Alien Syndrome
Alien Syndrome — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Alien Syndrome on?
- Alien Syndrome was released on Arcade, Sharp X68000, Sega Master System/Mark III.
- When did Alien Syndrome release?
- Alien Syndrome was first released on January 1, 1987.
About Alien Syndrome
The time bomb is set. It's the only sure way to get rid of these aliens. For good. They're vile. Vicious. And villainous. And they've infested our outcolony. They're holding hundreds of inhabitants hostage. Some of them your friends. So get in there. And get blasting. Inside, you'll find state-of-the-art weaponry. It's yours for the taking. There's sector after sector to purge. Each more intricate than the one before it. And there are Super Aliens to confront. Each more hideous than the one before it. Get the hostages out. And get as many aliens as you can. Before the blast gets all of you.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Publisher
- Micomsoft
- Game modes
- Single player, Co-operative
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction, Horror, Survival
Details via IGDB.
Reception
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 | $10 | $20 | $92 | 9 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: Arcade · Sharp X68000 · Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $11 | $28 | — |
| Japanese release | $22 | $48 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times 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 $4.34 in Jul 2009, $13.05 five years ago, and $9.90 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $1.49 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.15 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $3.63 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.15 | $6.90 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.92 | $11.90 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.99 | $10.92 |
| Jan 2017 | $7.97 | $13.47 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.27 | $13.00 |
| Jan 2019 | $8.51 | $13.21 |
| Jan 2020 | $8.75 | $14.44 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.50 | $16.50 |
| Jan 2022 | $13.99 | $19.20 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.50 | $19.86 |
| Jan 2024 | $14.70 | $16.79 |
| Jan 2025 | $4.74 | $18.99 |
| Jan 2026 | $10.97 | $15.79 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.90 | $20 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| North America | March 1988 | — |
| Europe / PAL | March 1988 | — |
| Japan | 18 October 1987 | G-1339 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1988
- Authenticity
- Low
A well-liked arcade conversion that is cheap enough to buy loose without a second thought.
Alien Syndrome began as a 1987 Sega arcade game, a side-scrolling run-and-gun about hunting aliens and saving hostages before time runs out. This is the Master System version, developed by Sanritsu and published by Sega. It reached Japan on October 18, 1987, and North America and Europe in March 1988.
It is described as one of the best-selling titles on the console, and Console XS reviewed the Master System version well.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 73% |
| Sega Pro Issue 21 | July 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 22 | August 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 85% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 77% |
“It’s a pretty good shooting arcade game; however, at the price, you may want to take a look at itin your local store before plunking down whatit willcost.”
“Two players can team up Gauntlet-style in another blast frenzy. Certainly one of the most entertaining around.”
“This gory blaster was a big arcade hit, and on the Sega it's not bad either. The graphics are of a high quality and it's fairly playable, but the poor scrolling makes it difficult to see what's coming at you. This tends to make things a bit hard, so only experienced gamers should go for this one.”
“If you can get hold of a friend, this game becomes a reál pleasure to play as you team up to explore and destroy the seven alien-infested ships.”
Before you buy
Three releases exist: US, European and Japanese. Loose, the European cart costs about the same as the US one, but a complete European copy usually costs more, so buy the US box only if you find one. The Japanese cart costs noticeably more in both conditions and is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter, so it only makes sense for a collector who wants it. The loose price is below the middle of the US-released carts, and the look-alike risk is low.
Alien Syndrome screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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