Aleste 2

Aleste 2 (アレスタ2) is a side-scrolling shooter for the MSX2, created and published by Compile in 1989. It was only released in Japan. This game follows the original Aleste and introduces Ellinor, the series' recurring heroine. Like other Compile shooters, it was also made available on the now-defunct WOOMB service. A digital version for Windows was released by ProjectEGG in Japan, but no official English translation was provided at that time.

In terms of gameplay, the player pilots a spaceship over a scrolling landscape, much like the first Aleste. The core mechanics are similar, with multiple weapons obtained by picking up corresponding icons. A new addition lets the player choose a starting secondary weapon before the game begins, and this chosen weapon becomes more powerful over time.

The story is set in 2039, twenty years after the supercomputer DIA 51 attacked and devastated Earth. Following a long recovery, Earth is invaded by the Vagand, a race of plant-like humanoids seeking a new food source. During their first assault, the Vagand destroy an Earth space cruiser commanded by the previous hero, Ray Waizen. His daughter, Ellinor, pilots the latest Aleste ship, vowing to avenge her father and personally kill the Vagand leader, Gaizel.

Former Compile staff Yuichi Toyama and Kazuyuki Nakashima have said that a prototype of Aleste 2 was developed for the Sega Mega Drive, but it was eventually reworked into MUSHA.

Retro Gamer listed Aleste 2 among the top ten MSX games. While noting that all three Aleste titles for the MSX are worth seeking out, they singled out this entry for its superb visuals, the ability to select weapons at the start, and for being the first canonical appearance of the recurring protagonist Ellinor.