Gradius (arcade Game)
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is a series of
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(
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) 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 n ...
, developed and published by
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
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 and entertainment Film and television * ''Scramble'' (film), a 1970 British children's sports drama * ''Scrambled'' (film), a 2023 American comedy-drama * ''Scrambled!'', a British children' ...
'' (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 MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
and
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 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 ...
. In 2002, ''Scramble'' appeared on GBA as one of the titles featured in ''Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced'' as well as later Konami game compilations for
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and
Nintendo DS The is a foldable 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 worki ...
. *''
Gradius is a series of shooter ( shoot'em up) 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. ...
'' (1985) The first true Gradius game to introduce the concept of the 'weapon bar'. During the game, many enemy craft leave behind items or 'pick-ups' when destroyed that can be used to power up or modify the player's vessel. 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 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 chose ...
' are towards the right-hand side of the bar, so the player may decide to stock up on pick-ups 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 game of skill, games of skill and in ...
, its popularity resulted in ports to the
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...
,
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 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 ...
, NES/Famicom,
MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
,
Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...
,
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 wi ...
,
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and
PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation, it launched ...
. More recently, ports to the
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,
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, 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 The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
,
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, and the PC Engine version on the
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. 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 t ...
/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 to do so, and it was also one of the first shoot 'em ups to include cooperative gameplay. 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 an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
. 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 home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
version of ''Salamander'', called ''Life Force'' in North America (and marketed in that region as the "
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
" to the first ''Gradius''), and the
MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
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 as well as 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 MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
''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 through
cutscenes A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
. 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 smaller 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 language, 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 Zemmix, Daewoo Zemmix, but because it was an M ...
released a version for the Korean
Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...
. This version was ported to the
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 wi ...
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'' (1988) Bearing no relation to the MSX game titled ''Gradius 2'', ''Gradius II'' is the
chronological Chronology (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , , ; and , ''wikt:-logia, -logia'') is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time. Consider, for example, the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the deter ...
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to ''Gradius''. 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 Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
title '' Gradius Collection''. On November 12, 2020, it was released on the
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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 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 cutscenes. 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'' (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 Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)/SFC port includes alterations to levels, enemies, and weapons. For example, two stages were cut out in the SNES 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. In addition, 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, this spin-off game is a token gambling game with a Gradius theme. *''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...
'' (1990) The first ''Gradius'' for a portable system, released on Nintendo's
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
. 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 by Konami 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 19 ...
Vol. 1 for
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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 bit is the most basic Units of information, unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a truth value, logical state with one of two possible value (computer scie ...
s), and was completely different from the rest of the series. Most ''Gradius'' games 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 section 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 horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Konami. It is the direct sequel to ''Salamander'' (1986), which itself is a spin-off of the ''Gradius'' franchise. Up to two players control two stars ...
'' (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 the Twin Laser, the Ripple Laser, and the 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'' (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, is a peripheral for Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom) home video game console, released in Japan on February 21, 1986. The system uses proprietary floppy disks called "Disk Cards" for more ...
game ''
Falsion is an on-rail 3D shoot-'em-up produced by Konami that was released for the Family Computer Disk System on October 21, 1987, in Japan. It is one of the few games compatible with the Famicom 3D System peripheral. Plot The game's background story ...
''). 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 Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
. In 2019, it was included in the Japanese version of the
PlayStation Classic The PlayStation Classic is a dedicated video game console by Sony Interactive Entertainment that emulates games originally released on its 1994 PlayStation console. It was announced in September 2018 at the Tokyo Game Show, and released on Dec ...
mini console. *'' Solar Assault'' (1997) ''Solar Assault'' is an arcade 3D
rail shooter Rail shooter, also known as on-rails shooter, is a subgenre of shoot 'em up video game. Beginning with arcade games such as the 1985 '' Space Harrier'', the gameplay locks the player character into a set path, only allowing for limited or no di ...
in the lines of ''
Star Fox ''Star Fox'' is a rail shooter, space flight simulator, and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic a ...
'' or ''
Panzer Dragoon ''Panzer Dragoon'' is a video game series developed and published by Sega. The first three games — '' Panzer Dragoon'' (1995), '' Panzer Dragoon II Zwei'' (1996), and '' Panzer Dragoon Saga'' (1998) — were produced by Team Andromeda for ...
'', with ''Gradiuss settings. Along with Vic Viper, two other ship choices are available: Lord British and Alpina. Due to never being ported to any console systems, ''Solar Assault'' is a relatively obscure part of the ''Gradius'' series. *'' Gradius IV'' (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''). ''Gradius 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) ''Gradius Advance'' is the first ''Gradius'' to be created by a development team other than Konami's own internal teams (by
Mobile21 was a Japanese video game developer that was a 50/50 joint venture between Nintendo and Konami established in October 1999. Mobile21 primarily concentrated on creating Game Boy Advance games, with a particular focus utilizing the mobile phone l ...
, to be exact). A
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
title, ''Gradius Advance'' is known as ''Gradius Galaxies'' in the United States and as ''Gradius Generation'' in Japan. The Japanese version, being the last to be released, has a number of exclusive challenge modes added. It also includes 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 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. 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 from Greek ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions legally define what constit ...
(developers of '' Gunstar Heroes'', ''
Guardian Heroes ''Guardian Heroes'' is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up video game developed by Treasure and released by Sega in 1996 for the Sega Saturn video game console. The game resembles '' Final Fight'' or '' Golden Axe'', but with RPG elements. The de ...
'', ''
Radiant Silvergun is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published 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 ...
'' and ''
Ikaruga is a bullet hell 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 e ...
'', among others) were primarily responsible for ''Gradius Vs 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'' (2004) Released only to mobile phones, ''Gradius NEO'' features a new storyline, taking place roughly 2000 years after the last Nemesis. It is also the first game in the ''Gradius'' series to give players the ability to control their "Multiples" in formations, with formations variable depending on buttons. *''Gradius Collection'' (2006) A ''Gradius'' compilation for
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
. This compilation contains the classic versions of ''Gradius'' I-IV with a few bonus features, as well as the first international release of ''Gradius Gaiden''. *'' Gradius ReBirth'' (2008) A ''Gradius'' title for
WiiWare WiiWare was a digital media entertainment service operated by Nintendo that allowed the download of games and applications developed for the Wii video game console. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the W ...
. ''Gradius Rebirth'' 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'' (2010) In March 2010, a Japanese trademark database update revealed a filing for this name, submitted by
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
. The "Arc" portion of the name coincided with a pre-release name of the
PlayStation Move is a Motion controller, 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 ...
. 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 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. *''Gradius Origins'' (2025) A compilation of seven previous Gradius games, developed by M2. The compilation includes ''Gradius'', ''Salamander'', ''Life Force'', ''Gradius II'', ''Gradius III'', ''Salamander 2'', and a new game, ''Salamander III''.


