The Western name for Super Aleste, Compile's vertical shooter peak on SNES. Gorgeous, snappy, essential for genre fans.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Compile vertical shoot-'em-up featuring a spacecraft battling aliens, American version. Published by Toho, released in the USA in 1992. Top-down view with chaining power-ups to multiply power, massive bosses and progressive difficulty. American version of Compile's Super Aleste under the title Space Megaforce.
Space Megaforce review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
A vertical shoot'em up by Compile of dazzling explosions, crisp ships and teeming settings: the game unfurls a science fiction of delightful readability and intensity. The density of the fire and the energy of the effects overflow with panache. This visual direction, snappy and polished, illustrates the studio's pixel-art excellence.
Signed by Compile, the music deploys a nervy, rousing electronic rock cut for the frantic action of this exceptional vertical shooter. Each level pulses with a galvanising energy that charges the chaining of power-ups. This sonic vitality, faithful to the studio's spirit, makes this classic a favourite of shooter fans.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Facing a deluge of fire in a wildly intense vertical shooter, juggling an arsenal of interchangeable weapons: this Compile title shows off the console with flair. The frantic pace, colossal bosses and varied fire options grab you without let-up. Spectacular, snappy and generous, a peak of space shooting where every weapon opens a new way to survive.
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A deluge of fire and outsized firepower define this Compile vertical shoot-'em-up, where the screen quickly fills with enemies and bullets. Choosing the right weapon from a sprawling arsenal and managing the rising intensity matter more than mere dodging. Generous yet demanding, it strings stages together relentlessly and remains one of the most complete shmups on the console.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A 1992 US SNES Compile/Toho release, the Western localisation of Super Aleste. The US cart is rarer than the European PAL version 'Super Aleste' and stands as one of the most identifiable US Compile SNES titles. Boxed CIB in an intact box with manual is valued by US Compile shmup collectors, and the cote climbs steadily, sustained by physical scarcity and by the global aura of the Aleste/Star Soldier line.
Memorable bosses
A show of force from Compile, this vertical shooter unleashes an unbroken stream of gigantic guardians, often split into several targets to neutralize. The leveled weapon system rewards aggression while demanding precise positioning under fire. A frantic pace, imposing mechanical design and drawn-out bosses make it one of the console's most generous and snappy shmups.
An underrated gem
A pinnacle of vertical shooting on the console, this Compile production boasts a teeming arsenal, oversized bosses and perfectly judged pacing. Released under different names depending on the region, it never got the visibility it deserved against the genre's giants. Rich and exhilarating, it stands as a benchmark for shooter fans.
Is Space Megaforce still worth playing in 2026?
Super Aleste, also released as Space Megaforce in America, is a Compile vertical shoot up at the top of its game, namely a cartridge packed with upgradable weapons and stages with breakneck scrolling. The handling stays precise even amid notable enemy density and the soundtrack remains among the most thunderous of the genre. Recommended to demanding vertical shmup fans and to those curious about Compile at its peak, especially for anyone aiming to master a long, dense cartridge.
