Gradius is a horizontally-scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Konami in 1985.
| Gradius | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, NES, Commodore 64, Game Boy |
| Release | 1985 |
| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Description
The player controls the trans-dimensional spaceship Vic Viper, and must battle waves of enemies through various different environments. Gradius is the first shoot 'em up to use the selection bar power-up system. Released under the title Nemesis in some markets (notably the U.K.), the name Gradius may be an Engrish mistranslation of Gladius, Latin for "sword."
Features
Weapon system
When gameplay begins, the Vic Viper is relatively slow and has only a weak gun. This level of capability is generally insufficient for fighting enemies, but the Vic Viper can gain greater capabilities by collecting and using power up items.
Gradius was the first shoot 'em up to use the 'selection bar' power-up method, which has since been adopted by many other scrolling shooters. While most arcade action games utilize distinct power up-items that each correspond to a specific effect on the player character, Gradius has a single power-up item. The effect of this power-up item is to advance the currently selected item in a power up menu that appears at the bottom of the screen. When the desired power up is highlighted, the player can obtain it by pressing the power up button, returning the menu to its initial state in which no power up is highlighted.
Power-ups
- SPEED UP: This power up increases the speed of the Vic Viper's movement; usually needed at the beginning of the game or when restarting an area after the Vic Viper has been destroyed, because the initial speed of the Vic Viper is much too slow to comfortably avoid enemy attacks. This power up may be triggered multiple times to achieve greater speed, but there is a danger in increasing the speed too much, resulting in a lack of precise control needed to avoid collision with terrain or enemy characters. There are sometimes ways to counteract this. In Gradius III, the player could select "Speed Down" as their "!" power-up. In Gradius V, after five Speed Up's, you are given the option of InitSpeed which returns the speed to its original state. It should be noted that the speed increase in Gradius V is smaller than in the rest of the games, as you need 4 Speed Ups to move at the same speed as you would if you got 2 in Gradius III or IV.
- MISSILE: This power up adds a secondary projectile weapon. Arcade versions of Gradius games usually have a separate button for firing this projectile, while home console and computer versions usually use the same button for both this and the primary projectile weapon (as well as rapid fire). In the original Gradius, the weapon is a missile that fires downward and to the right, travelling downhill along the ground. Most Gradius "missile" weapons are a variation on this concept, including the Hawk Wind (both up and down at an angle to the rear) and Photon Torpedos (same as Missile, but explodes upon impact).
- DOUBLE: This power up adds a second projectile weapon identical in power and firing rate to the standard gun. In the original Gradius, this second gun fires at a 45 degree angle up and to the right. In later Gradius games, it may fire in a different direction depending on a choice made by the player before the game starts, such as to the rear (Tail Gun). The Vic Viper cannot have Double and Laser at the same time. If Laser is chosen while Double is being used, Double will be lost.
- LASER: This power up changes the standard gun into a laser weapon that fires to the right. The laser weapon does substantially more damage than the standard gun, and can be controlled to a certain extent while it is being fired by moving the Vic Viper vertically; this can be used to quickly destroy a group of enemies. Later Gradius games introduced variations on the laser, such as Ripple (a series of expanding plasma rings shoot out), Cyclone (a powerful penetrating laser which remains on screen longer) and Twin Laser (fires with a more gun-like repetition and method). The Vic Viper cannot have Laser and Double at the same time. If Double is chosen while Laser is being used, Laser will be lost.
- OPTION: Options are glowing elliptical entities that mimic the movement and attacks of the Vic Viper, resulting in greatly increased attack capability. Furthermore, Options are invulnerable, making them additionally useful in certain situations if you need to shoot at something right behind a barrier. All attack power ups possessed by Vic Viper are also possessed by each Option. In most Gradius games, up to four Options can be obtained, and if you crash, you have a limited time to "retrieve" the now-floating pods before losing them to the auto-scroll behind you. Also referred to as "Multiples" in some games in the series.
