Gradius questions

[tommyb]

I've never really got into the Gradius series, and I want to, where should I start?

[MX7]

Gradius V, I guess. It was voted the best shooting game of all time on this very site, and it has a few modern features that make it more accessible than other Gradius games.

[tommyb]

Alright, thank you :]

[ott0bot]

I think Gradius III is accesable too, and fun. Great game. The Gradius III & IV collection on PS2 is quite decent. Gradius V is awesome too, but it gets brutal. It's Gradius though...I think it's supposed to be hard.

[OmniGLH]

I think Gradius III is accesable too, and fun. Great game. The Gradius III & IV collection on PS2 is quite decent. Gradius V is awesome too, but it gets brutal. It's Gradius though...I think it's supposed to be hard.

You're kidding, right?

Gradius III is by far the most brutal one. Not good for an introduction to the series. This is in reference to the arcade/PS2/PSP versions of the game.

I would recommend starting with the first. Great way to get a feel for how the game plays and progresses.

[Mortificator]

He probably means the SNES port.

I'd recommend Gaiden as the best realization of the classic Gradius formula. The original arcade game's fun & short too, and if you play the US set (Nemesis) recovery's pretty easy. Salamander 2 is also pretty accessible if you're more used to non-Gradii shooters.

[BulletMagnet]

For "classic" Gradius I'd recommend Gaiden, or maybe the SNES version of III, as others have mentioned. For something a bit more "modern" feeling, go with V.

[kengou]

I'd recommend Gaiden. 1 and 2 are great, Gaiden is just better. 3 is too hard. 5 is great, but it feels far more like a Treasure game than a Konami game and it's also extremely hard. I haven't played 4.

If you can find Gaiden and have the means to play it, that is definitely the best realization of the Gradius formula, as Mortificator said.

[Ed Oscuro]

I've never really got into the Gradius series, and I want to, where should I start?

Shoot the core, avoid enemy lasers and tunnel walls!

[ott0bot]

Why are you guys assuming he wants to play an easy version of the game? When i pick up a shmup and it's so easy I can blast through it in one continue, i lose all interest. The satisfaction of conquering a challanging game is what is most appealing to me about playing Gradius. And yes, the SNES port is much easier than the arcade/ps2 version, so if difficult turns you off from the series than for that. I personally think Gradius III on the ps2 is a great port and represents the series well.


Also, I agree Gradius Gaiden is good too.

[e_tank]

i think a lot of people think that the gradius 3's difficulty is more frustrating than challenging. games can be hard for different reasons, a game designed to constantly fuck you over tends to be the former category. i wanna be the guy is a perfect example of this, and some people (including myself) think gradius 3 is another.

the first gradius is a good place to start, though i think you should play the pce version before you play the arcade one. the pce version has arguably better music, better graphics, smoother gameplay (the enemies seem to move fluently), and a kick ass extra level that wasn't in the arcade. the pce version does have some extra slowdown but the arcade had plenty already so i don't feel it's as bad as a lot of people say it is.
i can't say for certain but i believe the rank is based solely on the number of options you have in the pce version, where as in the arcade it seems to go up on on its own after a while.
also a note on the arcade version, i don't remember a time i've gotten so angry while playing a game then when i was working on 1cc'ing the arcade version of gradius. i can't tell you how many times i died that i felt were utter bullshit, a problem that doesn't happen so much with modern shooters. over and over i'd die yet i had no clue what the fuck killed me, whether it was the background, an enemy, or a bullet. i did finally 1cc it, but i still feel the arcade version is chuck full of bullshit moments, something which was improved upon in the pce version.
now when i play the arcade version level 4 and the last level are the only ones that pose any kind of problems. if i'm powered up enough they're not so bad but if i die on certain parts of either of those levels my chances of recovery are pretty much non-existent, moreso on the last level. anywhere else i can die and still recover. i guess i can't complain as there's a damn good reason people use the term "gradius syndrom".

sorry for the rant, but man i was mad at that game. glad i wasn't into the game when i used to go to arcades as i think i would have exploded in rage and started attacking the cabinet and get thrown out or arrested.

[lgb]

The original. The least complex out of them (though still pretty complex) and can also get you prepared for future challenges.

[captpain]

The original. The least complex out of them (though still pretty complex) and can also get you prepared for future challenges.

Plus you could be like, totally hardcore and tell people that you 1cced all the Gradius games in order.

[StoofooEsq]

There's really no wrong way to start in the Gradius series, IMO.

My preference would be to start with the first game, and then play through the others in order of release. You'll get a good feel for the basic series traditions, see how each game stands up against the others, and appreciate (or hate) how it changed as time went by and hardware got better.

Far more importantly, you'll be able to smile and go "Oh, it's you!" when you meet bosses from preceding games in the Boss Rushes while hearing their appropriate themes playing in the background. As everyone should.

[CSBrokaw]

I started with Gradius III SNES.

