Gradius collection for PSP

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:49 am

A full review in English:

http://www.siliconera.com/index.php/gradius-portable/

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:39 am

When this comes out in the USA, it will be the first time Gradius II is relased in that country.

Took its time, huh?

http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/gra_psp/dl.html

By the way - I can't understand if the Vic Viper models used on the cover are two or three.

All I know is that the one on the front should be the T-301 model made by Hidetaka Tenjin for Gradius V. And the one in the middle should be clearly Hajime Katoki's model for Gradius II (can't remember the serial no° atm).

(btw is very nice from Konami to have used this one too)

What about the third, distant Vic Viper in background? Is it another T-301?

Was the T-301 created for GV or for Fukkatsu?

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:57 am

From top to the bottom:

VV T301 from GV (I have no idea why it's on the cover though...)
VV BP-3277 from GII (Is it really Katoki's work? I know he did the illustrations for the PC Engine version but not sure about the Vic Viper itself...)
VV from Gradius IV ( http://www.gamestone.co.uk/gradius/game ... poster.jpg )

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:44 am

MSZ wrote:From top to the bottom:

VV T301 from GV (I have no idea why it's on the cover though...)
VV BP-3277 from GII (Is it really Katoki's work? I know he did the illustrations for the PC Engine version but not sure about the Vic Viper itself...)
VV from Gradius IV ( http://www.gamestone.co.uk/gradius/game ... poster.jpg )

where did you take that G II serial no° I checked my source and I have BP-827Z

Also, the Fukkatsu and T-301 model looks awfully similar - are you guessing? And if not, any evidence that they're not the same?

Oh, I'll double check but I was pretty sure it was Katoki's - I love his style

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:58 am

You guys are nerds.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:59 am

Turrican wrote:where did you take that G II serial no° I checked my source and I have BP-827Z

Also, the Fukkatsu and T-301 model looks awfully similar - are you guessing? And if not, any evidence that they're not the same?

Oh, I'll double check but I was pretty sure it was Katoki's - I love his style

I got the GII serial number @ gamestone's website. I don't have the PC engine version of GII.

GIV's VV does look similar to T-301, check the engine bays on both VV models and you will see the differences.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:03 am

Ok, I just checked out the GII manual scanshots, its BP-872Z.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:19 am

MSZ wrote:I got the GII serial number @ gamestone's website. I don't have the PC engine version of GII.

GIV's VV does look similar to T-301, check the engine bays on both VV models and you will see the differences.

Check the X68k Gradius II section at gamestone, there's the name of the modeler at the bottom of the last page. It's in kanji though.

Too bad the Fukkatsu one doesn't have a known serial no° - also, I always got the impression that the model used on the PS2 cover (2001) was different from the one in game (1999)... Created for the III&IV pack fmvs, if you want. Check the arcade GIV section of gamestone to see some early renders that definitely resemble BP-827Z.

iatneH wrote:You guys are nerds.

and you're reading us, backwards-for-hentai. Now what this makes of you?

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:41 am

Turrican wrote:Too bad the Fukkatsu one doesn't have a known serial no° - also, I always got the impression that the model used on the PS2 cover (2001) was different from the one in game (1999)... Created for the III&IV pack fmvs, if you want. Check the arcade GIV section of gamestone to see some early renders that definitely resemble BP-827Z.

Yea, I understand what you are saying, I have the GIV OST myself. I think the reason why they changed the design for Fukkatsu in GIII&IV was to avoid confusions.(Since it looks almost identical to BP-827Z.)

But now the GIV and GV ships looked too similar its even more confusing.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:19 am

It means I like doing it backwards.

I was just kidding, of course

I didn't even know there were different VV's!

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:40 am

iatneH wrote:It means I like doing it backwards.

I was just kidding, of course

I didn't even know there were different VV's!

don't worry, I did get that you didn't mean to be offensive.

Yeah, there are lots of vic vipers. Almost every game features a new one, it's safe to say.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:15 am

Been a little over a week and I still haven't gotten it. I called NCS yesterday and they said their shipment of the game was late, so hopefully monday.

ReKleSS · Post by **ReKleSS** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:55 am

MSZ wrote:I got the GII serial number @ gamestone's website. I don't have the PC engine version of GII.

GIV's VV does look similar to T-301, check the engine bays on both VV models and you will see the differences.

There's a clearer difference between the GIV and GV ships. See:

Compare that to the images from here. At the front, on the viper from GV the nacelles get wider, then have the straight white section, then curve in again. The GIV version connects to the body after the straight section.

I have that GV poster next to my desk, and I had the gradius collection wallpaper as my desktop wallpaper, so that had me confused for a while.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 8:50 am

ReKleSS wrote:
MSZ wrote:I got the GII serial number @ gamestone's website. I don't have the PC engine version of GII.

GIV's VV does look similar to T-301, check the engine bays on both VV models and you will see the differences.
There's a clearer difference between the GIV and GV ships. See:
http://www.innerworldadventures.com/gradv_poster.jpg
Compare that to the images from here. At the front, on the viper from GV the nacelles get wider, then have the straight white section, then curve in again. The GIV version connects to the body after the straight section.

I have that GV poster next to my desk, and I had the gradius collection wallpaper as my desktop wallpaper, so that had me confused for a while.

I'm sorry but - compare your own scan with this picture:

http://www.gamestone.co.uk/gradius/games/PS2_01/box.jpg

They still look awfully similar to me, and that difference you were speaking about is not there when seeing both from overview perspective...

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:26 am

I can't say I've ever been good at Gradius, and I suck at Gradius V which most say is one of the easier G-games.

ReKleSS · Post by **ReKleSS** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:09 pm

Ok, now I'm confused. The first time I saw the link to that pic I got a 403, but now I've actually tracked it down and taken a look... before I was just using one of the wallpapers from the konami site. The GIV vic viper at the front of the wallpaper clearly has a shortened front and narrower intake, but the one from the Gradius 3+4 box art has the same... The CG introductions for 3+4 (from gamestone) also show the same vic viper...

And this was four years before Gradius V. So I guess this is back to where we started.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:59 pm

Here's my guessing:

Around 2000, for a reason or another, Konami did contact Hidetaka Tenjin to create a new Vic Viper model. This is the model that, for commercial and advertising purposes was used in the III&IV pack. And when Treasure decided to make Gradius V, they went with the existing model.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:24 am

Is anyone playing this game on the US PSP? The back cover has the region 2 sign on it, I heard most of the PSP games so far are region free, how about this one?

Nullsleep · Post by **Nullsleep** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:29 am

MSZ wrote:Is anyone playing this game on the US PSP? The back cover has the region 2 sign on it, I heard most of the PSP games so far are region free, how about this one?

It plays fine on a US PSP. The only issue is the firmware 2.50 requirement.

dark penguin · Post by **dark penguin** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:03 pm

So, after playing this collection for almost a week, I have to say it's definitely worthy of a purchase. I particularly like the ability to save your option configurations(ie difficulty, screen adjustments)as a separate file from your save states.
Anyway, I have a question for anyone who has played Gradius III extensively in the arcade:
The Silicon Era review above cites slowdown that makes the game "almost unplayable". I've never played part III in the arcade and I'm wondering if this slowdown was present in the original? If so, was it as bad?

Opinions? Thanks!

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:31 pm

dark penguin wrote:The Silicon Era review above cites slowdown that makes the game "almost unplayable". I've never played part III in the arcade and I'm wondering if this slowdown was present in the original? If so, was it as bad?

Opinions? Thanks!

I haven't played this game yet, it does have lots of slowdown in the original arcade version.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:37 pm

MSZ wrote:
dark penguin wrote:The Silicon Era review above cites slowdown that makes the game "almost unplayable". I've never played part III in the arcade and I'm wondering if this slowdown was present in the original?
I haven't played this game yet, it does have lots of slowdown in the original arcade version.

Which you could turn optionally off in the PS2 version, for a smooth but near-impossible game... "damned if you do, damned if you don't" comes to mind.

Kubrick · Post by **Kubrick** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:21 pm

You can eliminate/reduce the slowdown ("Wait" level) in the PSP versions too if you don't like it. I leave it in though - Gradius III is hard enough without making it even more difficult.

It's a great package. I'm hoping they do a Salamander one.

dark penguin · Post by **dark penguin** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:22 pm

Kubrick wrote:You can eliminate/reduce the slowdown ("Wait" level) in the PSP versions too if you don't like it. I leave it in though - Gradius III is hard enough without making it even more difficult.

It's a great package. I'm hoping they do a Salamander one.

Right on...I was wondering what the "wait level" setting actually meant.
I agree about the Salamander thing...maybe if this collection sells well, we'll get it. I for one would buy it.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:23 pm

I bought my PSP today, having a tough time to get used to the control. And Gaiden does have a very crappy screen zoom mode. While I to IV all have at least 3 different display modes, Gaiden only has two: original and full screen. The original screen is just too damn small for anyone, so basically they are forcing us to use the full screen mode.

But overall, its a great package. 8/10

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:59 pm

I guess there's still no word of a US release date. All i can seem to find is quarter 2, 2006. Though there was this one match for Play-Asia (?) that said it's U.S. release was March 2nd but when i clicked it it just brought me to the Play-Asia main page with no Gradius info. Wtf, mate?

It's all well and good anyway - i can't afford it right now but in a few weeks it'll be a different story.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:23 am

One thing I just found out seconds ago: The GIII FMV in the gallery section is not a full-length version. The GIV one does look PS2-accurate though...

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:44 am

I should be getting this tomorrow or Tuesday. Before I receive it, could someone break down what option is what (screen size, save states, config save, ect) in the Save menus (since the Silicon era review said the save screen is the only menu in Japanese)? Or is that just referring to the memory stick duo screen?

Thanks to MSZ and Dark Penguin for the impressions. Bummer that they rushed at the last minute with Gaiden's screen options.

Still sounds like a solid collection though.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:23 am

Dylan1CC wrote:I should be getting this tomorrow or Tuesday. Before I receive it, could someone break down what option is what (screen size, save states, config save, ect) in the Save menus (since the Silicon era review said the save screen is the only menu in Japanese)? Or is that just referring to the memory stick duo screen?

The game is 100% English, included the ending credit(I've 1CCed Gaiden so far.), option menus and save menus.

LSU · Post by **LSU** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:44 pm

So is everyone simply upgrading their firmware to run this, or has anyone discovered some kind of exploit to run it on earlier firmware versions? Thanks.