is a series of
shooter
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, Bow and arrow, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or Blowgun, blowpipe). Even the acts of launching Flamethrower, flame, artillery, Dart (missile), darts, ha ...
video games, introduced in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, developed and published by
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*''
Scramble
Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game
Music Albums
* ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers
* ''Scrambles'' (album)
...
'' (1981)
An early horizontal-scrolling shooter from which gameplay elements of the Gradius series were inspired. Although there is no canonical relationship between ''Scramble'' and the Gradius series, ''Scramble'' is implied to be a spiritual predecessor to the series, evident by its appearance in flashbacks during Gradius introduction sequences. (''
Gradius Advance'') ''Scramble'' has been ported to other platforms; including
MSX and
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
. In 2002, ''Scramble'' appeared on
GBA
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
as one of the titles featured in ''Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced'' as well as later Konami game compilations for
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
and
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
.
*''
Gradius
is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*''Scr ...
'' (1985)
The first true Gradius game to introduce the concept of the 'weapon bar'. During the game, many enemy craft leave behind icons or 'pick ups' when destroyed. Collecting one of these will shift the selection cursor along the weapon bar at the bottom of the screen. The player can then select the weapon highlighted if they want it. The cursor then resets. In general, the more useful 'power ups' are towards the right hand side of the bar, so the player may decide to stock up on pickups until the better item is available. This innovation allowed for deeper tactics on the part of the player and for greater freedom of weapon choice rather than relying on the pre-determined power ups common in other games in the genre. Originally released as an
arcade game
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
, its popularity resulted in ports to the:
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as t ...
,
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
,
NES/Famicom,
MSX,
Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
,
Sharp X68000
The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan.
The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...
,
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...
and
PC Engine
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though ...
. More recently, ports to the
Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
,
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, and certain mobile phones were created. (Saturn, PlayStation and computer versions are all packaged with ''Gradius II'' as ''Gradius Deluxe Pack''). In addition, the NES version was re-released for
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
,
NES Classic Edition
NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console by Nintendo, which emulates the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It launched on November 10, 2016 in Australia and Japan, and November 11, 2016 in North America and Europe. Aesthet ...
and the PC Engine version on the
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
. In territories outside Japan, the arcade and MSX versions of ''Gradius'' were released under the title ''Nemesis''.
*''
Salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
/Life Force'' (1986)
Set in the same continuity 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 kind and was also one of the first shoot'em ups to include
cooperative gameplay Cooperative game may refer to:
* Cooperative board game, board games in which players work together to achieve a common goal
* Cooperative game theory, in game theory, a game with competition between groups of players and the possibility of cooperat ...
.
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") which is based on the
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
. Unlike ''Gradius'', ''Salamander'' uses a more conventional weapons system, with enemies leaving a wide variety of distinct power-ups. The
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
version of ''Salamander'', called ''Life Force'' in North America (and marketed in that region as the "sequel" to the first ''Gradius''), and the
MSX version used the power meter from 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 meter is used instead of conventional power-up items, and the stages were recolored slightly and given some voiceovers to make the mission about traveling 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'', though it was renamed as ''Life Force''.
*''
Nemesis 2'' (1987)
The
MSX ''Gradius 2'' is unrelated to the second arcade ''Gradius'' game (which used the Roman numeral "II"). Instead of controlling Vic Viper, the available ship is called "Metalion" (code name N322). Like the MSX version of ''Salamander'', this game also has a storyline, which is told by cutscenes. The gameplay is mostly unchanged from the rest of the series, though there are some power-ups that temporarily give the ship some enhancements. In addition, when the bosses are defeated, the Metalion can fly inside them before they explode, and a mini-level will start that awards weapon upgrades when finished without dying, depending on the speed at which the boss was defeated. In the same year
Zemina
Zemina (Korean: 재미나, originally 제미나) was a South Korean software maker brand of Saehan Trading (Korean: 새한 상사) founded in 1981. They primarily made games for the Daewoo Zemmix, but because it was an MSX computer made to loo ...
released a version for the Korean
Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
. This version was ported to the Sharp X68000 computer under the name ''Nemesis '90 Kai'', with a number of graphical and aural enhancements. A graphically enhanced version with smooth scrolling appeared in the Japan exclusive PSP ''Salamander Portable'' collection.
