Editing Gradius (video game)

{{Short description|Sidescrolling shooter video game by Konami}}{{About|the video game|the series|Gradius}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Gradius
| image = Gradius.jpg
| caption = Promotional flyer
| developer = [[Konami]]
| publisher = Konami
| director = Hiroyasu Machiguchi
| series = ''[[Gradius]]''
| platforms = [[Arcade video game|Arcade]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]], [[PC-8800 series|PC-8801]], [[Game Boy]], [[X1 (computer)|X1]], [[MSX]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[PC Engine]], [[X68000]]
| released = '''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP|May 1985<ref>{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |lang=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |pages=27|url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n27/mode/2up}}</ref>|[[Europe, the Middle East and Africa|EMEA]]|September 1985<ref name="cvg">{{cite magazine|url=https://solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/219/595|title=Arcade Action: Nemesis|magazine=[[Computer + Video Games]]|issue=48 (October 1985)|date=16 September 1985|page=96}}</ref>|NA|December 1985<ref>{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=13 October 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |page=122 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n123}}</ref>}}'''Famicom/NES'''{{vgrelease|JP|April 25, 1986<ref name="gamefaqs.gamespot.com">{{cite web |title=Gradius Release Information for NES |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587317-gradius/data |website=GameFAQs}}</ref>|NA|December 1986|EU|November 30, 1988<ref name="gamefaqs.gamespot.com"/>}}
| genre = [[Shoot 'em up|Horizontal-scrolling shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| composer = [[Miki Higashino]]
| arcade system = [[Bubble System]], [[Nintendo VS. System]], [[PlayChoice-10]]
}}
{{nihongo foot|'''''Gradius'''''|グラディウス|Guradiusu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1985 [[side-scrolling shooter]] [[video game]] developed and published by [[Konami]] for [[Arcade video game|arcades]]. It is the first installment in the [[Gradius|''Gradius'' series]]. The player maneuvers a spacecraft known as the Vic Viper that must defend itself from the various alien enemies. The game uses a power-up system called the "power meter", based upon collecting capsules to purchase additional weapons.

The arcade version of ''Gradius'' was initially released internationally outside Japan under the title of '''''Nemesis''''', but subsequent home releases have since used the original title. During development, it had the working title '''''Scramble 2''''', as it was originally intended to be a follow-up to Konami's earlier shooter ''[[Scramble (video game)|Scramble]]'' (1981). Home versions were released for various platforms, such as the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], the [[MSX]] home computer, and the [[TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine]]. It was a major success in 1986, becoming the year's highest-grossing arcade game in [[London]] and one of Japan's top five table arcade games, while the Famicom port sold over a million copies in Japan that year. [[Nintendo]] released the NES version in arcades for the [[Nintendo VS. System]] as ''VS. Gradius'' and [[PlayChoice-10]] in November 1986.<ref name="Akagi">{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n58 |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |isbn=978-4990251215 |location=Japan |pages=59, 128 |language=ja |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)}}</ref>

''Gradius'' was critically acclaimed for its gameplay and unique power-up system. Along with Namco's ''[[Xevious]]'', it is cited as being one of the most important shooter games, having paved the way for many similar games to follow.<ref name="Gamasutra">{{cite web |last1=Kalata |first1=Kurt |title=The history of Gradius: A look back at 30 years of Konami shooting |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/242336/The_history_of_Gradius_A_look_back_at_30_years_of_Konami_shooting.php |website=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=[[UBM Technology Group]] |access-date=November 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095051/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/242336/The_history_of_Gradius_A_look_back_at_30_years_of_Konami_shooting.php |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |date=April 30, 2015}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
[[File:gradius 04.png|thumb|left|The player's ship, the Vic Viper, exchanging shots with enemy Moai in the game's third stage. The player's power meter is towards the bottom of the screen.]]

