Play Alien Syndrome Online

Summary

Alien Syndrome drops you into a frantic rescue mission where a time‑bomb threatens an alien‑infested out‑colony. The premise is simple: bust through sector after sector, loot the high‑tech weapon caches, and free the hostages before the blast wipes everything out. Super Aliens lurk in the deeper zones, each more grotesque than the last, and a final boss guards the escape route back to your ship.

The arcade cabinet was a sleek Sega unit, but many U.S. arcades ran a Sun Corporation conversion kit stamped with a purple‑hued control overlay and a marquee that swapped the Sega logo for a "Licensed from SEGA" badge. The boardsets themselves are dated 1986, hinting at the tight development schedule behind the 1987 launch.

The game’s reputation spread quickly: Japanese trade magazines listed it among the top table units of 1987, and reviewers praised its horror‑laden atmosphere, chilling sound effects, and addictive run‑and‑gun action. Its popularity earned ports to everything from the Master System—where it became a bestseller—to the NES, Amiga, and even a PlayStation 2 remake with analog‑stick controls.

Decades later, Alien Syndrome resurfaced as an unlockable in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, proving that the frantic alien‑blasting formula still holds a nostalgic punch for retro fans.

Storyline

Alien Syndrome sends you and a partner to several alien‑infested space stations where you must rescue children and defeat the final boss before returning to your ship. You can control either the male soldier Ricky or the female soldier Mary, navigating large eight‑way scrolling levels while hunting the alien hordes.

At the start of each stage a time bomb is set aboard the ship, so you must free the hostages before the clock runs out or the vessel is destroyed. Two players can team up, each piloting one of the soldiers, to clear the seven levels. After completing all stages the game restarts with more aggressive aliens and a shorter timer, increasing the challenge.