When did Aleste release?

Aleste was first released on February 29, 1988.

Aleste

Also released as Power Strike (Sega Master System)

Feb 29, 1988ShooterArcadeWii Sega Master System/Mark IIIMSXMSX2Java

Aleste — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Aleste on?: Aleste was released on Wii, Sega Master System/Mark III, MSX, MSX2, Java, Midlet.
When did Aleste release?: Aleste was first released on February 29, 1988.

About Aleste

Your planet has been overrun by the meanest mutant vegetation ever created in a genetics laboratory. It's taken over buildings, labs, fighter craft... even people! And it's getting bigger... and meaner... with each passing second. But it hasn't taken over you. Now, you're going in on a mission to deliver a POWER STRIKE! You have a special attack ship with the ability to use weapons you free from the ground. The action is hot and heavy. The enemy is coming faster than you could ever believe! So fight hard and fast. If you don't turn the mutated vegetation into a giant tossed salad, they'll turn you into toast!

Summary via IGDB.

Aleste on Wikipedia

Aleste (アレスタ) is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Compile, originally published by Sega in 1988 for the Master System and then by CP Communications for the MSX2. The Master System version was released outside Japan as Power Strike. The game spawned the Aleste and Power Strike franchises.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Wii, Sega Master System/Mark III, MSX, MSX2, Java, Midlet
Developer: Compile
Publisher: Compile
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Science fiction

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

74/100

from 8 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1988	$73	$200	—	8 reviews	Medium (look-alike)

Also released on: Wii · Sega Master System/Mark III · MSX · MSX2 · Java · Midlet. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

$73

Complete

$200

Sealed

—

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$43	$118	—
Japanese release (Aleste)	$63	$85	—

How often it sells

Loose: about 6 times a year
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $15.99 in Jul 2009, $81 five years ago, and $73 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2010	$21	—
Jan 2011	$13.41	—
Jan 2012	$30	—
Jan 2013	$50	—
Jan 2014	$60	$76
Jan 2015	$50	$75
Jan 2016	$105	$75
Jan 2017	$131	$135
Jan 2018	$56	$129
Jan 2019	$84	$139
Jan 2020	$72	$169
Jan 2021	$100	$184
Jan 2022	$100	$225
Jan 2023	$100	$249
Jan 2024	$80	$228
Jan 2025	$96	$210
Jan 2026	$83	$180
Oct 2026	$73	$200

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number
North America	December 1988	—
Europe / PAL	1988	—
Japan	29 February 1988	G-1352

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+JP
Released: 1988
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereMedium look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Compile's fast vertical shooter, praised by Mean Machines and one of the pricier carts among the North American releases.

This page covers the Master System version of Compile's vertical shooter, released in Japan as Aleste on 29 February 1988 and sold as Power Strike in North America in December 1988 and in Europe in 1988. Sega published it. It spawned the Aleste and Power Strike series, and a sequel, Power Strike II, followed on the Master System.

Mean Machines in 1992 praised its fast, frenetic action, noting it only slows noticeably when the screen is packed with sprites, and called it the best vertical scroller on a Sega system at that point.

How it was made

Credited to Compile, with Koji Teramoto and Kazunari Komehika as designers, Kenji Shintani as Master System programmer, Koji Teramoto and Hiromichi Sueyoshi as Master System artists, and Masamoto Miyamoto and Takeshi Santo as composers.

What the press said at the time

S: The Sega Magazine Issue 5	April 1990	GRAPHICS 89% SOUND 79% DEPTH 47% ADDICTION 92%
Sega Pro Issue 18	April 1993	89%
Sega Pro Issue 20	June 1993	89%
Sega Pro Issue 23	September 1993	89%
Sega Pro Issue 26	December 1993	82%
Sega Pro Issue 28	February 1994	82%
Sega Pro Issue 34	July 1994	82%
Sega Pro Issue 43	April 1995	72%

“Power Strike is without doubt the best vertical scroller on the Master System! There are some real snazzy backdrops to feast your peepers on, while your ears are taken out for a film and a slap-up meal with different soundtracks for each level plus some punchy effects.”
— S: The Sega Magazine, April 1990

“The fast and frenetic action of this vertically scrolling blaster is what really sets it apart from other Sega games”
— Mean Machines, May 1992

“The fast and frenetic action of this vertically scrolling blaster is what really sets it apart from other Sega games - only when the screen is jam-packed with sprites does the game slow down to any noticeable extent. At the moment. Power Strike remains the best Sega vertical scroller around.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

“An excellent environmentally-friendly shoot-’em-up. The graphics are topnotch and scroll smoothly. A great blaster.”
— Sega Pro, April 1993

How the Sega Master System version differs

In the US, Power Strike first came as a mail-only limited edition before reaching some retail stores; Europe got a regular retail package.

Also on other platforms

MSX2 · Java · Midlet

MSX2	CP Communications (publisher)

MSX2. The MSX2 version, released in July 1988, added two new stages, lowered the difficulty and included a series of cutscenes.

Before you buy

Three releases exist: the US cart, the European cart and the Japanese cart. The European cart is cheaper than the US one, loose and complete. The Japanese cart costs somewhat less loose and much less complete, and it is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter. This is one of the pricier carts among the North American releases, so for a copy at this price, ask for a photo of the board and compare it with the board listed on this page. A European cart is easily mistaken for an American one.