- ? (SHIELD): This power up adds a projectile-blocking shield to the front of the Vic Viper. The shield is destroyed after a certain number of absorbed projectiles. In later Gradius games, it is also usually labeled with an appropriate power up label instead of the less than informative question mark. Later iterations of "?" include Force Field (360° protection against 3 hits), Reduce (shrinks the Vic Viper), and Limit (temporary invulnerability).
- ! (MEGA CRUSH): This powerup has appeared in several Gradius games, but only appears on the gauge in Gradius III. In all Gradius games, it comes in the form of a blueish version of the Power Capsule used to power up Vic Viper. Upon picking up one of these blue capsules, all onscreen enemies are immediately destroyed. In some Gradius games, it also wipes all enemy projectiles or "bullets" off the screen as well. In Gradius III, it appears as both a blue capsule, but can also be used by highlighting the ! slot on the Power Gauge, in this case, the pickup merely wiped out enemies, while the Power Gauge version also destroyed all enemy bullets and awarded points for enemies destroyed.
Home console and portable versions of Gradius spawned the now-legendary Konami Code, considered by some to be one of the defining elements of Gradius. The code (traditionally Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A; variants also exist), when entered while the game is paused, grants the player most of the available power ups. While this is essentially a cheat code, the player is only allowed a limited number of uses, suggesting that this is meant only as a limited adjustment of the difficulty. In most cases, the limit starts at one use and an additional use is granted for each completed level. An interesting exception to this rule is Gradius III for the SNES/SFC, where entering the original NES version of the code destroys you, rather than powering you up. Substituting L and R for Left and Right will grant the proper effect, however. While this is a well-known feature among Gradius fans, many video game enthusiasts more closely associate the "Konami Code" with the NES version of Contra, a later Konami game in which the code can be entered at the title screen to grant the player 30 lives.
Reoccuring Gameplay Elements
There are several gameplay elements that are common to almost all the Gradius games. These include, but are not limited to:
- Core Warships: The first boss of the original Gradius featured a weak point in the form of a blue core protected by several barriers. Since then, there have been several different varieties of core warships that feature anywhere from one to five different cores that must be targeted in order to defeat the boss.
- Moai: For some reason these famous statues appeared as enemies in the first game. They're mounted on either side of the ground (which are flat free-floating platforms) and fire a series of colorful rings at the Vic Viper. The weak point is at the mouth, when open. Because they face at an angle or lie flat on the ground, the up-facing Moai are best destroyed with missiles. Since then they have become so intertwined with the series it is not uncommon for them to cameo in other Konami games. There have even been four games where the Moai have even been a playable character. The first being in an action platform game with Konami characters called Wai Wai World and a platform/puzzle named Moai-Kun, both for the Famicom. Later he appeared in a racing game titled Konami Wai Wai Racing Advance (US title: Konami Krazy Racers) for the Game Boy Advance and in a fighting game DreamMix TV: World Fighters for the Gamecube and Playstation 2. It should be noted that Moai are strangely absent from Gradius V.
- Easy Final Bosses: Unlike most other shumps, as well as most video games in general, the final boss of most Gradius games is surprisingly easy given the difficulty of the final stage and previous bosses. The final boss is usually brain-like in appearance and sometimes taunts the player in a brief "this is only the beginning"-type speech immediately before destruction. It can usually be vanquished by shooting once at a number of cores without any retaliation whatsoever from the boss. In Gradius III, the boss fires three energy attacks that move very slowly and can be easily avoided. This boss can be defeated without shooting at it, as it will self-destruct after repeated attacks, although the player can opt to do so.
- Multiple Loops: After the credits roll at the end of the game, the game restarts at the first stage with the Vic Viper stripped of all power-ups. This second loop is much more difficult, in the sense that enemies fly faster and fire more times at once at the player, some stages and bosses are noticeably different in appearance and larger enemies (those that are defeated in more than one hit) spread a number of bullets in all directions or toward the player after destruction. The final boss is still easy to conquer, however. This cycle continues, each loop getting subsequently harder in the aspects listed above, until the player exhausts all of his reserve ships and chooses not to continue.
