It's important to consider these games in their proper context to appreciate them, which is to say, they don't all stand tall and proud on their own merits by today's standards. Despite these omissions, it's hard to be disappointed by how much quality action is presented in this collection. 2004's excellent Gradius V is also absent, though maybe it's too much to expect this relatively recent game to be included. That's a lot of Gradius games, though the one that's notably missing is Life Force, the spin-off sequel to Gradius that introduced two-player gameplay and vertical-scrolling stages. This game, of course, is part of the package in Gradius Collection, along with Gradius II (1988), Gradius III (1989), Gradius IV (1998), and Gradius Gaiden (1997). The original Gradius game dates back to 1985 and stands as the definitive side-scrolling space shoot-'em-up, in which you, as a lone fighter pilot, are expected to vanquish an entire alien armada without any backup. Instead, it's the name of the greatest star fighter since the X-Wing. Vic Viper could have been the name of a heavy metal rock star. It's a must-have for any shoot-'em-up fan, but even those who weren't pumping quarters into arcade cabinets during the series' heyday should be able to appreciate the pure action and challenge these games deliver. Now five games from the Gradius series-most of which have never been released before in North America-are available on one PSP disc, in the form of Gradius Collection. The Gradius series' primary innovation was its customizable power-up system, though the games also featured some distinctive level design and excellent presentation quality. This style of game simply challenges you to survive wave after wave of enemies, by maneuvering to avoid them and their bullets while returning fire. This spacecraft and its distinctive split-nose design is the unlikely hero of Gradius, possibly the all-time greatest series of shoot-'em-ups. New artwork created by Ian Wilding ().While the Vic Viper might not be a household name on quite the same level as Mario or Master Chief, it still is emblematic of what makes video games great. Included with the album is a double sided insert, with one side featuring a close up of Ian Wilding's cover artwork and the other side featuring liner notes from Retronauts' Jeremy Parish. Faster and more driving than the Famicom version, GRADIUS 2 remians an absolute treat for VGM and retro synth fans. Containing deep, humming synth lines that are more in line with the Konami Kukeiha Club's arcade output. Only released in Japan (and in Europe as NEMESIS 2), this version of the soundtrack is a completely different beast than the Famicom counterpart. The B-Side contains the lesser known soundtrack to the spin-off GRADIUS 2 for the MSX computer. Where the original game's soundtrack was a high watermark in the early days of video game music, GRADIUS II pushes the Nintendo Entertainment System's humble audio chip to its limits, creating memorable, improvosition based tracks that listeners will be humming long after the record stops spinning. The A-Side of this record contains the original soundtrack to the Famicom/NES version of GRADIUS II. Thanks to our friends at Ship to Shore PhonoCo., Black Screen Records now offers a limited and exclusive edition of Konami's classic shoot-em-up GRADIUS II on clear/red colour in colour vinyl.įurther developing the sound of GRADIUS, Part II continues with the hard driving sound that the Konami Kukeiha Club became world famous for.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |