August 06, 2004 - Aleste is a game that has bore many names over the years, but on these shores it is probably best known as Power Strike, the mail-in only game for the Sega Master System. Which means that it's not known at all. That's a shame, because Aleste is actually a pretty solid little shooter, and it makes a pretty solid transition to handsets.

Features:

Multiple weapon power-ups

Giant bosses

Online scoreboard

Shoot everything. That's really the only point in Aleste. No big story, no nothing. An alien presence is ravaging your planet and it's up to you -- the proverbial lone pilot -- to stop it.

The best feature of Aleste is the multitude of weapons power-ups you can grab. All of theclassic power-ups can be found in this single shooter, from the wave gun to the giant pulsing energy ball in front of your nosecone. Each power-up is numbered, so you can easily tell what you are about to pick up. This is extremely useful because snagging multiples of the same power-up increases its potency. Beware of accidentally grabbing a new number, as it will change your upgrade, and reduce its strength back down to its basic level.

In addition to these major power-ups, you must also keep collecting "P" capsules that boost the strength and width of your regular weapon.

Like most mobile blasters, Aleste uses an auto-fire feature instead of forcing you to furious tap on a fire button. This works for the most part, making blasting most enemy ships a breeze. However, it isn't very useful during boss attacks. For example, the first boss is a collection of turrets in the middle of a grassy plain. These turrets keep firing at you, but your weapons destroy the bullets. With each of you throwing out a continuous stream of bullets, they just sorta cancel each other out. For a while, it seems like nothing is happening. Eventually you overpower the boss, but it's just not much of challenge. This is when choosing when to fire comes in helpful.

Aleste looks great -- and sounds even better. The background tunes are fantastic and more than make up for the loss in sound effects. The levels are greatly detailed and extremely colorful. The screen never gets too crowded with enemy sprites and power-ups, so there is no slowdown or blinking. Which, if you ever played the old SMS version, is a welcome relief.