Legacy
There have been nine games that are direct members of the Gradius series. These are: (note that the known platform listings are probably incomplete):
===Gradius=== (1985) - Originally released as an arcade game, and later ported to other platforms. It is known to exist on the following platforms: Nintendo Famicom, Nintendo Entertainment System, MSX, NEC PC Engine, SEGA Saturn (packaged with Gradius 2 as Gradius Deluxe Pack), Sony PlayStation (packaged with Gradius 2 as Gradius Deluxe Pack). In some areas, Gradius was released under the name Nemesis. In Japan, a special version of the game exists for the Famicom. It was given away as a prize by ArchiMENdes, a ramen noodle company. The Vic Viper would power up using cups of ramen noodles rather than the usual pods. The cart itself is quite rare, and considered a collector's item.
Important: "Gradius" (original arcade version) and "Vs. Gradius" (based on the Famicom/NES version) are two separate arcade versions of the same game, the difference being that the Vs. version had two sets of controls, where the original had one set shared by two players in turn.
===Gradius 2 (MSX version)=== (1987) - The first sequel to be produced exclusively for the MSX, and the first Gradius to have a graphic intro detailing the plot. Also, it had the unique feature of acquiring weapons from a defeated boss. It was later given a facelift and released on the Sharp X68000 computer as Nemesis '90. It is known to exist on the following platforms: MSX, Sharp X68000. Called Nemesis 2 in Europe.
===Gradius II=== (1988) - Fully titled グラディウスⅡ ～ＧＯＦＥＲの野望～ Gradius II: Gofer no Yabō ("Gradius II: The Ambition of Gofer"). Originally released as an arcade game, and later ported to other platforms. This version is completely different from the MSX Gradius 2 mentioned above. It is known to exist on the following platforms: Nintendo Famicom, MSX, NEC PC Engine, Sega Saturn (packaged with Gradius as Gradius Deluxe Pack), Sony PlayStation (packaged with Gradius as Gradius Deluxe Pack). In Europe, Gradius II was released under the name Vulcan Venture. The MSX version was released as ゴーファーの野望 -EPISODE II- Gofer no Yabō: Episode II to distinguish it from the earlier Gradius sequel for the MSX and was retitled Nemesis 3: Eve of Destruction in Europe. The MSX game has extra options, like the ability to choose between ships. A catching tune from the first level in the game, titled "Burning Heat", became popular as a remix in the Dance Dance Revolution series on the Playstation 2/Xbox/Arcade with the changing background featuring 3D renderings of the Vic Viper flying around, shooting enemies, as well as the arches of fire that come out from the meteors in the first level.
This game was never released in the United States in any form (Lifeforce, known as "Salamander" in Japan, was marketed as the "sequel" to Gradius).
===Gradius III=== (1989) - Fully titled グラディウスIII -伝説から神話へ- Gradius III: Densetsu kara Shinwa e ("Gradius III: From Legend to Myth") in Japan. Originally released as an arcade game, and later ported to other platforms. It is known to exist on the following platforms: Nintendo Super Famicom, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sony PlayStation 2 (packaged with Gradius IV). This game introduced the "edit mode" method of selecting weapons, which allowed players to create their own weapon array by choosing power-ups from a rather limited pool of available weapon types (some weapons in the preset weapon types are not selectable in Edit Mode, although it includes weapons not in any presets). The SNES/SFC version is not a very accurate port; levels, enemies, and weapons were altered. For example, two entire stages were cut from the Super Nintendo version: a 3D stage which involved avoiding hitting cave walls from a unique first-person perspective behind the Vic Viper, and a crystal stage in which the Vic Viper was challenged by crystal blocks blocking off areas like a maze. Also, the order of stages was changed. The final stage in the SNES version was based on an early stage in the arcade version. The original arcade version's ending had the main boss in a mechanical setting, then going through a speed-up zone to escape the enemy base, where the SNES version had the player simply avoiding the final enemy's laughably simple and slow-moving attack patterns with no challenge afterward. However, the SNES version introduced the Rotate and Formation Option types, both of which were reused in Gradius V. The difficulty and major boss tactics were toned down to make it easier. In a sense, it's almost a remix of the arcade game. The original arcade version is available for PlayStation 2 bundled with Gradius IV (Gradius III & IV), although the port has some slight differences from the original. Preferences between SNES/SFC and arcade versions vary among fans.
