Gradius

Gradius is a 1985 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It is the first installment in the Gradius series and has become a defining title in the shoot 'em up genre.

Development and Release

Gradius was the brainchild of Machiguchi Hiroyasu, a programmer at Konami, who developed the game during the company's transition from producing medal machines to video game development. Released in 1985, the game quickly achieved popularity, being listed as the most popular arcade game in Japan in July 1985, according to Game Machine magazine.

In the United Kingdom, known as Nemesis, it was the highest-grossing arcade game of 1986 in London on the Electrocoin charts. The game received glowing reviews from magazines like Computer and Video Games and Computer Gamer upon its release.

Gameplay Mechanics

Gradius introduced several innovative gameplay elements that have become staples in the shoot 'em up genre. Players control the starfighter Vic Viper, navigating through space to defeat waves of enemies. A unique aspect of Gradius is the power-up system, where players collect capsules to enhance their ship's abilities. These power-ups can include speed boosts, lasers, and shields.

Influence and Legacy

The game's mechanics were heavily inspired by earlier games, such as Scramble, although there is no direct canonical relationship between the two. Gradius has influenced numerous sequels and spin-offs within its franchise, including:

Gradius II: Released as a sequel to the original, with enhanced graphics and new levels.
Gradius III: Known for its difficulty and innovative gameplay features, available in the Gradius III & IV compilation for the PlayStation 2.
Gradius Gaiden: Aimed at refining and building upon the core Gradius gameplay.
Gradius IV: The fourth arcade installment in the series.
Gradius V: Released in 2004, it brought the series into the modern gaming era with updated graphics and gameplay systems.

Related Games

The Gradius franchise has a rich tapestry of related games and expansions like:

Salamander: Also known as Life Force in North America, shares gameplay mechanics with the Gradius series.
Parodius: A series of parody games that take elements from Gradius and adds a humorous twist.

Awards and Recognition

The Famicom version of Gradius received the Best Shooting Game award at the first Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards and was listed as the second-best Game of the Year, just below Dragon Quest. It was also awarded Game of the Month by Computer and Video Games for its home computer conversions.