*''
Gradius II
''Gradius II'' (also known as ''Vulcan Venture'' in arcades outside Japan) is a side-scrolling shooter game. Originally released for the arcades in Japan in 1988, it is the sequel to original ''Gradius'' and was succeeded by '' Gradius III''. Po ...
'' (1988)
Bearing no relation to the MSX game titled ''Gradius 2'', ''Gradius II'' is the sequel to ''Gradius'' in terms of chronology. The game did not see a North American release until 2006 as part of the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
title ''
Gradius Collection
is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*'' Scr ...
''. On November 12, 2020 it was released on the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives series. It was released as ''Vulcan Venture'' in territories outside Japan.
*''
Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction'' (1988)
The fourth game of the series to be released for the MSX platform. "Gofer no Yabō" (GOFERの野望) is coincidentally also the subtitle of ''Gradius II'' for arcade. Like the other MSX titles in the series, Nemesis 3 has an over-arcing plot depicted through the use of narrative cut-scenes. Nemesis 3 retains Gradius 2's weapon capture system, although weapons are obtained by navigating the player's ship into secret alcoves scattered throughout stages rather than entering enemy core ships. The game additionally allows the player to select a preset weapon configuration before starting.
*''
Gradius III
''Gradius III'' is a 1989 scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami, originally released for the arcades in Japan and other parts of Asia on December 11, 1989. It is the third game in the ''Gradius'' series. The game was por ...
'' (1989)
This title introduced the Weapon Edit method of selecting weapons, which allowed players to create their own weapon array by choosing power-ups from a limited pool of available weapon types (some weapons in the preset weapon types are not selectable in Weapon 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 out in the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
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, whereas the SNES version had the player simply avoiding the final enemy's 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. The original arcade version is available for PlayStation 2 bundled with ''Gradius IV'' (''Gradius III and IV''), although the port has some slight differences from the original.
*''Picadilly Gradius'' (1989)
Only released in Japan, rather than a video game this spin-off game is a token gambling game with a Gradius theme.
*''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'' (1990)
The first ''Gradius'' for a portable system, in this case Nintendo's
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
. The name ''Nemesis'' was kept for the game's worldwide release, as the game retains some of the elements that were otherwise exclusive to the MSX titles, such as hidden bonus stages. It was later ported with full color support as one of the four games in the
Konami GB Collection
''Konami GB Collection'' is a series of video game compilations composed of four volumes released in Japan for the Game Boy and re-released in Euro regions for the Game Boy Color. The compilations were originally released from 1997 to 1998 in Jap ...
Vol. 1 for
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
entitled "Gradius".
*''
Gradius: The Interstellar Assault'' (1991)
Another ''Gradius'' game exclusively for the Game Boy. It was one of the larger Game Boy carts in existence at the time (2-
Megabit
The megabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information. The prefix mega (symbol M) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 106 (1 million), and therefore
:1 megabit = = = 1000 kilobits.
The megabit h ...
s), 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. A little bit of the "between levels" music from ''Gradius III'' can also be found at the very first part of the game. It was released as ''Nemesis II'' in Japan and as ''Nemesis II: Return of the Hero'' in Europe.
*''
Salamander 2
is a 1996 horizontal-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Konami. It is the direct sequel to ''Salamander'' (1986) and the third game in the ''Salamander'' series, which itself is a spin-off of the ''Gradius'' fran ...
'' (1996)
The follow-up to ''Salamander''. It had several unique 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 conventional power-up system, rather than the ''Gradius'' power meter. Upon acquiring a second power-up of the same type, the player's weapons are twice as powerful for a short duration (10 seconds). The game features variations of previous ''Salamander'' bosses, such as the Golem and Tetran.
*''
Gradius Gaiden
is a 1997 horizontal-scrolling shooter video game developed and published for the PlayStation by Konami. Players control one of four different starships in their mission to eradicate the Bacteria army from destroying the planet Gradius. Gameplay ...
'' (1997)
The first ''Gradius'' produced exclusively for a home console. This is also the only ''Gradius'' game (other than ''Gofer no Yabō Episode II'' on the MSX) where players can select which ship they wish to use. ''Gradius Gaiden'' includes the Lord British Space Destroyer from ''Salamander'' and two (relative) newcomers: the Jade Knight and the Falchion β (a variation of the ship from the
Famicom Disk System
The commonly shortened to the Famicom Disk System or just Disk System, is a peripheral for Nintendo's Nintendo Entertainment System, Family Computer home video game console, released only in Japan on February 21, 1986. It uses proprietary flopp ...
game ''Falsion''). It was originally released for the PlayStation console and ported in 2006 as part of ''Gradius Collection'' for the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
. In 2019, it was included in the Japanese version of the
PlayStation Classic
The PlayStation Classic is a Dedicated console, dedicated video game console by Sony Interactive Entertainment that emulates games originally released on its 1994 PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. It was announced in September 2018 at ...
mini console.