The player controls the trans-dimensional [[Spacecraft|spaceship]] [[Vic Viper]] and must battle waves of enemies through various environments.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gradius – Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/gradius/|access-date=2021-12-08|language=en-US}}</ref> The game became synonymous with the phrase, "Destroy the core!", as the standard of boss battles in the ''Gradius'' series involved combat with a giant craft, in the center of which would be situated one to several blue colored spheres. These bosses were designed in such a way that there was a straight passage from the exterior of the giant craft leading directly to one of these cores. The player must fire shots into this passage while avoiding attack patterns from weapon emplacements on the body of the boss. However, small but destructible walls are situated in this passage, impeding the bullet shots from damaging the core, and must be whittled away by repeated well-placed shots. In a way, these tiny walls represent the boss' shielding gauge until its core is finally vulnerable to attack. Some bosses can regenerate these walls. When the core has sustained enough hits, it usually changes color from blue to red, indicating that it is in critical condition and its destruction is imminent. Upon the destruction of a core, a piece of the boss may be put out of commission, seeing that it is no longer powered by a core, or if all of the cores are destroyed, the entire boss is defeated and explodes satisfyingly. Note that these cores are not present on the more organic bosses of ''Gradius''. Such bosses have weak spots in places such as a mouth, head or eye.

When [[gameplay]] begins, the Vic Viper is relatively slow and has only a weak gun. This level of capability is generally insufficient for engaging enemies, but the Vic Viper can gain greater capabilities by collecting and using [[power-up]] items. While most arcade games utilize distinct power up-items that each correspond to a specific effect on the [[player character]], ''Gradius'' has a single power-up item. The effect of this power-up item is to advance the currently selected item in a power-up menu that appears at the bottom of the screen. When the desired power-up is highlighted, the player can obtain it by pressing the power-up button, returning the menu to its initial state in which no power-up is highlighted.

==Development==
''Gradius'' was the creation of [[Konami]] game designer Machiguchi Hiroyasu, and it was the first video game he publicly released.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews">{{cite web |title=Machiguchi Hiroyasu Gradius Interviews (Translated) |url=http://shmuplations.com/gradius-machiguchi/ |website=Shmuplations |access-date=8 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729084921/http://shmuplations.com/gradius-machiguchi/ |archive-date=29 July 2019}}</ref> Hiroyasu joined the company in the early 1980s, as a programmer, at a time when Konami was trying to transition from being a producer of medal machines to a videogame developer.  Konami assigned him to a small team with the task of producing a game that could establish the company in the videogame market.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> He asked the team what kind of game they'd like to work on, and they replied that they wanted to make another shooting game.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> The shoot'em up genre had seen a resurgence at the time with [[Namco]]'s ''[[Xevious]]'', and the goal of this project became to make a shooter that could surpass Xevious.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> The project was at first intended to be a followup to Konami's earlier game ''[[Scramble (video game)|Scramble]]'' (1981); it was titled ''Scramble 2'' and reused many of Scramble's materials and game mechanics.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/>

Development of ''Gradius'' lasted for about a year, a time filled with anxiety for the production team due to a lack of confidence in creating their first game.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> Members of the project came up with ideas that were then tested on the arcade monitor to see if they worked.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> While designing the Option satellites, the team tested over 20 different movement patterns which were whittled down through the process of elimination.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> The game was produced for the [[Bubble System|Konami Bubble System]] 16-bit arcade hardware.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> Hiroyasu wanted the game to have a visually distinct world with unique enemies and locations, which was something relatively uncommon for shooters at the time.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> Inspiration for mechanics and story were derived from films such as ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: A New Hope]]'' and ''[[Lensman]]'', with the Laser weapon being directly taken from those in ''Lensman''.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> The idea for a power-meter mechanic stemmed from the team's desire to give players the freedom to select whichever weapons they pleased.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> Early versions had the player collecting individual pick-up icons, which were cut for not being "satisfying" enough; it was instead replaced with a selection bar where players collected capsules to allow access to other weapons, an idea based on the function keys on a keyboard.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/> The [[Moai]] enemies were added to pay homage to ''Xevious'' and its [[Nazca lines]] as well as giving the game a sense of mystery.<ref name="Hiroyasu Interviews"/>

==Releases==
===Arcade===
''Gradius'' was first released in [[Japan]] for Konami's [[Bubble System]], an arcade board which allowed operators to change the software through the use of proprietary "Bubble Software" cartridge media based on magnetic [[bubble memory]]. The game was distributed as a standard [[printed circuit board]] in North America and Europe under the title of ''Nemesis''.<ref name=cashbox>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox50unse_23/page/n51?q=nemesis|title=Year in Review|magazine=Cashbox|date=January 17, 1987}}</ref> The North American version of ''Nemesis'' features a considerably increased difficulty compared to the Japanese and European version. To balance this, the game spawns a fleet of orange enemies when the player loses a life to provide as many power-up capsules as possible to recover as many upgrades as possible. Also the North American version presents a continue feature (but only for three times). The title screen was also updated, showing an in-game reproduction of the promotional artwork behind the logo.

