When it comes to homegrown holiday traditions, few can rival Compilemas in my heart. For six years running now, I’ve given myself the gift of a brand new (to me) shooting game by the late, great studio Compile. This time, I’m continuing my exploration of the often overlooked Sega Game Gear library with GG Aleste II, confusingly re-titled Power Strike II in Europe despite being wholly distinct from the Master System release of the same name that also arrived there in 1993. I swear I’ll never understand the bizarre and convoluted naming conventions of this series. It’s almost as wonky as Adventure Island/Wonder Boy’s sometimes.
In the year 2070, five years after the events of GG Aleste, a powerful military satellite called Algo is created to defend earth from outside incursion, only to itself be turned against humanity by an alien parasite of unknown origin. Accomplished test pilot Alice Pfeiffer Waizen is chosen to strike back at the enemy in the new GG Aleste Model II ship, code name Lance Bird. Alice is the cousin of Ellinor “Terri” Waizen, heroine of Aleste 2, M.U.S.H.A., the first GG Aleste, and developer M2’s upcoming 2024 Aleste installment, Aleste Branch. Repelling alien invasions is the sort of thing that runs in families, apparently.
Compile was, above all, reliable, and GG Aleste 2 embodies this. If you’ve played and enjoyed any of their legendary vertical shooters before (The Guardian Legend, the aforementioned M.U.S.H.A., Space Megaforce, Blazing Lazers, et al.), you know exactly what you’re in for here. Nobody was better at delivering frantic, non-stop action that runs like a dream regardless of hardware limitations and still manages to remain fair and approachable, even for newcomers to the genre.
The first GG Aleste was a worthy effort, albeit one that played a tad slower than fans may be used to. Perhaps Compile was still getting to grips with programming for the platform. I’m pleased to report that its sequel is noticeably zippier, with more enemies and bullets to dodge. It is slightly scaled back in other respects, however. There are only six main levels here, as opposed to eight, resulting in a total run time of just under half an hour. Acceptable for a handheld game, if relatively short for a Compile joint. Similarly, GG Aleste’s six upgradeable secondary weapons have been pared down to four: Neo Napalm Gun (self-explanatory), Hammer Hawk (homing missiles), Delta Form (defensive satellite drone), and Rising Masher (spread lasers). On the plus side, you’re now given a limited stock of super bombs to deploy, as well as a shield pickup that enables the Lance Bird to withstand two hits instead of one. Your primary straight shot is much the same as before, starting off small and weak until you collect enough of the falling “power chips” dispensed by tiny carrier ships to level it up into a serious threat.
A pair of bonus stages are also included. These play out from a pseudo-3D behind-the-ship view and involve manipulating a cursor to lock onto incoming enemies with your radar and then taking them out with a flurry of guided missiles. You’re scored based on the percentage of targets destroyed and how many shots you missed. It’s impossible to die during these interludes. They’re strictly a means of padding out your point total, thereby earning some extra lives.
The question of whether GG Aleste II’s fewer levels and weapon options are adequately offset by its greater speed and intensity is an interesting one. For my money, they are, although this obviously doesn’t amount to a clean win over its predecessor. One thing the two share in common is ease. The combination of short length, in-place respawns, unlimited continues, and your ship’s formidable weaponry makes for an uncommonly gentle ride by general shooter standards. But far be it from me to bemoan not getting my ass kicked hard enough on Christmas, eh? The bottom line is that this is yet another quality piece of work from true masters of the craft.
On that note, may you and yours enjoy this special time to the utmost, whatever reasoning and methods you adhere to. Just as some of us prefer to vanquish rampaging space aliens with napalm while others favor lasers or homing missiles, there’s no wrong way to have yourself a joyous holiday season. See you in 2024!
Twentieth Century Gamer 
I’m not sure which GG Aleste I liked better – both had their strong points. Both are definitely worth playing, though, and as you say, a demonstration of Compile’s technical chops. I’m always impressed every time I boot one of their games up.
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