...then I got the Gradius III & IV collection for PS2.
Not a great way to introduce yourself to the series, heh (III is too difficult and IV is generic).

[tommyb]

Well, thanks a lot, haha.

I didn't expect to get this many responses to this. I'm really interested to try out Gaiden now, and III just because I wanna see this difficulty you guys are talking about.

Thanks ^_^

[spadgy]

Why are you guys assuming he wants to play an easy version of the game?

I think really it's about being relatively easy, and aside from the Game Boy ones (Nemesis, AKA Ultra Nemesis, and Interstella Assualt - they aren't a start tommyb, but good fun, so try them sometime) all the Gradius games are pretty challenging).

I started a few years ago with the first one on the NES - but again - V or Gaiden are the ones... If you have a PS2 and Saturn, you can amass a fairly thorough starter Gradius collection by buying the Saturn Deluxe pack, GIII and IV double pack for PS2, and GV for PS2...

[Mortificator]

I agree that it's probably not the best place to start, but the second Game Boy game is actually what got me into the series.

The original. The least complex out of them (though still pretty complex) and can also get you prepared for future challenges.

Plus you could be like, totally hardcore and tell people that you 1cced all the Gradius games in order.

So would game would be the second? Salamander? Gradius 2? Gradius II?

Super Cobra?

[spadgy]

I agree that it's probably not the best place to start, but the second Game Boy game is actually what got me into the series.

Whatever it is, it's damn good fun, so while it's not a purists Gradius, perhaps it's not such a bad starting point.

It might confuse your perception of what you have ahead of you, but it will make you grin like an idiot!

I loved it, and it's cheap as hell, and boy, the guy who runs the game's hi score thread is one fine hunk of man (squirrel).

[BrianC]

I'd recommend Gaiden as the best realization of the classic Gradius formula. The original arcade game's fun & short too, and if you play the US set (Nemesis) recovery's pretty easy. Salamander 2 is also pretty accessible if you're more used to non-Gradii shooters.

Gaiden is definitely a good place to start. Not too hard and one of the better games in the series.

The set of arcade Nemesis with power up enemies after death and continues is the US set? This is also the set used in Konami Arcade DS (both US and JP, not sure about EU) when the game is played in English mode (when the DS is set to Japanese, the game plays the original JP Gradius for both the US and JP Konami Arcade DS). I don't recommend starting with this version. Even though it has continues and easier recovery, the difficulty as also been increased to the point of cheapness. Rank seems to shoot through the roof with just a few power ups in this version.

Nemesis GB is a good place to start for Gradius. The game isn't too hard, it has a good mix of elements from different games in the series, and it can be picked up for dirt cheap.

[t0yrobo]

I didn't get real into the series till I played the first one (pce version) myself. I'd recommend either that or Gaiden as a good stating point. V is a good game but it's a definite departure from the rest of the series, anyways, if you've played some of the other games then you'll know what they're referencing everything from in V.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Start with the first.

[Damocles]

1, 2, or Gaiden. 5 is good, but not a good representative of the series.

[evil_ash_xero]

V is the best one.

However, the best old-school one(traditional gradius) is Gradius Gaiden.

Gradius Gaiden's a little hard to come by, and i'm not sure if you're emulating or what. It's only on PSP domestically.

Gradius V is pretty easy to come by, and it's AWESOME.

s/m

[Jon]

If you have a PSP just grab the compilation if your new to the series. If you're into it grab Gradius V post haste.

I can never decide if Gaiden or V is my fave of the series.

[StoofooEsq]

Been making my first runs through Gradius IV. It's not that it's bad, but why do I have this feeling that something is missing from the game? Between this and other games in the series, it almost feels bland.

[TLB]

1, 2, or Gaiden. 5 is good, but not a good representative of the series.

Or perhaps IV. I just buy every fucking shmup I can easily get my hands on and play, so it's a bit difficult to recommend just one game, but V is my favorite (Gradius + Treasure = happiness). If you want the real Gradius ride experience happy mega fun time explosion, start with the earliest named Gradius you can find and then play what you like, whether it be traditional canon in order or V. Or straight to IV and Gaiden, if you don't have all the time in the world.
GLHF.

[FRO]

If you have a PSP just grab the compilation if your new to the series. If you're into it grab Gradius V post haste.

I can never decide if Gaiden or V is my fave of the series.

Agreed. I just got the collection for PSP 2 days ago in the mail, and have played all but the original. So far, it looks like the emulation is awesome, the "stretch" mode where it fills the screen looks good, and all the games play like a dream. Granted, I still suck horribly at Gradius games, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun doing it

And yes, V is also muy excellente, so get it cuz it's cheap nearly everywhere you look. Some of the best shmupping that can be had for $10 or less.

[Frederik]

1, 2, or Gaiden. 5 is good, but not a good representative of the series.

+1

[DEL]

As lgb mentioned - the original one, the arcade original (or the Saturn port of it).

My favourite of the series is Gradius II Gofer - either the arcade original or the PC Engine CD port.