===Famicom/NES===
The first home conversion of ''Gradius'' was released for [[Nintendo]]'s [[Famicom]] console on April 25, 1986, in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-konami-code-celebrates-its-35th-anniversary-today/ |title=The Konami Code celebrates its 35th anniversary today |first=Chris |last=Scullion |date=25 April 2021 |website=[[Video Games Chronicle]] |access-date=25 April 2021}}</ref> Due to the hardware limitations of the Famicom, many of the level designs were simplified (the Moai stage, for example, lacked the vertical scrolling present in the arcade game) and the maximum amount of options that the player can upgrade to was reduced from four to two. This version added a cheat code that could be entered while the game was paused that granted the player's ship almost all the power-ups. This code appeared again in many later Konami games on the NES and other consoles (such as ''[[Contra (video game)|Contra]]'' and ''[[Salamander (video game)|Life Force]]''), ultimately becoming known as the [[Konami Code]].

The [[NES]] version of ''Gradius'' was released in [[North America]] in December 1986. It was the first NES game to be released by Konami in the region and, unlike the original arcade game, the title was kept unchanged between regions. The NES version was made available in arcades as a [[Nintendo VS. System]] board (under the title of ''VS. Gradius'') and as a [[PlayChoice-10]] cartridge. ''VS. Gradius'' was distributed to arcades by [[Nintendo]].

===MSX===
The MSX version of ''Gradius'' was released on July 25, 1986, in Japan, a few months after the Famicom version. It was also released in Europe under the ''Nemesis'' title. This version changed similar to the Famicom version but adds its slew of exclusive content to make up for the downgrade. A new stage, the bone planet was added between the Inverted Volcano stage and the Antennoid stage, featuring exclusive enemy types. There also four hidden warp zones and the ability to play as the titular ship from ''[[TwinBee (video game)|TwinBee]]'' if the MSX version of that game is played alongside ''Nemesis''.

===PC Engine===
The PC Engine version of ''Gradius'' was released on November 15, 1991, exclusively in Japan. Released on a 2-Megabit HuCard, it had relatively few omissions compared to the NES and MSX versions and added a Desert Planet stage similar to the Bone Planet stage from the MSX version. Because of the lower resolution of the PC Engine compared to the original arcade hardware, the PC Engine features some slight vertical-scrolling.

===Other platforms===
In addition to the [[MSX]], ''Gradius'' was also ported to other [[microcomputer]]s shortly after its release, such as the [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Amstrad CPC]] and [[Commodore 64]] in [[Europe]] (as ''Nemesis: The Final Challenge''), as well as the [[PC-8800 series|PC-8801]] and [[X1 (computer)|X1]] in [[Japan]]. A port for the [[X68000]] computer was also included in the early models of the computer.

The original ''Gradius'' is also included in collection such as ''Gradius Deluxe Pack'' for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Sega Saturn]] and [[Microsoft Windows]], and ''Gradius Collection'' for the [[PlayStation Portable]]. ''VS. Gradius'' was digitally released on the [[PlayStation 4]] in 2015 and [[Nintendo Switch]] in July 2020 as part of the [[Arcade Archives]] series, with the option to play all four regional variants of the game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hamster.co.jp/american_hamster/arcadearchives/switch/title_list.htm |title=ArcadeArchives {{!}} HAMSTER Corporation |website=www.hamster.co.jp |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hamster.co.jp/american_hamster/arcadearchives/title_list_aa.htm |title=Arcade Archives {{!}} HAMSTER Corporation |website=www.hamster.co.jp |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> It is also included in the ''Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection'' released in 2019 by Konami themselves for  [[PlayStation 4]], [[Xbox One]],  [[Nintendo Switch]] and Windows.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/konami-anniversary-collections-include-castlevania-contra-and-arcade-classics | title=Konami Anniversary Collections Include Castlevania, Contra, and Arcade Classics | date=20 March 2019 }}</ref>

==Audio==
*Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Konami Game Music Vol.1 – 28XA-85) on 27 June 1986.
*Apollon Music released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Original Sound of Gradius – KHY1016) on 5 May 1987.
* Also, disc 1 of ''[[Konami Music Masterpiece Collection]]'', which was released on October 1, 2004, is mostly devoted to ''Gradius''.

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
|ARC = true
|C64 = true
|NES = true
|PC = true
|WII = true
|ZX = true
|ACE_NES = 890/1000<ref name="ACE">{{cite magazine |title=Console Wars |magazine=[[ACE (magazine)|ACE]] |date=October 1989 |issue=26 (November 1989) |page=144 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d9/ACE_UK_26.pdf#page=144}}</ref>
|Allgame_ARC = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Gradius - Review |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=10182&tab=review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115132823/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=10182&tab=review |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-11-15 |website=[[AllGame]] |access-date=8 April 2021}}</ref>
|Allgame_NES = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1205&tab=review|title=Gradius (NES) - Review|author=Weiss, Brett Alan|publisher=[[AllGame]]|access-date=2017-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210232928/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1205&tab=review|archive-date=2014-12-10|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|CVG_ARC = Positive<ref name="cvg"/>
|CVG_NES = 90%<ref>{{cite journal |title=Complete Games Guide |journal=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=16 October 1989 |issue=Complete Guide to Consoles |pages=46–77 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf#page=46 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105072332/https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf |archive-date=2021-01-05 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|CVG_C64 = 37/40<ref name="CVG65"/>
|CVG_PC = 37/40<ref name="CVG65">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue065/Pages/CVG06500015.jpg|title=Nemesis|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|issue=65 (March 1987)|date=February 1987|access-date=2016-08-17}}</ref>
|CVG_ZX = 37/40<ref name="CVG65"/>
|CRASH_ZX = 59%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/review.aspx?gid=3836&rid=6793|title=Sinclair ZX Spectrum Reviews|publisher=zxspectrumreviews.co.uk|access-date=2015-09-04|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025208/http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/review.aspx?gid=3836&rid=6793|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|GSpot_WII = 7.2/10<ref name="GSpot"/>
|IGN_WII = 7/10<ref name="IGN"/>
|SUser_ZX = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="SU">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue060/Pages/SinclairUser06000024.jpg|format=JPG|title=World of Spectrum|website=Worldofspectrum.rog|access-date=2018-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034700/http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/nemesis.htm|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|YSinclair_ZX = 8/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/nemesis.htm|title=Nemesis|publisher=ysrnry.co.uk|access-date=2015-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034700/http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/nemesis.htm|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|rev1 = ''[[Commodore User]]''
|rev1_C64 = 9/10<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Headley |first=Eric |title=Nemesis |magazine=[[Commodore User]] |date=26 February 1987 |issue=42 (March 1987) |pages=18–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-42/page/n17/mode/2up}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Computer Gamer]]''
|rev2_ARC = Positive<ref name="Computer-Gamer"/>
|award1Pub = [[Famitsu Awards|''Famitsu'' Best Hit Game Awards]]
|award1 = [[Shooter game|Best Shooting Game]] <br> [[List of Game of the Year awards|Game of the Year]] (2nd)<ref name="Famitsu1986">{{cite magazine |title=1986 ベストヒットゲーム大賞 |trans-title=1986 Best Hit Game Awards |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=6 February 1987 |volume=1987 |issue=3 |pages=[https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20190410/20190410193233.jpg 4] to [https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20190410/20190410193255.jpg 7] |lang=ja}}</ref>
|award2Pub = ''[[Computer and Video Games]]''
|award2 = Game of the Month<ref name="CVG65"/>
|award3Pub = ''[[Sinclair User]]''
|award3 = SU Classic<ref name="SU"/>
}}

===Arcade===
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Gradius'' on their July 1, 1985 issue as being the most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=263|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 July 1985|page=25|lang=ja}}</ref> It went on to be Japan's fifth highest-grossing table arcade game of 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 上半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: First Half '86 |magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]] |issue=288 |publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]] |date=15 July 1986 |page=28 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf#page=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131230825/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf |archive-date=2020-01-31 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 下半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: Second Half '86 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=300 |publisher=Amusement Press, Inc. |date=15 January 1987 |page=16 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf#page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102030942/http://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf |archive-date=2019-11-02 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, ''Nemesis'' was the highest-grossing arcade game of 1986 on [[London]]'s Electrocoin charts.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=1986 Top Ten Coin-Ops |magazine=[[Sinclair User]] |date=February 1987 |issue=59 |page=96 |url=https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-059/page/n94/mode/1up}}</ref>

