Power Strike II is a vertical-scrolling
shoot 'em up game. The plot takes place in the early 1930s, where people have lived in poverty since the
Great Depression, which led many pilots to become sky pirates for survival after being laid off from their jobs. The player takes on the role of a Pothunter, pilot of the Falcon Flyer aircraft who earns a living by shooting down pirates. Prior to starting, a configuration menu is presented where multiple option settings can be altered. Its gameplay follows the same conventions as the original
Power Strike, albeit with improvements carried from
Aleste 2; The player controls Falcon Flyer through eight increasingly difficult stages over a constantly scrolling background, populated with an assortment of enemy forces and obstacles, and the scenery never stops moving until a
boss is reached, which must be fought to progress further. The player has a main weapon that can be powered up by collecting "Power Chips". There are also seven different special weapons that can be picked up and upgraded if the same weapon is picked up that is currently being used. The Falcon Flyer is equipped with a speed setting, which can be increased or decreased across three levels by pressing its dedicated button. The player can also collect two spinning satellites, which affect the strength, speed, and spread of the ship's main weapon. New to the
Aleste series is the addition of a charged attack, which is fired by letting go the fire button after a determined time period. If hit while a special weapon is equipped, the player will lose the special weapon but remain alive. Getting hit without a special weapon will result in losing a life, as well as a penalty of decreasing the Falcon Flyer's firepower to its original state and the
game is over once all lives are lost, though the player has limited continues to keep playing. == Development and release ==