*''
Solar Assault
is a three-dimensional shoot 'em up released by Konami in 1997. A spin-off of the long running ''Gradius'' series, the title retains most of the gameplay characteristics of its 2D counterparts including the same powerups and display system.
Gam ...
'' (1997)
''Solar Assault'' is an arcade 3D
rail shooter
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
in the lines of ''
Star Fox
is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagoni ...
'' or ''
Panzer Dragoon
''Panzer Dragoon'' is a series of video games by Sega. The first three games were developed in the 1990s by Sega's Team Andromeda for the Sega Saturn. The fourth, ''Panzer Dragoon Orta'' (2002), was developed by Sega's Smilebit team for the Xbox ...
'', with ''Gradiuss settings. As usual, Vic Viper makes an appearance here, with two other ship choices available: Lord British and Alpina. This game was very obscure and was never ported to any console system.
*''
Gradius IV
is the fourth arcade game, arcade installment in a series of Scrolling shooters, scrolling shooter video games developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. It was preceded by ''Gradius III'', released in 1989 in video gaming, 1989, although s ...
'' (1999)
Released in Japanese arcades as ''Gradius IV Fukkatsu'' ("fukkatsu" (復活) being Japanese for "revival", since it was the first arcade ''Gradius'' game in 10 years, following 1989's ''Gradius III''). 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-ranged, more powerful laser). It was released on the PS2 in a compilation pack together with the arcade version of ''Gradius III'' (''Gradius III and IV'').
*''
Gradius Advance'' (2001)
The first ''Gradius'' to be created by a development team other than Konami's own internal teams (by
Mobile21
Mobile21 Co., Ltd. (モバイルニジュウイチ株式会社) was a Japanese video game developer that was a 50/50 joint venture between Nintendo and Konami established on October 7, 1999. Mobile21 primarily concentrated on next-generation Game ...
, to be exact). A
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
title, it is known as ''Gradius Galaxies'' in USA and as ''Gradius Generation'' in Japan. The Japanese version, being the last to be released, has a number of exclusive challenge modes added and includes an additional invisible 5000 point bonus in one of the levels.
*''
Gradius V
is a Japanese-developed shoot 'em up video game published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2004. ''Gradius V'' was largely developed under contract by Treasure, who had previously worked on ''Radiant Silvergun'' and ''I ...
'' (2004)
''Gradius V'' was released in September 2004 for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
. 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.
Treasure
Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...
(developers of ''
Gunstar Heroes
''Gunstar Heroes'' is a run-and-gun shooter video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released on the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the G ...
'', ''
Guardian Heroes
''Guardian Heroes'' is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up video game in the vein of ''Final Fight'' or ''Golden Axe'', but with RPG elements. The development team called it a "fighting RPG". ''Guardian Heroes'' was developed by Treasure and release ...
'', ''
Radiant Silvergun
is a shoot 'em up developed by Treasure. It was originally released in Japanese arcades in 1998 and subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn later that year. The story follows a team of fighter pilots in the far future who are battling waves o ...
'' and ''
Ikaruga
is a shoot 'em up developed by Treasure. It is the spiritual sequel to ''Radiant Silvergun'' (1998) and was originally released in Japanese arcades in December 2001. The story follows a rebel pilot named Shinra as he battles an enemy nation u ...
'', among others) were primarily responsible for ''Gradius V''s development. In the Japanese first-press limited edition, the game included a book detailing internal design, background, and a road map of the Vic Viper series (i.e., "Vic Viper" is the name of a ship series, rather than a single ship), and pre-ordered North American copies included a DVD detailing the history of the series (including ''Scramble'') and replays of ''Gradius V''.
*''
Gradius NEO
is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*''Scr ...
'' (2004)
Released only to mobile phones, it features another storyline, taking place roughly 2000 years after the last Nemesis. It is also the first game to give players the ability to control their "Multiples" in formations, with formations variable depends on buttons.
*''
Gradius Collection
is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*'' Scr ...