Upon release, the arcade game received positive reviews from ''[[Computer and Video Games]]''<ref name="cvg"/> and ''[[Computer Gamer]]'' magazines.<ref name="Computer-Gamer">{{cite magazine |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=[[Computer Gamer]] |date=February 1986 |issue=11 |pages=54–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_11_1986-02_Argus_Press_GB/page/n53/mode/2up}}</ref>

===Ports===
The Famicom version sold over one million copies in Japan during 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/gradius/cover-art/gameCoverId,14540/|title=Gradius Cover Art|website=[[MobyGames]]|access-date=2014-08-02}}</ref><ref name="japanplatinum">{{cite web |url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-JPPlatinum.shtml |title=Japan Platinum Game Chart |publisher=The Magic Box |accessdate=April 22, 2017 |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017061224/http://the-magicbox.com/Chart-JPPlatinum.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kent |first1=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond... the Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World |date=16 June 2010 |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |isbn=978-0-307-56087-2 |page=510 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC&pg=PT510}}</ref> The home computer port went to number 2 in the UK sales charts, below ''[[Feud (video game)|Feud]]''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}} The PC Engine version also topped the UK's PC Engine sales chart in December 1991.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=CVG Charts |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=15 January 1992 |issue=123 (February 1992) |pages=81–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-123/page/n80}}</ref>

The first [[Famitsu Awards|''Famitsu'' Best Hit Game Awards]] gave the Famicom version of ''Gradius'' the award for [[Shooter game|Best Shooting Game]] and listed it as the second best [[List of Game of the Year awards|Game of the Year]] (just below ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]'').<ref name="Famitsu1986"/> ''Computer and Video Games'' reviewed the home computer conversions and awarded it Game of the Month.<ref name="CVG65"/>

''[[GameSpot]]'' later stated that ''Gradius'' was one of the toughest side-scrolling shooter games available on the NES, second only to ''[[Contra (video game)|Contra]]''.<ref name="GSpot">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gradius-review/1900-6164377/|author=Ryan Davis|title=Gradius Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' gave the [[Wii Virtual Console]] re-release a rating 7 out of 10 and has hailed it as one of the greatest classic side-scrolling shooter games.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/09/gradius-vc-review|author=Lucas M. Thomas|title=Gradius VC Review|website=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]]|date=2007-01-09|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref>

==Legacy==
''Gradius'' spawned several sequels, the first of which was 1986's ''[[Salamander (video game)|Salamander]]''. The series has continued into the [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh generation]] with ''[[Gradius ReBirth]]''.

It was also re-released on [[Windows Store]] on December 20, 2013, GameNow in May 2014 and for PlayStation 4's [[Arcade Archives]] on January 25 in Japan. The NES version was re-released as part of the [[Nintendo Classics]] service on September 19, 2018, worldwide and an updated release as {{nihongo|'''''Gradius: Stage 5 Stronger Version'''''|グラディウス ステージ5最強バージョン|Guradiusu Sutēji 5 Saikyō Bājon}} on November 14, 2018, worldwide. Another updated release titled '''''Gradius SP: Second Loop''''' was released worldwide on August 22, 2019.

{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{KLOV game|id=7987|name=Gradius}}

{{Gradius series}}
{{Portal bar|Video games|1980s}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gradius (video Game)}}
[[Category:1985 video games]]
[[Category:Arcade Archives games]]
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Amstrad CPC games]]
[[Category:Commodore 64 games]]
[[Category:Gradius video games]]
[[Category:Hamster Corporation games]]
[[Category:Konami arcade games]]
[[Category:Konami games]]
[[Category:MSX games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:NEC PC-8801 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Nintendo games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Classics games]]
[[Category:Nintendo VS. System games]]
[[Category:PlayChoice-10 games]]
[[Category:Sharp X1 games]]
[[Category:X68000 games]]
[[Category:TurboGrafx-16 games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Miki Higashino]]
[[Category:Video games set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Video games set in outer space]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Wii]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Wii U]]
[[Category:ZX Spectrum games]]