Alpha Mission is a single-player, top-down scrolling, space shooter video game developed by SNK for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Its gameplay is rooted in shoot 'em up genre, encompassing elements such as power-ups, health upgrades and varying enemy encounters. Players control the SYD spaceship, traveling through different alien worlds and space stations, battling extraterrestrial enemy spaceships, robots, and bosses. The game's principal aspect is the strategic use of two types of weaponry - air-to-air and air-to-ground, providing a challenge for gamers.