Alien Syndrome is an overhead free-scrolling shooting game for one or two players, similar in a vein to Gauntlet. Your mission is to board spaceships that have been taken over by hostile aliens. You must rescue ten hostage children and exit the ship safely before the time bomb set by the aliens explodes. A boss enemy is always blocking your escape from each ship and must be destroyed before you can proceed. On each ship, there is an assortment of weapons placed along the walls. You may also pick up mini-robots which will follow you and fire blasts behind you. Weapons include flame-throwers, fire balls, laser beams, and exploding pods. You may also consult maps placed on the walls to find the location of hostages and the exit. Two players can play simultaneously.

~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide