''Gradius: The Interstellar Assault'', released as ''Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero'' in Europe, and in Japan, is a 1991 horizontally

scrolling shooter 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 m ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

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 the

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 ...

. It is the second game in the ''

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. ...

'' series released for the console. The game was later ported to 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 ...

'' series of

Super Game Boy The is a peripheral that allows Game Boy cartridges to be played on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System console. Released in June 1994, it retailed for in the United States and in the United Kingdom. In South Korea, it is called the Supe ...

and

Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...

compilations; it can be found in the Japanese ''Vol. 3'' and the European ''Vol. 4''. Like ''Gradius'' before it, these versions were renamed ''Gradius II'' for the Japanese Vol. 3 and ''Gradius II: The Return of the Hero'' for the European Vol. 4. It was re-released on the

Nintendo Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...

service for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

in May 2025.

Gameplay

''Gradius: The Interstellar Assault'' retains the traditional horizontal scrolling gameplay from the ''Gradius'' series. Once again the player takes control of the Vic Viper and flies through five different stages destroying Bacterion's army. The game retains the traditional power-up bar from the original ''

''. The player can speed-up multiple times, use

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

s, shoot double firepower or

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

s, use several options at a time and use the classic shield (although it is referred to as a forcefield). However, before each game is started or continued, the player is given a "Weapon Select" screen. Here the player can choose between one of three settings for the missiles, double firepower, and lasers.

Reception

James Beaven gave the game a 90% in ''

GamesMaster ''GamesMaster'' was a British television programme which originally aired on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998. In 2021, it returned for a new series on YouTube and E4. It was the first UK television programme dedicated to video games. Dominik Di ...

'', commenting, "Forget the

R-Type is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and released by Irem in 1987 and the first game in the ''R-Type'' series. The player controls a star ship, the R-9 "Arrowhead", in its efforts to destroy the Bydo, a powerful a ...

games. This is the shoot-em-up to end 'em all! The bad guys don't leave you alone for a second, and the six-strong assortment of power ups, well, 'Way-hey', as

Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's de ...

used to say." French magazine gave the game a 92%, saying that it "doesn't let you breathe for a second, the enemies come from all sides, and they're multiform. Regularly, you face a colossal monster that nearly takes up the entire screen."

Notes

References

External links

*
Gradius: The Interstellar Assault
at Portable Music History 1991 video games Game Boy games Game Boy-only games Gradius video games Horizontally scrolling shooters Nintendo Classics games Science fiction video games Single-player video games Video games developed in Japan {{scroll-shooter-videogame-stub ja:ネメシス (ゲーム)#ネメシスII