misspelling of Gladius like the sword, but it turns out the devs weren't aware of the meaning of the word until after they released the first game. They just thought Gradius was a word that sounded cool. Could be Aleste was named in the same way.

Seems fairly likely.

[BIL]

I always wondered if Gradius was a misspelling of Gladius like the sword, but it turns out the devs weren't aware of the meaning of the word until after they released the first game. They just thought Gradius was a word that sounded cool.

That's exactly what happened, per Shmuplations:

Although the word Gladius means short sword, we didn’t intend that meaning at all, and its just a coincidence. Several years later someone said to me, “doesn’t the title refer to a Gladius?”, and that was the first time I realized it. Even though it was just a coincidence, I remember being really surprised. (laughs)

Could be Aleste was named in the same way.

I always thought it was a cool and distinctive name, especially BITD when it was this mysterious series that never seemed to show up in the West - 9y/o me little knowing that Power Strike and MUSHA and Space Megaforce were all part of it. Bit like the Kunio-kun games (and Kunio himself) getting fragmented into like three different localisations on NES. Looking back I've always thought that was a mistake, possible legal concerns aside.

[Knightmare]

Apologies if someone has already done this, but after a cursory glance I couldn't find any translation of the menu options around here. So here's my own rough translation of the various game settings. I'm working off of Google Translate and my own intuition so some of it may be wrong. Hope this is helpful to some.



Game Settings:

[Changing any settings with red text will change your ranking type (bottom left corner)
Press X to return to default settings]

System Settings:

Automatic replay registration (if OFF, will ask if you want to upload your score/replay after each play)
Auto start (automatically begin last selected game mode without navigating title screen)

Aleste:

FM Sound
Remove slowdown
Automatic difficulty adjustment (rank system?)
Special weapon fixed (meaning weapon drops are fixed maybe?)
Aleste EASY (same as Aleste Easy version on Game Gear Micro?)
Remaining amunition setting for special weapons (ON = do not reduce ammo)
Normal bullet level up setting (chips required to level up standard weapon)
Extend score setting (points required to get 1up)
Mode where you can play Round 0 from the beginning (select Continue when ON)
Round 6 continue setting (after game over on Round 6, use secret command to continue(?))
Remaining ships (2 extra ships by default)
Ending skip option (if ON, during the ending, you can press button 1 or 2 to skip the ending)

Power Strike II (SMS):

Remove slowdown
Automatic difficulty adjustment (rank system?)
Special weapon fixed (meaning weapon drops are fixed maybe?)
Debug mode (not eligible for rankings. Adds options to start menu)
Super Burst setting (sets the launch time (duration?) of Super Burst. Short by default)
Extend chip setting (chips required to get 1up)
Ending skip option (if ON, during the ending, you can press button 1 or 2 to skip the ending)

GG Aleste:

Remove slowdown
Automatic difficulty adjustment (rank system?)
Special weapon fixed (meaning weapon drops are fixed maybe?)
Ending skip option (if ON, during the ending, you can press button 1 or 2 to skip the ending)

GG Aleste II:

Remove slowdown
Automatic difficulty adjustment (rank system?)
Special weapon fixed (meaning weapon drops are fixed maybe?)
G * Strike (Bomb) initial number setting
Bomb invincible time setting (makes your ship invincible immediately after launching G * Strike. Compatible with auto-bomb)
Auto-bomb (automatically launch G * Strike right before taking damage)
Ending skip option (if ON, during the ending, you can press button 1 or 2 to skip the ending)

GG Alese 3:

Remove slowdown
Automatic difficulty adjustment (rank system?)
Special weapon fixed (meaning weapon drops are fixed maybe?)

Aleste Challenge Mode button prompts:

Start: Direct Menu
Y: Ranking
X: Omakase option (omakase = random. Seems to just pick a random stage and weapon)
A: Select
B: Title menu (Aleste Challenge game selection menu)

[BIL]

Thanks, that should be a good start at the least. Had a quick look in at launch and did my traditional ShotTriggers "yeah I'm good"

[BrianC]

Is the scarf-wearing fellow with the goggles on the cover of the collection supposed to be the protagonist of Power Strike II, or Ray Waizen, the pilot from the first Aleste? The goggles make me think of the more steam-punkish PS II but I could be wrong.

I am having such a blast with this collection. Really looking forward to Aleste Branch, and here's hoping M2 gets to work on even more Compile shmups in the future.