Spin-offs Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

*''
Parodius 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 ...
'' series (1988–2010) The ''Parodius'' series, started in 1988, is similar to ''Gradius'', but with more cartoony settings. The name is a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of "parody" and "''Gradius''". The ''Parodius'' series parodies many of the common elements of the ''Gradius'' series, including neon-colored core warships, effeminate
moai Moai or moʻai ( ; ; ) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but h ...
, 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 created by Konami. The series is largely set in the castle of Count Dracula, the arch-enemy of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters. ...
'' 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 , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
characters like Pentarou 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 Consol ...
''). Vic Viper also appears in all titles. The ''Parodius'' games also distinguish themselves from the ''Gradius'' series with their music. Unlike the ''Gradius'' games, whose soundtracks 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. *'' Moai-kun'' (1990) A
platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...
released on the Famicom starring an anthropomorphic moai statue. *'' Cosmic Wars'' (1989) A spin-off tactical turn-based strategy game taking place in the ''Gradius'' series. Was released only on the Famicom in Japan. The game received a sequel in 1997, with ''
Paro Wars is a turn-based strategy video game produced by Konami in September 1997 in Japan only (with the re-release as a Konami the Best title in December 1999). It features characters and conflicts based upon the popular ''Parodius'' series of video ga ...
'', which is the ''Parodius'' equivalent of this game. *''
Otomedius is a side-scrolling shooter video game by Konami which features personification of space fighters from various Konami games. The game's title is a pun, being a portmanteau of the terms " Otome" and " Gradius", with a set of equipment resembli ...
'' (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, manga, and games 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' ...
-style approach. The name is a portmanteau of "
otome An is a story-based romance video game targeted towards women with a female protagonist as the player character. Generally one of the goals, besides the main story goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female main player char ...
" (乙女, a Japanese word meaning "maiden") and "''Gradius''."


Cancelled games

* ''Vic Viper'' is an unreleased
coin-op A currency detector or currency validator is a device that determines whether notes or coins are genuine or counterfeit. These devices are used in a wide range of automated machines, such as retail kiosks, supermarket self checkout machines, ar ...
racing video game from Konami. It was to star the Vic Viper, and various other vehicles, in a game resembling the ''
F-Zero is a series of racing games published by Nintendo, developed by Nintendo EAD and other third-party companies. The first game was released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1990. Its success prompted Nintendo to create sequels on subsequent co ...
'' or ''Wipeout'' series. It was first shown at the 1995
JAMMA The (formerly the , abbreviated JAMMA) is a Japanese trade association headquartered in Tokyo. JAMMA is run by representatives from various arcade video game manufacturers, including Bandai Namco, Sega, Taito, Koei Tecmo, Capcom, and Konami a ...
show. In September 2011, the game's completed soundtrack was released on disc 10 of ''Konami Shooting Collection'', an album featuring soundtracks from ''
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 t ...
'', ''
TwinBee is a vertically scrolling shooter released by Konami as an arcade video game in 1985 in Japan. Along with Sega's '' Fantasy Zone'', released a year later, ''TwinBee'' is credited as an early archetype of the " cute 'em up" type in its genre. I ...
'', and many other Konami
shoot 'em ups Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a subgenre 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 character mo ...
, as well as other related games. * ''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 and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, scheduled for the 2006 release. However, for unknown reasons, the development was delayed and, eventually, completely scrapped.


Common elements

There are several gameplay elements that are common to almost all of the ''Gradius'' games. These include the power meter, one of the ''Gradius'' series' defining characteristics, which 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 mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...
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 ( ; ; ) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but h ...
statues of
Easter Island Easter Island (, ; , ) 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 renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, ...
(
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
) 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.


Konami Code

The Nintendo Entertainment System port of ''Gradius'' represents the first ever use of the
Konami Code The Konami Code (, ''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-Konami games. The code has al ...
in a video game. 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 extra lives and various power-ups.


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 Video game genre, subgenre 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 typ ...
, with the intent of surpassing Namco's ''
Xevious is a 1983 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. It was released in Japan by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious forces befor ...
''.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 media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' 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 begi ...
''. 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. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and '' Ōkami'' (2006). From 2004 to 2006, he worked ...
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, based on the manga series '' Yu-Gi-Oh!'' created by Kazuki Takahashi. The card game is based on the fictional game of ''Duel Monsters'' (origi ...
.


In other media


Manga

* ''Gradius: Michi Tono Tatakai'' * ''Gradius'', was one of the videogames providing the basis for
manga 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 history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
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!''


Notes


References

{{Konami franchises Horizontally scrolling shooters Konami franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1985 Video games developed in Japan