![]() It is remarkable how many stage themes and bosses would return in later games, down to a near identical boss rush in Gradius III. Many of the staples that are featured in later games debuted here such as the speed zone and the crystal stage. The choice of shield is not even a choice only a fool would avoid picking the force field.Īll eight levels from the arcade are present and retain the same stage progression. Two of these weapon arrays come from Salamander and feature the Ripple and my personal favorite two-way missiles. ![]() To be honest most of these options are near identical with the only difference being the double and missiles. Rather than having a default weapon array you have a choice of four configurations. Gradius 2 borrows many elements from Salamander, namely some of its weapons. You can initiate it to your advantage but I would still prefer it was gone but I digress. The Crystal stage is a slog to get through because of this and while it never gets as bad as the Nintendo game it is still noticeable. If you are using a formation with the Ripple it is even worse. ![]() Once you have four options the game will immediately slowdown heavily. The one area that the PC Engine edition of Gradius 2 shares with its Famicom counterpart is slowdown. I do wish they did not go overboard with the amount of sprites as it affects the game’s performance. The Moai stage goes into overdrive in its second half with ring shaped projectiles firing at a blistering pace. Although a few of the levels are call backs to the original they do so with new twists. Part of what makes Gradius 2 so great is its variety, both visually and thematically. Konami makes use of the CD to present the soundtrack in redbook audio and it is fantastic. The game features plenty of massive bosses and sprites, an area where this system excels. The resolution is lower but outside of that the game matches up with the arcade game pretty well. This version of the game looks absolutely fantastic with a cool animated intro to boot. The first notable aspect of Gradius 2 is the presentation. That might be my personal bias as I really love the game but I feel it is true. For its time Gradius 2 – Gofer no Yabou was the best version money could buy and one of the best shooters on the system. The port itself was stellar given the hardware but little did I know the PC Engine CD version was even better. But when EGM previewed it I wanted it so badly, especially as I never saw it in the arcade. Like many I assumed Life Force was that game. One of my biggest gaming disappointments is that the Famicom version of Gradius 2 never left Japan. Interestingly, Life Force takes place in Gradius year 6842, two years after Gradius III.Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Released: DecemGenre: Shooter.The power-up gauge is arranged differently for both players as well.īoth the original Japanese version and the enhanced Life Force release are included in the compilation Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus for the PlayStation and Saturn, as well as in Salamander Portable for the PlayStation Portable. Some music tracks have also been completely changed for this release. The power-up system was also modified, with the Japanese Life Force using the same power-up gauge as the original Gradius. All of the backgrounds and mechanical enemies are completely redrawn and given organic appearances. Konami later released an enhanced version of Salamander in Japan bearing the American title of Life Force, which further fleshes out the organic motif. The power-ups are also given different names too: Stages which featured star field backgrounds had them changed with the web background from Stage 1 to maintain consistency with the organic setting of the plot. Life Force changes the plot from Salamander by adding an opening text which establishes the game to be set inside a giant alien life-form infected by a strain of bacteria. In the meantime, planet Gradius will be absorbed too! People entrust their last hope into the super spatio-temporal fighter Vic Viper. The unknown super-organism "Life Force" suddenly appeared in space!! It's a gigantic creature which absorbs all substances and continues to grow without stopping. To the planet Gradius which regained peace, an unprecedented crisis has arrived. ![]() Two years have passed since the battle against the Bacterian star system.
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