I'm pretty sure it's the guy from Power Strike II. Is Ray Waizen mentioned anywhere in the SMS manual? According to this page, the story is different between the SMS and MSX versions, though both involve Dia 51. AFAIK, the pilot is unnamed in the SMS version.

[Knightmare]

In my opinion, the most interesting settings to mess around with that aren't just difficulty/parameter adjustments are:

the slowdown options
the FM Sound option in Aleste
the EASY option in Aleste
the Round 0 shortcut for Aleste
the debug option for Power Strike II

The "automatic difficulty adjustment" setting might be worth looking into as well. I wonder if this adds a dynamic rank system to the games like in Zanac.

I'm pretty sure it's the guy from Power Strike II. Is Ray Waizen mentioned anywhere in the SMS manual? According to, this page, the story is different between the SMS and MSX versions, though both involve Dia 51. AFAIK, the pilot is unnamed in the SMS version.

Good point. It does seem like the SMS version is missing most of the story and cutscene elements from the MSX version. I've also seen some conflicting info as to which version came first, but most sources seem to indicate that the SMS version is indeed a port of the original MSX release.

In light of all that, it makes sense why M2 would omit any images of Ray from all the art, despite his blood relation to every other pilot in the collection sans the Power Strike II guy.

[dmk1198]

Was power strike ll known by another title?

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[BrianC]

Was power strike ll known by another title?

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SMS version was only released as Power Strike II. However, GG Aleste II had a European release under the name of Power Strike II, despite being a completely different game.

edit: Looks like GG Aleste 2's MC is also a Waizen. Alice Waizen, Ellinor's cousin.

[pegboy]

So I guess they aren't going to release GG Aleste 3 on an actual Game Gear cart? What is the point of making a new game for old hardware if you release it on a fucking ps4 only? So stupid.

[Rastan78]

While it would be cool if they can bring it to GG hardware, I totally get developing a game for vintage hardware and releasing it for Switch and PS4. There are a million games out there that take a retro aesthetic on modern hardware from developers like Yacht Club to Inti Creates and on down the line. It's just that most of these cut corners by using the power of new hardware to do sort of a souped up retro look. More layers of parallax, 16:9 full screen, more colors and frames of animation. Sonic Mania was a great example of this.

I think strictly adhering to the limits of actual hardware is an interesting approach that sets this game apart. And it's a challenge to the developer to push limited hardware farther than it ever has been before.

It could be that bc the hardware and the GG Aleste series is a bit off the beaten path it just seems more like an odd choice. If someone developed a Castlevania for new consoles that strictly adhered to the limitations of NES hardware nobody would bat an eyelash. Actually that did happen with Megaman 9 and that game was very well received.

[pablumatic]

Maybe it'll make its way to a BEEP SHOP/Strictly Limited Games cart print run down the line like the Darius conversion got months after the Mega Drive mini's release.

[Herr Schatten]

Re: Romanization talk

I always wondered if "Axelay" might be a failed attempt at romanizing "X-Ray".

[Bassa-Bassa]

Unlikely:

アクスレイ

エックスレイ

[the androgyne]

Messing around with the settings for GG Aleste 3, i feel like even if these were in English it’d barely make sense still!

Special weapon fixed means you’ll always get the same special weapon of your choice regardless of which letter you pick up. You’d think they could just make them all the same letter visually too, then this would be more obvious!

Automatic difficulty adjustment is weird too. It seems like a 3rd difficulty, as it shows up as “Auto Rank” instead of Normal or Special in the gadgets. It seems the choice of difficulty in game has no bearing when this option is enabled? Actually when I tried changing from Normal to Special with this enabled, the game doesn’t let you change off of Special once you’ve changed to it! Very confusing. One things for sure it’s definitely harder, lots more and faster bullets right off the bat. I’m guessing it’s done through the emulation settings rather than in game because the GG Micro can’t handle the Auto Rank mode...?

I’ve made it to the end of stage 7 using special weapon C fixed setting. All the pro’s saying this is easy, spare me a thought! It’s plenty challenging for me in the later stages. I love it though, except the rotating tower bit. They did the controls about as good as i could imagine but it still sucks. Sometimes i coast through and other times the enemy seems kamikaze!

[Sengoku Strider]

AFAIK it's "Arrester," as in lightning arrester, pronounced Asianly.

