Gradius

[shalpp]

Shoot the core, etc.

I for one did not care for Gradius III (and by that I mean hated with a passion that burns like herpes.)
Am I the only one who wept for hours on end after getting violated by suicide bullets and walking sentries in this game?

Why would Konami make a game that is a bullet hell soup and not give any mercy to the player at all?

 

[whoatefred]

I've never cared for 'Bullet Hell' sorts of games, tried them once, wasn't interested.
Also, doesn't look as bad as Ikaruga, *Shiver*. Gradius III that is.

 

[Kilron]

Gradius 3 had massive lag even in the arcade. That in itself makes it easier, try the PS2 port with the lag turned off if you want to see how masochists play.


The third game is hardly one of the best in the series though (not the worst either though...). If you want to see the franchise at it's best, hunt down Gradius 5, or my personal fav, Gradius Gaiden. Or even one of the Parodius games, as they provide nice gameplay twists and a good selection of alternate "ships" to play as.

 

[whoatefred]

Or even one of the Parodius games, as they provide nice gameplay twists and a good selection of alternate "ships" to play as.
__________________
Still hoping against hope that Konami makes a new Parodius, or brings the series to the US. Shmups are the REAL shooters.

Contradictory signature anyone? I believe a saw a few Parodius games on youtube once. Looked, interesting to say the least.

 

[superflip96]

The only Gradius I played was Gradius 3 on the SNES, even then I still perfer R-Type over that for some reason.

 

[Kilron]

Contradictory signature anyone? I believe a saw a few Parodius games on youtube once. Looked, interesting to say the least.

And how is it contradictory? I would love it if they brought the games stateside, but would settle for a new game too, since it's been years since the last one. Unless the last part is what you are talking about, which more or less has to do with the fact that before the FPS genre came about, shmups were the ones referred to as shooters.

 

[whoatefred]

Hoping Against hope that Parodius will come stateside means you're against it, right? Unless I'm a complete retard/ had a case of the mondays.

 

[Kilron]

No, it means that I hope it will come here even though the chances are pretty much zip to nada. The series would never be a big seller here, not to mention parents would think it's a kid's game and then get pissed when one of the giant half naked women bosses comes waltzing onscreen.


So yeah, you're misreading it.

 

[whoatefred]

My bad on the signature misunderstanding.

not to mention parents would think it's a kid's game and then get pissed when one of the giant half naked women bosses comes waltzing onscreen.

Isn't the entire point of the ESRB ratings used for that purpose exactly?
...Although no one I know at all pays attention to them...
Seriously, no one.

 

[a bee]

Well considering the first game (NES version) did poor in the UK, and it's overly Japanese cultured (especially at the time in the pre-Sailor Moon '90s, makes it the ultimate sales stigma), it's no surprise it never came to the west, also probably due to Nintendo's publishing policies limiting the number of games published (Konami had a lot of American license tie-in games filling the slots already). Cult fanbases don't sell games.

 

[MasterJace]

I kinda skipped off on part of a generation of shmups, growing up in the 90s on 80s games like Gradius and Gradius II, Chou Jikuu Yousai and Star Soldier and immediately skipping to Battle Garegga and the slew of arcade bullet hell games.

I had to revisit Gradius 3 and I remember it moderately difficult for only the first few minutes before I got the hang of it.

 

[Kilron]

Which version did you play? Because the SNES version is nowhere near as hard as the arcade game. For starters, it has no continues, which is likely why the PS2 version has a stage select.

 

[shalpp]

MY AVATAR

 

[glaber]

There is always the hope of virtual console

 

[shalpp]

Well considering the first game (NES version) did poor in the UK, and it's overly Japanese cultured (especially at the time in the pre-Sailor Moon '90s, makes it the ultimate sales stigma), it's no surprise it never came to the west, also probably due to Nintendo's publishing policies limiting the number of games published (Konami had a lot of American license tie-in games filling the slots already). Cult fanbases don't sell games.

Wasn't Gradius II for the FC not brought to the US or UK because of some video expansion chip that wasn't compatible with NES systems or something?

 

[MasterJace]

Which version did you play? Because the SNES version is nowhere near as hard as the arcade game. For starters, it has no continues, which is likely why the PS2 version has a stage select.

Fah. The SNES version was the one I played. Hell if I could find a Gradius III machine these days.

 

[shalpp]

Fah. The SNES version was the one I played. Hell if I could find a Gradius III machine these days.

I heard Konami had some of the machines pulled because it was so ****ing hard.
Go for Gradius III & IV for the PS2