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Back in 2020, shmup specialists M2 gathered together the titles from its long-running Aleste series and released them on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch as the succinctly titled Aleste Collection. As a special treat, M2 included a brand-new Aleste title, GG Aleste 3, coded for Sega's handheld platform Game Gear.
While no standalone or physical edition of GG Aleste 3 ever materialised, fans were able to play it directly on Game Gear hardware via the use of a ripped ROM. Back in June, mod squad Morb successfully ported the shmup sequel to the Master System. Now it seems that the holy trinity is set for completion, as Blast Processing Arcade has completed its work bringing GG Aleste 3 to the Mega Drive.
The MD port of GG Aleste 3 purports to capture all the gameplay of its 8-bit brethren, with a few additional upgrades courtesy of the Mega Drive's advanced processing power. The MD port offers an exclusive Stereo FM YM2612 conversion of the original soundtrack, along with a new HUD, an optimised colour palette, S-RAM save capabilities, and 60 FPS gameplay, with the removal of slowdown and sprite flicker.
According to the team, development is "100% Complete", with the ROM having been successfully tested on original Sega Mega Drive hardware. Interested parties are asked to "stay tuned" for further news.
GG Aleste 3 wowed players on arrival, pushing the humble Game Gear's capabilities to its absolute limits and delivering one of the best shmups the platform has to offer. It will be interesting to see just what the Blast Processing Arcade team has done to optimise this ultra-niche sequel for the 16-bit console. Given the Mega Drive's penchant for excellent shmups, GG Aleste 3 should feel right at home.
All that said, we're still itching for an official physical cart, M2, if you have one to hand.
Aleste Collection is available now on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch platforms.