'' (2006)
A ''Gradius'' compilation for
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
. This compilation contains the classic versions of Gradius I-IV with a few bonus features thrown in as well as the first international release of ''Gradius Gaiden''.
*''
Gradius ReBirth
is a shoot 'em up video game for WiiWare developed by M2 and published by Konami. It is the latest installment in the ''Gradius'' series, and was released in Japan on September 2, 2008, and in North America on March 9, 2009, and in the PAL regi ...
'' (2008)
A ''Gradius'' title for
WiiWare
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii S ...
. It draws most of its elements from the MSX games rather than mainstay Gradius staples. The game's plot sets the stage for the events depicted in Gradius 2 (MSX).
*''
Gradius ARC
is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.
Games
*''Scr ...
'' (2010)
In March 2010, a Japanese trademark database update revealed a filing for this name, submitted by
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
. The "Arc" portion of the name coincided with a pre-release name of the
PlayStation Move
is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its Pla ...
. This was only a coincidence, however, as ''Gradius Arc —Ginyoku no Densetsu—'' (''Gradius Arc —Legend of the Silvery Wings—'') was revealed on September 30, 2010, to be a tactical RPG for cell phones.
*''Gradius the Slot'' (2011)
A
pachislot
A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively as ...
game released in Japan in July 2011. It was developed by the KPE division of Konami. A soundtrack for the game was released in September 2011.
Spin-offs
*''
Parodius
is a series of cute 'em ups developed and published by Konami. The games are tongue-in-cheek parodies of ''Gradius'', and also feature characters from many other Konami franchises.
Video games
There are six games in the Parodius series. The last ...
'' series (1988–2010)
The ''Parodius'' series, started in 1988, is similar to ''Gradius'', but with more cartoony settings. The name is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[moai
Moai or moʻai ( ; es, moái; rap, moʻai, , statue) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main mo ...](_blank)
, and large dancing women as bosses. Early games focused mainly on parodying ''Gradius'' games, but more recent games have poked fun at other Konami franchises, including ''
Castlevania
''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'' and ''
Ganbare Goemon
, known as ''Goemon'' and ''Mystical Ninja'' internationally, is a video game series created and produced by Konami. Etsunobu Ebisu is the joint producer of the franchise.
These games revolve around the main character, Goemon a ...
''. The games offer a large number of different characters to use, each with different weapons. The characters consist of ones created for the series, such as Takosuke, and popular
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
characters like
Pentarou
is a series of Shoot 'em up#Cute 'em ups, cute 'em ups developed and published by Konami. The games are tongue-in-cheek Parody, parodies of ''Gradius'', and also feature characters from many other Konami franchises.
Video games
There are six game ...
and Upa (from ''
Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa
is a Konami video game that was first released for a Japan-exclusive market in 1988 for the Family Computer Disk System. It was later released as a cartridge in 1993 for the Family Computer itself.
It was released on the Wii's Virtual Console in ...
''). Vic Viper also appears in all titles. The ''Parodius'' games also distinguish themselves from the ''Gradius'' series in their music. Unlike the ''Gradius'' games, whose music are either unique to each game or refer to earlier games in the series, the music in the ''Parodius'' games parodies a diverse pool of public domain sources, including a large contingent of classical music.
*''
Otomedius
is a side scrolling shooter by Konami which featured personification of space fighters from various Konami games. The name is a pun, being a portmanteau of the terms "Otome" and "Gradius", with a set of equipment resembling space fighters fro ...
'' (2007)
A newer take from Konami on the ''Gradius'' spoof, this game features anime girl representations, designed by
Mine Yoshizaki
is a Japanese mangaka, manga creator. His most well known works are ''Sgt. Frog'', a manga he created which later received an anime adaption, and ''Kemono Friends'', a multimedia franchise for which Yoshizaki serves as concept designer.
Career
...
, of Vic Viper and Lord British, in a
mecha musume
is a form of anthropomorphism in anime and manga where '' moe'' qualities are given to non-human beings (such as animals, plants, supernatural entities and fantastical creatures), objects, concepts, or phenomena. In addition to ''moe'' feature ...
-style approach. The name is a portmanteau of "
otome
An , is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals, besides the main idea/goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player/main character and one of the second-lead male characters.
His ...
" (乙女, a Japanese word meaning "maiden") and "''Gradius''."
Cancelled games
* ''
Vic Viper
Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...