===Nemesis=== (1989) - The first Gradius for a portable system, in this case Nintendo's Game Boy. The name Nemesis was kept for the game's worldwide release. It combined elements from Gradius and Gradius II, as well as some all-new features. It is known to exist on the following platforms: Nintendo Game Boy.
===Gradius: The Interstellar Assault=== (1992) - Another Gradius game exclusively for the Game Boy. It was one of the biggest Game Boy carts in existence at the time (2 meg!), and was completely different from the rest of the series - most of them used music, enemies, bosses and even levels from previous games in the series, but this one did not, except for the boss music from the first Gradius game with the addition of a small original part to the piece. It is known as Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero in Europe. It is known to exist on the following platforms: Nintendo Game Boy.
===Gradius 外伝=== (1997) - Romanized as "Gradius Gaiden". The first Gradius produced exclusively for a home console, and widely considered one of the best games in the series; however, it was never released outside of Japan. This is also the only Gradius game (other than GOFER no Yabou Episode II on the MSX) where you can select which ship you want to use. Gradius Gaiden includes the Lord British Space Destroyer from Salamander and two (relative) newcomers -- the Jade Knight and the Falchion ß (a variation of the ship from the NES game Falsion). It is known to exist on the following platforms: Sony PlayStation. There are two variations - the original release, and as part of the "Sony PlayStation The Best" line (equivalent to "PlayStation Greatest Hits" in North America or "PlayStation Platinum" in PAL regions). No in-game differences between the two versions have been reported. This is also the first Gradius game (not counting the Salamander series) which allows two players to play simultaneously (i.e. allowing two ships on screen). Additionally, it featured the revolutionary Gauge Edit feature, allowing players to rearrange the Weapon Gauge as they see fit.
===Gradius IV -復活-=== (1999) - Released in Japanese arcades as "Gradius IV Fukkatsu" (Fukkatsu being Japanese for "resurrection", since it was the first arcade Gradius game in 10 years, following Gradius III), Gradius IV was the first Gradius game ported to the PlayStation 2. IV lacked the Weapon Edit function of its predecessor, but it had a bigger array of weaponry than the original Gradius games. Weapons exclusive to this game included the Vertical Mine missile (which detonates in a vertical line shortly after deployment) and the Armor Piercing laser (a shorter, more powerful laser). Released on the PS2 as a compilation pack together with the arcade version of Gradius III ("Gradius III & IV").
===Gradius Galaxies=== (2001) - The first Gradius to be created by a development team other than Konami's own internal teams (by Mobile 21 Studios, to be exact). It exists for the Game Boy Advance. It is known as Gradius Advance in Europe, and as Gradius Generation in Japan. The Japanese version, being the last to be released, had a few exclusive Challenge Modes added that the other versions did not, and had an additional invisible 5000 point bonus in one of the levels.
===Gradius V=== (2004)
Gradius V was released in September 2004 for the PlayStation 2. Graphics are rendered in full 3D, although gameplay is still mostly 2D; some areas change the position and perspective of the camera to emphasize the 3D environment.
It was the first official Gradius sequel to be released exclusively on a home console. Treasure Co. Ltd (developers of the classic games Gunstar Heroes, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga, among others) assisted Konami in Gradius V development. In Japanese first press limited edition, the game included a book indicating inner design, the background, and the roadmap of Vic Viper series (i.e. Vic Viper is the name of a series, rather than a single ship).
A notable feature of Gradius V is the ability to select between different kinds of Option (called Multiples in the American release). There are four types:
- Freeze - follows the Vic Viper and can be made to 'freeze' in their current configuration.
- Directional - follows the Vic Viper and can be made to fire in any direction.
- Spacing - keeps position above or below the Vic Viper and can be pushed away or pulled toward the ship.
- Rotate - follows the Vic Viper and can be made to orbit the ship.
Gradius V also features a simultaneous cooperative two player mode, the second game in the series to do so (fourth counting the Salamander/Life Force games).
Gradius VI
A new Gradius game was announced at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show [1] for the Playstation 3.
Spin-offs of the Gradius series
Parodius
The Parodius series, started in 1990, also made by Konami, is similar to Gradius, but with more cartoony settings. The name is a portmanteau of "parody" and "Gradius". Early games focused mainly on parodying Gradius games, but more recent games have poked fun at other Konami franchises, including Castlevania and Goemon.
Salamander (沙羅曼蛇)
Salamander (1986) is set in the same universe as Gradius. The game is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Most prominently, the game switches between horizontal and vertical stages, one of the first games of its kinds. Also, Salamander was one of the first shooters to include simultaneous two player games.
The first player ship is Gradius's own Vic Viper ship, while the second ship is the Lord British space destroyer (sometimes called the "RoadBritish").
Unlike Gradius, Salamander uses a more conventional weapons system, with enemies leaving a wide-variety of distinct power-ups. The NES version of Salamander, called Life Force in North America (and marketed in that region as the "sequel" to the first Gradius), and the MSX port, used the more traditional power-up bar used in the Gradius series. There also exists an arcade game named Life Force that is identical to Salamander released in Japanese arcades the same year, except that a Gradius-style power-up bar is used instead of conventional power-up items, and the stages were recolored slightly and given some voiceovers to make the mission about travelling inside someone's body, rather than through space; stages took on names such as 'Kidney Zone' and 'Stomach'. An American release was also made, but it retained the original power-up system of Salamander.
Salamander 2 (沙羅曼蛇2)
Salamander 2 (1996) is the follow-up for Salamander. Had several interesting features, such as the Option Shot, the ability to launch the Options as homing projectiles. After firing, an Option would revert to a smaller, less powerful unit called an Option Seed, which revolves around the ship firing the default shot. Weaponry includes Twin Laser, Ripple Laser, and standard Laser. Like its predecessor, Salamander 2 uses a power-up system, rather than the Life Meter. Upon acquiring a second power-up of the same type, your weapons are twice as powerful for a short duration (~10 seconds). The game features variations of classic Salamander bosses, such as the Gorem, Teto-Ran II, and CenterCore II. Template:Spoiler Salamander 2's final boss, known as "Giga," is one of the very few final bosses of Gradius-based games to actually provide challenge, compared to the easy-to-defeat "joke" final bosses of most Gradius games.
Solar Assault
Also by Konami, Solar Assault is an arcade 3D rail shooter in the lines of Star Fox or Panzer Dragoon, with Gradius's settings. As usual, Vic Viper makes an appearance here. This game was very obscure and was never ported to any system.
Zone of the Enders: the 2nd Runner
One of the mecha seen in the game is called Vic Viper, or V2, and is a transformable mecha whose fighter mode resembles the ship from Gradius. The V2's fighter mode also uses many of the series' signature weapons, such as Options, shields, and ripple lasers. It is piloted by the hero of the previous Zone of the Enders game, Leo Stenbuck.
Hidden in the game is also a single-stage minigame called 'Zoradius', which plays similar to Gradius, but with a view from behind the V2.
Gracillus IV
The game-creation software Klik & Play included a number of "example" games, one of which was Gracillus IV. The player controlled a ship which could be upgraded using the same power-up system as Gradius.