ALESTE

VISITING A JAPANESE GAME CENTER IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. NOT ONLY FOR THE CLASSICS, BUT ALSO FOR MODERN RELEASES LIKE M2'S SENXIN ALESTE – A GAME THAT FEELS LIKE A WONDERFUL HYBRID OF CLASSIC ALESTE AND CAVE-STYLE BULLET HELL SHOOTING!

- WORDS BY THOMAS NICKEL

After acquiring the Aleste licence, Japanese developer M2 wasn't just content bringing classic games to modern hardware; it also quickly announced a brand-new game named Aleste Branch. While we're still holding out for this nearly completed project, another game called SenXin Aleste was released to Japanese Game Centers on 15 July 2021 – right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What might seem like bad timing today actually had a profound impact on the game's design, as producer and M2 CEO Naoki Horii explains.

That is, especially for a shooting game, unusual and a factor that makes SenXin Aleste rather unique. Over the course of its five stages, the game sports beautiful pixel art, a banging soundtrack and some spectacular bosses, but it's the balance between accessibility and challenge that makes SenXin stand out. New players starting on a lower difficulty setting are going to have a great time, but thanks to smart scoring mechanics, professional high-score chasers are also served well. The most prominent aspect, however, are the game's four playable characters.