This is the correct answer. The story goes that Sega came calling & asked them to make another STG. Apparently they couldn't use the name Zanac anymore (trademarked by Pony Canyon at the time?). They had a company newsletter with a serialized manga called Arrester, whose title referred to its heroine and did derive from 'lightning arrester.' They decided they couldn't use that title as-is, the director Niitani was worried it'd be too tough to read/pronounce. So they came up with Aresuta, romanized as 'Aleste.' I had wondered if the name of French F1 driver Jean Alesi, who started as a teammate of Satoru Nakajima, might have been an influence on the spelling. But I checked and apparently he started with F1 the year after Aleste came out, so while he was an up & coming talent in France before that, it would be unusual.

The explanation from Japanese Wikipedia, for those so inclined:

なお、この「アレスタ」という名称は、コンパイル社内に存在した「TAFマイコンクラブ」の会報誌『たふなこ』にて、本作のプログラムにも携わった広野隆行（じぇみに広野）が連載していた漫画作品の題名『アレスタ』から、本作のプロデューサーである仁井谷正充が付けた。この漫画とゲーム作品の内容に関連は無いが、漫画作品の題名については避雷器を指す”arrester”から、その語感とヒロインの役割から付けられている。”arrester”の名前をそのまま使用する事は出来ないため、”仕掛け”の意味を込めて”ALESTE”と言う造語を誕生して使用する事になった。この時の名付け親の仁井谷はアレスタだと読みにくくなるのを懸念されたがユーザーが自然と覚えて仁井谷の友達に「これでアレスタって読むんだってさ」と言えるようになって仁井谷は前向きな気持ちになった。

[BIL]

Haha, nice.

Was thinking the other day, deliberate or not, "Power Strike" seems a lot more apropros with that in mind.

[MachineAres 1CC]

I’m guessing it’s done through the emulation settings rather than in game because the GG Micro can’t handle the Auto Rank mode...?

Or the original Game Gear itself, which is what they developed and tested the game for, even if they haven't released an actual cart for it.

[Sengoku Strider]

My copy finally made it through customs. Very happy so far, to me Compile's shooters have always been the archetypal shooters, I guess alongside Gradius/Life Force & R-Type.

I'd never played the Master System Power Strike games before. The first one stomped me flat. The second, I had really high expectations of. It's good, but I was hoping for a little more given how late in the hardware's life it showed up by Japanese standards.

GG Aleste I 1cced the first time I played, as I imagine most of you did. I had 10 lives remaining, and only that few because one late boss caught me flat footed with lasers out of everywhere.

GG 2 is where the collection really picks up for me. I assumed I'd need the hori dpad but it plays perfectly, even on the joycon analogs. I was weaving through bullets and never felt I died because of the controls. This one provides a stiffer challenge, it might be my imagination but it seems like the Euro version was a little more manageable. This game is just fun to pick up & play, and I'm thinking it might well be the best shooter of the 8-bit era, I'm that impressed with it.

Then we come to the star of the show - GG3. This game is insane, I can't believe how much they got out of the hardware. I'd say it surpasses Recca, and even challenges some PC Engine visuals. I feel like this is going to be one of those games people reference for years.

My hype for Aleste Branch is sky high now, hopefully it makes it out by December.

[Jonpachi]

My hype for Aleste Branch is sky high now, hopefully it makes it out by December.

I read this and thought, "But we're already in Jan... OH... LOL... Yeah, fair..."

[steveovig]

Ok, this might have been explained here already but what do the Battle Achievements even mean and how do you get them? I just got this game a couple days ago, and I love it but I seem to randomly get the awards for them and I don't understand how I get them.

These games really rock though. I nearly beat Aleste 2 last night but I died on the last boss.

[Zach Keene]

I think it's just keeping track of your last five attempts at the stage (or boss).

[Herr Schatten]

I'd never played the Master System Power Strike games before. The first one stomped me flat. The second, I had really high expectations of. It's good, but I was hoping for a little more given how late in the hardware's life it showed up by Japanese standards.

Really? What do you miss? Are you referring to the gameplay? In that case I agree that at least some of the bosses aren't quite as refined as they could be. Or do you mean the technical side of the game? I'm curious, because for me, speaking as a hobbyist SMS developer, it's nothing short of amazing what Compile pulled off with Power Strike II. All that nametable trickery to produce those animated background effects and the loading of new graphics on the fly is not trivial on a console without DMA. To push data to the VDP, everything has to go through the bottleneck of a rather slow bus. Think of it as if you wanted to stack the shelves in a storage room, but you have to push each can through the keyhole. I honestly think you can't do the technical side much better.

