Despite it's campiness, it's a game that doesn't seem really all that special, anymore. Gradius also has, quite possibly, the lamest final boss in the history of video games.Ħ.5/10 Gradius is not a game I really like to play over and over a lot, but sometimes I replay it just to see if I can still beat it without using the codes, orįor nostalgic reasons. Many mini-bosses have similar attacking patterns. Without any of your weapons in the middle of a tough level! Unfortunately, the boss battles are not one of Gradius's strong points, as every boss is the same except for the last Perhaps theīiggest challenge is making a mistake, getting blown up, then reappearing There are many areas that require practice and memorization, as navigating through the background terrain is just as daunting a task as dealing with the various enemies. Powered-up with all the weapons, options, and shields, it becomes almost The scripting is cheesy in that 'eighties' sort of way, as in one stage volcanos erupt to the tune of that silly boss music, and in another you're assaulted by waves of meteors with arms.Ħ.5/10 Gradius offers a decent challenge, but it really isn't too hard to master. The Moai head stages have become a video gaming icon. While Gradius has simplistic graphics, they emote a surrealistic atmosphere all their own. In this case, Bacterion is threatening to destroy the peaceful planet, Gradius, and only the Vic Viper (or Warp Rattler) has the ability to stop it. Games to introduce the premise of the lone spaceship versus the big alien army. Gradius's control is okay, but takes some experimentation before understanding what you can and can't do with it. Obstacles, such as the Moai heads in Level 3, you'll blow up. But if you try to get that close to other For example, in the first level, there is a huge rock you can touch The hit detection for your ship tends to be a little off at times, Stuff on the screen, especially when fighting the Antennoids of Level 4. Also, there is some really bad slowdown when there's a lot of Ship moves too quickly when you try to dodge in tight areas later on.

Up to get more maneuverability, you may find that the You speed up, you can't speed down without losing a ship! So if you speed One speedup is probably all you'll ever need,īut there may be times when you want more than one. Before you get at least one speedup activated, your ship is way You can thenĬhoose to activate the weapon once it's lit. Power-ups from defeated enemies, these weapons light up. You have a weapons bar at the bottom of the screen.

The ship's lasers sound 'chirpy', and the explosions sound more like something bouncing thanħ.5/10 The basic controls of left, right, up, down, and shoot are very good, but the ship is rather sluggish until you collect a couple of speed-ups. The sound effects aren't real great, either, but they have a certain endearing quality to them. The boss music is rather peculiar, as it doesn't really seem like 'boss' music. That, none of it is very good or memorable. Level 1 music is probably the best music in the whole game, and after Same exact boss design is used for every level except the last two.ĥ/10 Some of Gradius's music themes are okay, but the actual sound quality is very poor. One stage is just an upside-down version of the volcano level, and the There is some repetition in Gradius's graphics. It's veryĮasy to see enemy shots, which is crucial for shooters, as I never like getting blown up by The graphics are nice, but rather simplistic. Space fortress, and areas with mountains and trees.

Level that looks like an alien nest, a high-tech Of backgrounds, too, such as a stage with giant Easter Island heads, a TheĮnemies, bosses, and backgrounds are large and colorful. Graphics are pretty decent for a game from 1986. Although it is considered by many to be a classic,Īnd it has a lot of unique features, it is not without flaw. Being theįirst game of its kind on the NES, Gradius inspired many of the sidescrolling Seemed really good when I first played them, but haven't stood However, I can't help but feel that there are some games that

The last thing I ever want to find myselfĭoing when writing reviews is criticizing a game simply because it's 'old'.

Gradius 2 nes levels