#Gradius 2 nes release date full#
#Gradius 2 nes release date series#

Gradius for the Famicom (the Japanese NES)įor its overseas arcade release, Gradius was renamed Nemesis, a title kept for the game's European personal computer ports.

Many of the bosses in subsequent Gradius games borrow this type of enemy weakness as well. Almost every level has the same boss, a large vessel known as the Big Core, named for the orb within the center of the ship. These became an unofficial mascot for Konami, appearing in many, many games. One of the most popular reoccurrences are the Easter Island Moai heads, which appear spitting donut shaped lasers from their mouths. The first stage takes place in an outer space cavern, variations of which appear in many subsequent games.

#Gradius 2 nes release date series#

It provides an extra layer of depth by allowing the player to prioritize - is it better to gain four power ups and get a laser, or grab two more in order to equip a shield for a little more safety?Īnother hallmark of the Gradius series is its recurring, themed stages. These include the ability to increase the ship speed, equip different weapons, call upon 'Options' that provide extra firepower, or activate a shield.Įvery time you collect a power orb, typically dropped by orange colored robots or by destroying waves of enemies, you advance the status bar by one spot. At the bottom of the screen is a status bar that indicates all of the available power-ups, from left to right. The defining element of the series is a power-up system that lets the player customize their abilities. The star of Gradius is the Vic Viper, a white-and-blue star fighter tasked with saving the galaxy from the evil Bacterian Empire. (This interview on Shmupulations details the origin of the game.) But rather than iterate on the previous title, the developers ended up creating a completely new game under the name Gradius. In 1985, a team led by Hiroyasu Machiguchi was in charge of creating a sequel to Scramble. It's a side-scrolling shoot 'em-up where the player must destroy enemies, fly through caverns, and destroy fuel tanks in order to restore their dwindling energy supply. The TurboGrafx-16 version offers a different ending screen after completing the game, depending on difficulty select.The story of Gradius actually begins with Konami's 1981 game Scramble, which is probably better known internationally thanks its follow-up Super Cobra.

#Gradius 2 nes release date full#

In the Famicom version, choosing another multiple after four will make the four multiples to move around the spacecraft for 15 seconds force field is the only shielding available for protection of the entire spacecraft, withstanding five hits and it is included in four different weapon configurations and progressions and 'Double' and 'Laser' have to be activated twice to achieve full performance. The shield option adds more durability, but only for the front of the Vic Viper, while the forcefield adds protection for the entire spacecraft, albeit only against three hits. Additionally, there are also two types of shielding to choose from: shield and forcefield. The player can have at most four multiples. All schemes have speed-up and multiples (Options), but have differing 'Missile', 'Double' (laser), and 'Laser' weapons. Gradius II retains the selection bar from Gradius, but now the player can choose between four different weapon configurations and progressions. Another first in the series was the inclusion of the 'boss rush' (also known as 'boss parade' or 'boss alley'), a level designed entirely with only boss confrontations. This is primarily evident in two of the weapons configurations that are selectable. Gradius II has kept the gameplay from the original game, but infused it with enhancements brought from the spin-off, Life Force. The Siti Mastura as the role of the pilot of the Vic Viper spaceship to battle the second onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire, under the new leadership of Gofer, the giant head.