Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

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dieKatze88
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by dieKatze88 »

Chaos Phoenixma wrote:How accurate/inaccurate are the ports on the PSP Collection?
Considering I'm pretty sure that they're all based on inaccurate ports, pretty bad. Gradius Gaiden is a 1:1, but doesn't feature proper screen scaling and doesn't have multiplayer.
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DEL
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by DEL »

Gradius IV: the most infuriating game I've ever played in my life

Without a doubt.

No shooter has ever flared me into a frustrated rage as proficiently as Gradius IV
I had to stop playing it for my health and the safety of my screen.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by dpful »

Thanks guys! I'm currently having a lot more fun. Only getting 3 options for the bubbles and they pop pretty easy, putting me into regular spaz mode, instead of instant explode mode.

I have been out of town practicing it on my PSP however, and I'm scared that when I get home (to the cab) the lack of autofire is gonna make the real frustrating diff and and I'm going to be back where I started.
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MSZ
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by MSZ »

13 years later I still can't find myself beating stage 6. :(
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by neorichieb1971 »

GIV is bad game design pure and simple. It got to the point with me that I just didn't enjoy playing it.

Its one thing to die and try something else. But when you try something else you die again somewhere else. And the cycle repeats. Mind you I died on Rtype in the same way. I think thats a game you have to know how to beat and then you can beat it. But with GIV I just think it was designed to cheat. Can someone not hack it to make it semi beatable?
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by Mortificator »

Well, this thread egged me into playing through Gradius IV again - first on easiest and then on default difficulty - and that's only reinforced my praise of the game. There's a lot of variation based on your power meter and rank, like Seahawk said, so the experience is more free-form than the older arcade titles tended to be. The boss fights feel like FIGHTS and not positioning recipes where you either win or die in short order.

It took me more than a few credits... the veins are nasty and Tetran is quite the prick this time 'round. The boss parade is surprisingly friendly, though. There are checkpoints between every boss, and they give you enough power capsules for two speed ups, missiles, and either four options or three and a laser. Actually, I don't think there are any BS checkpoints in IV.
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dieKatze88
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by dieKatze88 »

Mortificator wrote:Well, this thread egged me into playing through Gradius IV again - first on easiest and then on default difficulty - and that's only reinforced my praise of the game. There's a lot of variation based on your power meter and rank, like Seahawk said, so the experience is more free-form than the older arcade titles tended to be. The boss fights feel like FIGHTS and not positioning recipes where you either win or die in short order.

It took me more than a few credits... the veins are nasty and Tetran is quite the prick this time 'round. The boss parade is surprisingly friendly, though. There are checkpoints between every boss, and they give you enough power capsules for two speed ups, missiles, and either four options or three and a laser. Actually, I don't think there are any BS checkpoints in IV.
I can guarantee in writing that Tetran in Gradius IV is less of a prick than Tetran in Otomedius, just saying.

There is ONE decently Bullshit checkpoint in IV, during the lava stage. I believe its the center one.

The one right before the hammers in the final stage is a bunch of horseshit too, but not nearly as bad.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by thchardcore »

Gradius IV is insane. Not sure I would call it the hardest game I've played but it's up there with Actraiser 2. I can really appreciate the level designs having spent almost an hour dying on them all. Definitely my favorite in the series.

Comparing this to GradIus V is tough. I like both, but Gradius V just felt so Treasure-ish and had the same tintjob as Ikaruga. Hate the music in V while IV has some really catchy tracks. IV is loved only by sadists it seems but it was the last true Gradius game imo. I could not get into Gaiden at all.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

IV is all about rank control I think. Inherited by Gokujou Parodius AC's original rank system, you'd need to suicide or death by purpose to keep the rank low. Extend is 150k each once you get first extend so score milking is needed.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by Austin »

It's always interesting going back to these old threads and seeing old comments.

I still think Gradius III is way harder, but have since made progress.. near the end of Stage 3. Stage 2 isn't so bad now. Gradius IV on the other hand, I've since made it to the last level. Really need to get back to grinding that one out. Bubble stage was probably my first brick wall in Gradius IV.

It's all about using the right strats. And yeah, like it was said forever ago, the mines are awesome.

Good run by Aquas here with other folks talking about strats. This will probably help with some of you struggling with the game: https://youtu.be/xpdS45qNedI
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

IIRC the one with mine weapon comes with another weak laser and double. How double weapon works in this game is pretty bad and tailgun is much better on tougher spots like Cell and last stage.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by XoPachi »

Austin wrote:It's always interesting going back to these old threads and seeing old comments.

I still think Gradius III is way harder, but have since made progress..
Yeah, I was going to say, 4 is hard with how snappy and quick a lot of stuff is. Level 6 in particular and the speed zone owned my shit. But I found 3 AC to be MUCH more brutal than anything in the series.
Also, maybe it's because I haven't played in some time, but I don't remember the PSP collection ports running bad. Like...at all. 4 in particular was very crisp, responsive, and extremely smooth with clean visuals and good audio (for PSP). I put quite a bit of time into those games since it was the only UMD I owned on the system.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

XoPachi wrote:I don't remember the PSP collection ports running bad. Like...at all. 4 in particular was very crisp, responsive, and extremely smooth with clean visuals and good audio (for PSP).
It was the PS2 version of Gradius III and IV that looks.... not clean. The PCB of IV runs with progressive scan mode, whereas PS2 port downscale to 240p which result slight blurry textures.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by Lord British »

Just picked the PS2 disc yesterday and I haven't played it in over 20 years. I remember sucking at it and not getting far even on the easiest setting. On first try yesterday I made it as far as the fire stage boss and hit a wall there. After that I decided to go through the entire Boss Rush a couple times testing a couple sets of weapons. Tried the regular game again and made it to the second to the last boss and only stopped because I had to leave.

I had a lot more fun playing the game then I thought I would. Keep in mind I'm only on the easiest setting, but given its reputation I thought it would be tougher. I even struggled through Gradius Gaiden a little more in some parts. It's not even close to arcade Gradius 3.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

I'm pretty sure Easiest setting of IV equals Normal mode by today's standards. Had the weapon set are refined again, this game would be my clear list. Anything but bottom-most weapon set sucks though, weak and shit to use.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by Aquas »

copy-paster wrote:I'm pretty sure Easiest setting of IV equals Normal mode by today's standards. Had the weapon set are refined again, this game would be my clear list. Anything but bottom-most weapon set sucks though, weak and shit to use.
I disagree. All of the weapon configs are usable, and have strengths and weaknesses for various sections... just like any Gradius game with multiple config selections. You learn to work around it. Don't blame the weapon configs, blame your determination.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

I'm aware that the one with vertical mine is strongest config, but then you got armor piercing which is weaker than peashooter. Even all lasers but twin are weak.

Funny that you quoted my post, I had practice session with this game on both PS2 and PSP. Aside from cursed bubble stage, regenerating Moai is brutal and dying here is instant game over.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by Aquas »

Yeah - Moai is 100% recoverable, in fact I recommend it because you're going to want a rank drop anyways in preparation for the latter half of cell stage. Here's what you do, practice Moai in stage select a whole bunch and try powering through recovering, or credit feed. Trust me, you'll get a feel for the stage layout and get an idea of a powerup route that will rescue you. Bubble is recoverable as well, the deaths will bring the rank down dramatically and make bubble core much more defeatabale, as well as turn the heat down in the stage. When you recover, in general, focus on small bubble destruction. You can DO EEEET!!!!

And yeah, Laser is generally crap in G IV, I think the Type 1 Laser is somewhat decent IIRC.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by versionfiv »

it helps that it's one of the most addictive and endlessly replayable shmups ever made. konami should re-release it for the current generation. still a fantastic game by any standard.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

I think I know the reason why Bubble stage is ass, it's because that in Normal difficulty or higher, the bubbles have i-frames when they split. This is why they are harder.

Easy mode is imo, very reasonable for "default" difficulty in this game. The changes from Easy mode from what I know:

-less cruel bubbles
-less volcano spewing rocks
-less faster stage 4 boss bugs
-less aggresive Berial

Moai, cell and final stage is surprisingly same experience as Normal.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

Since I just recently got a clear, think I should write-up a mini-thought here:

Gradius IV, by far is the only Gradius game I've put serious time into it. Not only it's harder than V, and also each run on specific spot the game becomes slot machine. The part with two ice blocks floating in St3 and St6's blood vessels are pretty much run-ender to me and requires a bit of luck to get through, the latter in particular I have no idea how to checkpoint recovery in this. In a positive note, Gradius IV offers some of best setpieces (Plant, Volcano/Magma, Moai, Base stage) and easier recovery in like 80% of each checkpoints although you have to die few times to lower the rank.

Boss fights are really fun. I had fun dodging those bubbles in Bubble Core and mini-bugs on fire boss, Berial on low rank is easier but still offer some edge-of-the-seat fight.
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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by heatimusZ4 »

I think we can all agree is that Gradius IV is pain to play (unless you started with this entry and loved it then i can't blame you.) because of stages or enemies when it comes to being fair, it's like ghosts n goblins syndrome but for shooter games.
The moai stage and the volcano/lava area are the ones that gives me the most trouble IMO, maybe the fortress stage as well..

This is as far as i remembered it since i haven't lay my hands on it since like 9 months or so..


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Re: Gradius IV: the hardest game I've ever played In my life

Post by copy-paster »

Gradius III Arcade probably is way more painful to play. Like 95% of the checkpoints are impossible to recover, and after stage 1 it throws so many BS for the whole game.
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