Gradius III And IV - PlayStation 2

• 1 or 2 Players.
• Digital or Analog Control.
• Vast array of weapons and enemies.
• All new C6 movies for both Gradius III & IV.
• Added options not found in the arcade versions.

With Gradius 3 & 4 you get two shooting games on one disc! Gradius 3 starts with a dazzling intro movie and then settles into a side-scrolling shooter. You must shoot your way against numerous alien ships hurtling toward you while picking up different power-ups--such as speed tune-ups, missile weapons, lasers, and shields--to keep your end up in an ever more intense battle. Also, you can pick up the husks of burned-out foes for more rewards. Gradius 4 is essentially the same type of game, but the side-scrolling action often breaks up and allows you to move in less restrictive ways. Of course, that newfound freedom doesn't necessarily work to your advantage; wild enemies can now come sweeping at you from all angles. .com ---- Every console system pays homage to the past, even as consumers leap into the future. The Dreamcast hosted various Midway and Namco arcade packages, and there was the famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about 2-D space shooters) GigaWing. Sony and Konami are getting into the act by bringing the Gradius series to PlayStation2--at launch, no less. While it gives many, if not most, people a significant "warm, fuzzy" feeling to revisit the past, one can make a strong case that developing a PS2 version of Gradius III & IV was more about padding the launch lineup. If you're a fan of the side-scrolling-shooter genre, however, this edition likely will please you. It has almost everything that a trigger-happy arcade hound could want: rapid-fire framerate, lots of color and animation, and that wonderful '80s feel. It also has some of the glitz that younger video game fans demand, such as two completely new CG intro videos that look pretty dang cool. Konami has pulled out all of the stops in revamping the look of the gameplay, too. The two games now are quite polygonally charged and texturally sophisticated. The graphics now use environmental ping, and polygon morphing makes the animation very smooth. Another nice feature, especially for a game like Gradius is that a stage-selection mode and a continue feature have been added to allow players to go back to wherever they want to start over, revisit, and/or practice a tricky spot. While it might not register in the minds of those of us who are addicted to high-profile launch games like Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, Gradius III & IV might be good to buy for casual gamers of all ages and skill ranges, since Konami has added modes for beginners and advanced players. Everyone from granny to baby brother should be able to pick up this title and th right out of the box. --Todd Mowatt Pros: * Enhanced gameplay nostalgia * New stage-selection and continue features Cons: * Appealing to casual gamers and fans of the genre only P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); Review ------ The popularity of retrogaming is unquestionable. Between the remakes of old franchises and the repackaging of old arcade games into "best of" console compilations, it's obvious that today's game players have a huge soft spot for recent nostalgia. With this in mind, Konami has brought Gradius III & IV, a name that no doubt warms the memories of many NES players, to the PS2. The Gradius series is one of the unsung heroes of the gaming world. All of the now-standard conventions of side-scrolling shooters - screens filled with enemies and enemy fire, gigantic bosses, and a large, multifaceted weapons system - were popularized in the Gradius series. For the PS2 release, Konami has skipped any sort of augmentation of these titles and instead has opted for straight emulation. Gradius III & IV are both identical to their arcade counterparts, down to such minutiae as imitating the same slowdown found in the originals. The world-famous Konami code is included as well. All of this will either light up the eyes of players jonesing for some y retro gaming or be a wicked disappointment to gamers looking for something new. Since the release of the original Gradius in 1985, and the subsequent releases of Gradius II, III, and IV in 1988, 1989, and 1998, respectively, not much has changed in the world of Gradius. Aside from a few slightly different enemy types and weapon configurations, III & IV play identically to Gradius circa 1985. But what's even more interesting than the games' similarities is that gameplay-wise, this old horse is able to keep up with the likes of Silpheed and other new-school side-scrolling shooters without breaking a sweat. The gameplay is still top-notch for the genre, and it will not disappoint shooter fans. One of the trademarks of the Gradius series, and a good portion of the side-scrolling shooters out there, is a high level of difficulty. Gradius III & IV are hard, and out-of-practice players will likely be jostled by their extreme difficulty - so be warned. Gradius III & IV show their respective ages, though with a certain a of pride. Gradius III looks like the 16-bit 2D wonder that it is, while IV includes a smattering of polygonal effects and higher-resolution sprites. The reception of their antiquated presentation is dependent on the players themselves; the flat 2D graphics and tinny sound effects will either evoke bucketfuls of nostalgia for older players or come off as unimpressive and dated to players not raised on the series. While some consider it a cashing-in tactic by game companies, Konami has done a graceful job of repackaging and rereleasing Gradius III & IV. Both games represent their arcade counterparts flawlessly, to the point of including the flaws. Konami's s may be locked dead on the retrogaming audience, but Gradius III & IV are both excellent, albeit incredibly difficult, games in their own right. Anyone looking for a solid side-scrolling shooter would do well to pick up this game. --Ryan Davis--Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review See more ( javascript:void(0) )