''
* ''Gradius 64''
* ''Gradius VI'' was originally announced in the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, this was one of the developing titles for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, scheduled for the 2006 release. However, due to unknown reasons, the development was delayed and, eventually, completely scrapped.
Common elements
There are several gameplay elements that are common to almost all the ''Gradius'' games. These include the power meter, one of the ''Gradius'' series' defining characteristics, is enabled by
power-up
In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chosen ...
items. The items upgrade the selected ability in the power meter. The meter resets when the player chooses to activate the selected ability. Weapon edit lets players create their own power meter sequence.
The concept of the "Core" is a central part of ''Gradius''. Cores are usually blue, glowing masses of energy hidden within large warships and protected by a series of barriers. All cores must be targeted in order to defeat a warship, which normally comprises several phases and often uses the terrain to its advantage. In some cases, a core is closed or not vulnerable at the beginning of a battle, only opening or becoming susceptible to attack some moments later by turning blue. Additionally, the announcer will normally urge the player to "Destroy the core!" or "Shoot the core!" prior to an encounter. For other types of bosses, like large beasts, the announcer may command the player to "Destroy the eye!" or "Destroy the mouth!", depending on the boss.
The
moai
Moai or moʻai ( ; es, moái; rap, moʻai, , statue) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main mo ...
statues of
Easter Island
Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
(
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
) appear as enemies in several ''Gradius'' games. They are mounted on either side of flat, free-floating platforms and fire a series of colorful rings at the Vic Viper. Upon completing the game, the player restarts on the first level while retaining their upgrades from the previous games. Each cycle through the game grows progressively more difficult. The Nintendo Entertainment System port of ''Gradius'' represents the first ever use of the
Konami Code
The Konami Code ( ja, コナミコマンド, ''Konami Komando'', "Konami command"), also commonly referred to as the Contra Code and sometimes the 30 Lives code, is a cheat code that appears in many Konami video games, as well as some non-Konam ...
.
If the player pauses the game and enters the Konami Code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A), they will be given most of the power-ups except Laser, Double and Speed Up.
Development
The ''Gradius'' series was created when Hiroyasu Machiguchi, the series creator was given a team to work with and asked everyone what kind of game they wanted to develop, to which they responded being a
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
, with the intent of surpassing Namco's ''
Xevious
is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious for ...
''.
[Game Hiyou 9/99] They decided to make it a horizontal shooting game because they wanted to reuse material from ''Scramble'' as much as possible, and ''Gradius'' was originally named ''Scramble 2''.
[ The development lasted for a year after refining and experimenting with the gameplay. The team originally tried twenty different movement patterns for the Options and used a process of elimination when something did not work.][ For the story, Hiroyasu's team was inspired by science fiction movies, with the popular sci-fi films at the time being '']Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' and the anime adaptations of ''Lensman
The ''Lensman'' series is a series of science fiction novels by American author E. E. "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the 1966 Hugo award for Best All-Time Series, losing to the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov.
Plot
The series begins ...
''. The team saw ''Lensman'' together and it influenced the game's story. Its plasma laser also left a big impression on them and was why ''Gradius'' featured a Laser weapon.[ The Moai were included because they wanted to add a mysterious element to the game like ''Xevious'' and its Nazca Lines.
]
Reception and legacy
Hideki Kamiya
is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed ''Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ōkami' ...
stated in an interview that ''Gradius'' is one of the top three key inspirational games from his past.
Several of Gradius' starfighters, Core bosses, and various game elements have been adapted into trading cards as part of Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game is a collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of ''Duel Monsters'' created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which appears in portions of the manga fran ...
.
In other media
Manga
* ''Gradius: Michi Tono Tatakai''
* ''Gradius'', was one of the videogames providing the basis for manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
titled ''Famicom Ryu'' (1985-1987) and ''Nekketsu! Famicom Shounendan'' (1986-1987), published by Comic Coro Coro.
* ''Nemesis'' is one of the video games featured in the manga titled ''Rock'n Game Boy'', by Shigeto Ikehara and published by Comic BomBom from October 1989 to December 1991.
* ''Gradius III'' is one of the video games featured in the manga titled ''Cyber Boy'', by Nagai Noriaki and published by Comic BomBom from April 1991 to February 1993.
TCG
* ''Gradius is a card in the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh!''
References
{{Konami franchises
Horizontally scrolling shooters
Konami franchises
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 1985
Video games developed in Japan