I guess that's part of the reason why M2 chose to make a new GG game instead of a new SMS one. While the hardware is almost identical, the smaller visible part of the screen on the GG means that you can extend your vblank period by quite a lot, which allows you to push much more data around quickly. (I think the other reason might be the slightly better palette of the GG which allows for much more subtle shading.)

[Sengoku Strider]

I'd never played the Master System Power Strike games before. The first one stomped me flat. The second, I had really high expectations of. It's good, but I was hoping for a little more given how late in the hardware's life it showed up by Japanese standards.

Really? What do you miss? Are you referring to the gameplay? In that case I agree that at least some of the bosses aren't quite as refined as they could be. Or do you mean the technical side of the game? I'm curious, because for me, speaking as a hobbyist SMS developer, it's nothing short of amazing what Compile pulled off with Power Strike II. All that nametable trickery to produce those animated background effects and the loading of new graphics on the fly is not trivial on a console without DMA. To push data to the VDP, everything has to go through the bottleneck of a rather slow bus. Think of it as if you wanted to stack the shelves in a storage room, but you have to push each can through the keyhole. I honestly think you can't do the technical side much better.

I guess that's part of the reason why M2 chose to make a new GG game instead of a new SMS one. While the hardware is almost identical, the smaller visible part of the screen on the GG means that you can extend your vblank period by quite a lot, which allows you to push much more data around quickly. (I think the other reason might be the slightly better palette of the GG which allows for much more subtle shading.)

I'm quite sure you're quite right. My expectations were set by some of the really amazing later Master System stuff like Aladdin, Jurassic Park or some of the Brazilian madness. In my head I was hoping for a Master System equivalent to Recca, GG 2 & 3 were closer to what I had in mind. Perhaps that's unfair given that as you mention the Game Gear has to worry about fewer pixels and has more colours to work with. But their general art design just seems better done.

Like I said I was hoping for a little more, but I wouldn't say it fell far short. It is pushing an impressive amount of sprites around. And it's not like I've put a ton of time into it either.

[heli]

I have to put the aleste branch in my want list.
Hope i can buy it in one buy with batsugun next week.

[Special World]

Surprised by how fresh these games feel. Is there an option to remove sprite flicker? Sorry if I missed it.

ED: also, what is that little “press Y to check this box” message at the beginning of GGAleste3?

[Bydobasher]

I'd never played the Master System Power Strike games before. The first one stomped me flat. The second, I had really high expectations of. It's good, but I was hoping for a little more given how late in the hardware's life it showed up by Japanese standards.

Really? What do you miss? Are you referring to the gameplay? In that case I agree that at least some of the bosses aren't quite as refined as they could be. Or do you mean the technical side of the game? I'm curious, because for me, speaking as a hobbyist SMS developer, it's nothing short of amazing what Compile pulled off with Power Strike II. All that nametable trickery to produce those animated background effects and the loading of new graphics on the fly is not trivial on a console without DMA. To push data to the VDP, everything has to go through the bottleneck of a rather slow bus. Think of it as if you wanted to stack the shelves in a storage room, but you have to push each can through the keyhole. I honestly think you can't do the technical side much better.

I guess that's part of the reason why M2 chose to make a new GG game instead of a new SMS one. While the hardware is almost identical, the smaller visible part of the screen on the GG means that you can extend your vblank period by quite a lot, which allows you to push much more data around quickly. (I think the other reason might be the slightly better palette of the GG which allows for much more subtle shading.)

I've always thought SMS Power Strike II is technically brilliant -- though I'm not a hobbyist SMS developer, so I can't speak with that kind of detail. It just doesn't play quite as well as it looks and sounds (in my opinion). I still hold it in high regard though.

I too wondered why they would make a GG game instead of SMS, but your explanation makes a lot of sense. Anyway, it's worked out delightfully. I've got no complaints about GGA3 gameplay at all. At least, not yet . . . I'm still pretty new to this game.

[MachineAres 1CC]

I have to put the aleste branch in my want list.
Hope i can buy it in one buy with batsugun next week.

Huh? Aleste Branch won't be out until at least the Holiday season of 2021, if not later