Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Data East's 1990 platformer for the NES, Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum.
Dash Galaxy is an explorer who has found himself stranded on an alien world far from Earth. Trapped aboard a rocket, the titular "Alien Asylum," he'll have to fight his way across twenty-four floors if he has any hope of escaping and making it back to his own ship.
The path through the alien ship is a sprawling maze, and the game is split into two primary play modes. The first, a Sokoban-like puzzle mode, functions as the overworld. In this mode, Dash has to push boxes around in order to clear the path between doors. Several of the obstacles he'll face in these areas can only be overcome with keys and bombs, and Dash has to search for these items in the "rocket rooms" that dot each area.
The rocket rooms play host to platforming sections that make up the game's second play mode. In these areas, Dash has to avoid enemies and gather supplies, including keys (to disable the forcefields), bombs (to clear blocks), oxygen refills, and all of the blue remotes have to be collected to unlock the exit.
There are fewer bombs and keys to be found than there are obstacles to be cleared, and since it's entirely possible to run out and find yourself completely stuck in a dead end, the maze becomes a jigsaw puzzle. Making it the end requires memorizing which rooms hold the items you need and planning a route that uses them as efficiently as possible. (If you try to play every stage, you'll find yourself in a no-win situation by the time you've cleared the six floor. In this video, I went as far as I could while being thorough, but the game eventually forced me to warp ahead to make any further progress.)
The gameplay is similar to another of Beam's games, Back to the Future Part II & III ( • Back to the Future Par... ), and as was the case with that game, Dash Galaxy's structure undermines any fun that might've otherwise been found in the game. Sure, the action scenes are way too easy, the stiff controls make playing through them a chore, and the maze sections are agonizingly tedious and slow, but it's the endless repetition that stems from the trial-and-error nature of the game's structure and the forced resets from hitting dead ends that truly buries Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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[@SomeOrangeCat]

One of those games where the box art promises you a good time, and delivers...this.

[@justman4891]

So true! Lol

[@NintendoComplete]

Dash Galaxy feels like a direct forebear to Back to the Future Part II & III. Like nerve gas in an NES cartridge.

[@spoonshiro]

Harsh. But fair!

[@christopherthibeault7502]

How exactly did these guys get the sheer chance to make Shadowrun, anyway?

[@furrymessiah]

I had the misfortune to own this game. It's terrible.

[@bigduke5902]

Dash Galaxy was the poster child for the games at the rental store that were always a bridesmaid and never a bride. It forever remained a backup rental when nothing better was available and never got it's chance.

[@DMSteeley]

This game having secrets is wild to me.

[@ThatRedHusky]

It's hard to believe this came out the same year as Mega Man 3....

[@jprogman]

If you are used to old Commodore 64 platformers, this should be up your alley. But the replay value isn't there. Once you figured out what rooms and floors to go, you can just do a lot of skipping.
I gotta admit, I was suckered to clear each door before I realized the elevator was unlocked the entire time.

[@NintendoComplete]

It reminded me of Impossible Mission, just with worse controls and nothing interesting to do.

[@JohnnyOTGS]

I always like the box art as it reminded me of Captain N's Simon Belmont.

[@devonwilliams5738]

Even for an NES game, this is a super anticlimactic finale.

[@kevindie]

*_This game kicked my three year old ass._*

[@mnemonichotpocket]

Data East is super underrated

[@danalong1237]

Despite giving us classics like Karnov, BurgerTime, Bad Dudes, RoboCop and Captain America and The Avengers!

[@bigduke5902]

How underrated can a developer that got multiple compilation releases be?

[@mnemonichotpocket]

@@bigduke5902
Super

[@infinitygenealpa]

Data East made lots of good games (eg Burgertime, Heavy Barrel, Joe & Mac), and Beam Software made a few good games (eg Nightshade, one of the best NES games of all time). But this is a rough patch on the resume’s of both companies.

[@momazos_torichad2.024]

One of the Best nes games 🔥🔥🔥❤❤

[@matsuokenta1]

I wish every NES game was as good as this one.

[@conta7619]

😂

[@Wil_Dsense]

Lol really? It looks and sounds like complete tripe.

[@burgerinabox6063]

You a big Master System fan?

[@nathannightmare1604]

What's your plan after beating ever NES game?

[@NintendoComplete]

I haven't decided yet. I suppose it'll depend on what I'm in the mood for.

[@matthewc.2578]

SMS would be cool!