GRADIUS GAIDEN SECRET AREA UPGRADE
GRADIUS GAIDEN SECRET AREA SERIES

It is believed to be one of the most difficult games in the Gradius series, consisting of ten individual levels or ‘stages’ where the player must, once again, combat the Bacterion Empire. Gradius III was released in 1989 and continued to develop the format of previous Gradius titles. Other new features include ‘boss rush’ mode (where players can hone their skills in a level comprised entirely of boss enemies) and ‘speed stage’ (where the game scrolls at high speed whilst the player is required to maneuver through narrow corridors). This is the first game to feature an enemy that approaches the Vic Viper from behind: the Option Hunter.

Players have the option select between multiple weapons and shields to fight their way through a total of nine stages featuring all new enemies (including cameo enemies from the game’s spin off ‘Salamander’). The game features an all new load-out screen where players can equip one of four unique weapon load-outs for the Vic Viper dependent upon their game play style. The player reprises their role as the pilot of the Vic Viper now battling an onslaught of enemies from the Bacterion Empire (led by the disembodied alien ‘Gofer’). Gradius II was released in 1988 and follows a similar game play format to its predecessor. The original Gradius sold over one million copies in Japan and the NES version was the first ever game to feature the famous Konami Code. At the end of each stage a battle takes place where the Vic Viper must “Destroy the Core!” of a super charged boss enemy. The game consists of multiple stages where the player must battle waves of enemy ships.

GRADIUS GAIDEN SECRET AREA UPGRADE

Fortunately, the player can take advantage of a selection of power-ups available to collect throughout the course of the game to upgrade the Vic Viper’s abilities and weapon systems. Along the way they must battle an array of alien ships and creatures which try to collide into the Vic Viper or shoot it down.

GRADIUS GAIDEN SECRET AREA SERIES

In game, the player controls a space ship known as the Vic Viper and must side scroll their way through a series of different levels. It was later released for home entertainment on platforms such as the NES and MSX home computer. The original Gradius was released 1985 as a pay for play arcade game. Scramble was the first game of its kind to feature this re-fuelling system. Along the way the player must avoid colliding with the terrain as well as a number of moving obstacles, all whilst maintaining their fuel supplies (by shooting fuel tanks) and destroying enemy ground installations.

In this game the player takes control of a spaceship (referred to as a ‘Jet’) and must navigate through six brightly coloured levels, each with their own distinct terrain and obstacles, before reaching the enemy base and destroying it. It was the first ever side-scroller to adopt a ‘forced scrolling’ style of game play and to progress over multiple different levels. ‘Scramble’ was released by Konami in 1981 and is regarded as the game that inspired the Gradius series.

Starting with the game that paved the way… Scramble Since then the series has spanned over multiple platforms and is still remarked as one of the world’s most popular (and toughest) side-scrolling shooter games! We thought we’d celebrate the game’s 30th birthday by providing a brief history of the Gradius series, touching on some of the more well known titles. Fans of Konami’s classic titles will be pleased to know (if they didn’t already) that today is the 1985 Konami hit Gradius’ 30th Birthday! Gradius, also known as ‘Nemesis’ in parts of Northern America and Europe, is a popular side-scrolling shooter series that debuted as an old school arcade game on May the 29th 1985.

Gradius gaiden secret area