shmups.system11.org

Yeah definitely, while its lock-on bombardment instantly made me think of later Soukyugurentai boss attacks.

Yeah, they definitely do look like Dodonpachi and Garegga. I don’t know what a typical Aleste boss looks like really, but probably not that? Still, they do look quite nice. Agreed—there’s almost nothing to find fault with. To be honest, it makes a lot of classics look pretty shoddy in comparison. I don’t tend to like STGs without stupid bonkers bullets and scoring systems, but GG3 is tight from every angle. I really didn’t know M2 had this in them—their arrange modes leave me cold. I guess when you’re short of perfection, bring in the talent that’ll take you there. Not ever gonna doubt M2 again unless they give me a reason to. Almost makes me wish i got the dinky little Game Gear micro, but i can’t imagine that actually being a good play experience instead of a neat collector thing that’ll be worth $500 someday.

ED: Also i gotta say that once again the M2 gadgets are so clutch. I would not have any understanding of the invincibility frames without them, and they make for half the fun as I dive for P-chips and powerups. The character portraits are also a very nice touch.

Like a bunch of turrets that open and close, sitting on top of some kind of structure. GGA3 actually does have one of those, as the second midboss of stage 4.

I could be mistaken, but from what I played of the MSX Aleste, I'm under the impression the SMS game was made first. The cutscenes and new stage feel like something that was added later and there's an odd feeling that the MSX game has two intro stages with multiple numbered power ups set up. The city stage feels like something that was added for plot reasons and the starting stage on SMS feels similar to starting stages in Zanac and other Aleste games. I also heard the second new stage in the MSX Aleste is very short.

This is correct, that version hit 5 months after the Master System. The story goes that Sega asked them to make a new shooter for them after the success of Zanac, they came up with the Aleste title & this time around Compile were savvy enough to maintain rights to the name.

Finally fired up GG Aleste 1 last night after having cleared 2 and 3, and I say it is perhaps the most generous shmup I've ever played. I rolled into the last level with about 8 lives, and then it suddenly dumped a bunch more on me for some reason. I looked over, and the counter had jumped to 12. I died a couple times, and then during the final boss fight it did the same thing and granted me several extra lives all at once. I finished the game with 13 in stock.

They REALLY want you to clear that game (at least on normal mode).

It's easier to just describe Aleste bosses as "just like Zanac for the most part"

It's not Aleste if the framerate isn't chugging.

Here's a nice article about GG Aleste 3 on Eurogamer, talking to M2 about the development of the game:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021 ... agnum-opus

I like that

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Very interesting read. I didn't know that the main programmer is the guy who made Blade Buster. I did notice the similarities between parts of stage 3 of GGA3 and his proof-of-concept video "Musha Aleste score attack on the Mark III" from his youtube channel, though.

Been playing GG Aleste II. Got all the way to the final boss and died (though I have been alternating between the collection, mega SG, mister, and even the unofficial SMS port). It was the SMS port where I made it to the last boss. Nice porting job, though the SMS couldn't quite match the GG colors and many graphics in the hack have a purple tint to them.

I like that Guardian Legend shmup intro song. It reminds me quite a but of Wind Beneath my Wings.