How good is Gradius 3 for the SNES?

dtdg · Post by **dtdg** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:37 am

I've played it and It's good. Is it a straight port of the arcade game or are the toppings taken off of it?

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:57 am

It's much easier. Much, much easier.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:40 am

Which is, in this case, a good thing. The SNES version is much more playable than the arcade one.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:37 am

Easier than when compared to the arcade PCB/PS2...but the game offers a nice fair challenge for all who can look past the slowdown. Its there, but it doesn't ruin the game.
One of the best "horzies" of its time on a console.

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:39 am

Did it get a PAL release? The only time I've played the Snes version was using an emulator for my Dreamcast and then it only ran at about 80% speed.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:41 pm

and if you want to make the SNES version harder, there's always the secret "arcade" mode

dessgeega · Post by **dessgeega** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:56 pm

there's added music in the sfc/snes version too. each boss in the boss parade has been given its own theme.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:27 pm

BrianC wrote:and if you want to make the SNES version harder, there's always the secret "arcade" mode

But this so-called "arcade" mode is still much easier than the real thing.

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:46 pm

The SNES version is not identical to the arcade. it's much easier.

The amount of slowdown is, however, arcade accurate. the real arcade slows down JUST AS MUCH. And it's STILL too damn hard (laugh)

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 12:31 am

MSZ wrote:
BrianC wrote:and if you want to make the SNES version harder, there's always the secret "arcade" mode
But this so-called "arcade" mode is still much easier than the real thing.

Which proves just how unbelievably hard the arcade game is. The differance between the regular difficulties and arcade mode in the SNES version is noticable and it doesn't seem to be a walk in the park either. Just becuase it's not the same as the arcade doesn't mean that it should be written off. IMO, the SNES version is better than the "real thing" becuase it seems to be much better balanced.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:28 am

BrianC wrote:Which proves just how unbelievably hard the arcade game is. The differance between the regular difficulties and arcade mode in the SNES version is noticable and it doesn't seem to be a walk in the park either. Just becuase it's not the same as the arcade doesn't mean that it should be written off. IMO, the SNES version is better than the "real thing" becuase it seems to be much better balanced.

I would second that, but the amount of slowdown on this cart is just unbearable, to the point it ruins the many other advantages of this version. Choose the wrong weapons and you're not even talking about a game anymore... More like a slideshow of still image frames.

TWITCHDOCTOR wrote:One of the best "horzies" of its time on a console.

I understand that early Snes adopters might have been hungry for shmups but, still... Konami were just too inexperienced with snes hardware at time. Bad timing. Luckily the learned fast!

EDIT: sorry, don't take my two cents on the argument too bad. I am aware I'm in minority here. Perhaps it's just that unlike these days, when I think to Konami in the Snes era I'm used to expect 10/10 satisfaction, and this is a striking exception to the rule.

Slowdown aside, I'm always for a proper "port" that implies welcome changes and adjusts. I think the recent trend of straightforward ports, that is, closer and closer to emulation than recreation, is somewhat sad.

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:07 pm

"I would second that, but the amount of slowdown on this cart is just unbearable, to the point it ruins the many other advantages of this version. Choose the wrong weapons and you're not even talking about a game anymore... More like a slideshow of still image frames."

I second this. The slowdown mars the game to no end, and makes it very easy as well. Had there been no slowdown, then the game would definetly be deserving of the praise it gets anyways. I'd rather go for Super Nova or Macross Scrambled Valkyrie for SNES horizontal shmups. UN Squadron is also one worth pointing out. I think with the game Capcom saw that the SNES was slowdown prone, so they came out with the game since it is a 'slower' shmup more suited to the SNES. Gradius III on the other hand, just makes the console's processor look really poor!

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:24 pm

As much as I like the game, I have to admit that the slowdown does hurt Gradius III SNES quite a bit and does make the game less that what it could have been. Good thing Konami shaped up with Pop 'n Twinbee and some of their other SNES shmups.

Capt. Takehiko · Post by **Capt. Takehiko** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:06 pm

theevilfunkster wrote:Did it get a PAL release?

No, US only.