![]() In the way of ports of the game, the SNES got the first port. They were designed to look like the early first stage of each game. These 2 hidden levels are throwbacks to Gradius and Salamander. The game also contains two hidden levels. You also have to shoot objects and avoid numerous walls in order to survive. In this stage, you get more of a first-person view of the playfield. There are a total of 10 levels, with stage 4 being in a pseudo-3D environment. In the main gameplay, Gradius III plays very much like the original Gradius. However, Gradius III also contains what is called the "Edit Mode." This edit mode allows the player to choose each individual weapon for the Vic Viper. Just like in Gradius II, Gradius III allows you to select the set of weapons for the Vic Viper. For one, Gradius III is much harder, and is known as one of the most difficult of the series. There were some major differences between Gradius II & III. The third game in the Gradius series, Gradius III, was originally released in 1989 in Japan, and 1991 in North America. Graidus III (1991) - Arcade, SNES, Wii VC, PSP, PS2 Other than the few additions, and new boss, the game plays mainly like Gradius. Thankfully, the Famicom version has the Konami code included, and actually gives the player 30 lives this time around. The first true port of the game was the version on the Nintendo Famicom. This was also the first Gradius game that gave you the chance to choose the set of weapons that you want to use. Another big addition to the game was the "Boss Alley" or "Boss Rush," a level filled entirely with only boss confrontations. Like with Salamander, Gradius II did not see a North American release until the release of Gradius Deluxe Pack. Also, the player's ship had a choice of defense: forcefield or shield. ![]() However, when the game was released in Europe, it was released as Vulcan Venture. Released in 1988, while the game played very similar to Gradius, there are certain areeas of the game where the scrolling was not limited to the edges of the screen. Gradius II was the true sequel to Gradius. Gradius II (1988) - Arcade, Famicom, PSX, Saturn, Windows, MSX, PCE Super CD, PSP, Wii VC Again, this disk did not receive a North American or European release. Just like with Gradius, Salamander got a release on the PS1 and Saturn with the Salamander Deluxe Pack with Salamander, Life Force, and Salamander 2. Also, the Konami code is included with this game. When it was released for the Famicom/NES, they changed the powerup system back to the type from Gradius. The ports, however, had some significant differences. However, the game was not released as Salamander in North America. In 1986, Konami released, what was supposed to be the sequel to Gradius. Salamander/Life Force (1986) - Arcade, Famicom, NES (Life Force), PSP, Saturn, MSX, PC Engine, C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad, PS1, Wii VC The PSP has Gradius Collection that has Gradius I, II, III, IV, and Gradius Gaiden. Also, the Gradius Deluxe Pack was not released in North America or Europe. However, there have been reports of slowdown in game. The Saturn has Gradius collection that has Gradius I & Gradius II on one disk. ![]() The Saturn and PSP, however, have compilations that the games appear on. Enter the code while the game is paused, and your ship will be instantly equipped with most of the weapons. Just like most Konami games in the early days, the Konami Code is in the game. The NES got an actual arcade port in 1986. The only ports that I have seen are the Saturn, NES, and PSP versions. These powerups are spare guns, missiles, lasers, shield, speed ups, and upward shots. You can pick these up, and then activate them to power up your ship. When you shoot enemies, some will drop powerups. When you start the game, the Vic Viper is pretty slow and has a weak gun. In the game, you control the spaceship called the Vic Viper through different environments. Like with most games of this genre, there is one objective: shoot everything that moves. ![]() In Europe, however, the game was released under the name Nemesis. This is the original Gradius arcade game, released in 1985 by Konami. Gradius (1985) - Arcade, NES, Famicom, PC Engine, Saturn, PC, C64, Wii VC, PS2, ZX Spectrum, PSX, PSP, DS I will do the handheld versions at a later time. In this overview, i will run through, briefly, the Gradius series. To me, that series is the Gradius series. In the world of SHMUPS, some series' stand out from the rest.
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