With Gradius 3 and 4, we obtain two sets of shots on a single disc! Gradius 3 begins with an introductory film breath and then sits in a shooter side-scrolling. You must shoot his way many foreign ships coming towards you, while collecting various power-ups - How to optimize acceleration, missiles, lasers and shields - to keep his end in a battle more intense. You can also collect the shells of the enemy had burned for more than price.
Gradius 4 is essentially the same type of game, but the side-scrolling action often breaks down and moves less restrictive. Of course, this new freedom does not necessarily mean to your advantage, wild enemies can now be deleted from all angles. Amazon.com Review If you're a fan of the side-scrolling-shooter genre, however, this edition likely will please you. It has almost everything that a trigger-happy arcade hound could want: rapid-fire framerate, lots of color and animation, and that wonderful '80s feel. It also has some of the glitz that younger video game fans demand, such as two completely new CG intro videos that look pretty dang cool. Konami has pulled out all of the stops in revamping the look of the gameplay, too. The two games now are quite polygonally charged and texturally sophisticated. The graphics now use environmental mapping, and polygon morphing makes the animation very smooth. Another nice feature, especially for a game like Gradius is that a stage-selection mode and a continue feature have been added to allow players to go back to wherever they want to start over, revisit, and/or practice a tricky spot. While it might not register in the minds of those of us who are addicted to high-profile launch games like Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, Gradius III & IV might be good to buy for casual gamers of all ages and skill ranges, since Konami has added modes for beginners and advanced players. Everyone from granny to baby brother should be able to pick up this title and thrash right out of the box. --Todd Mowatt Pros: GameSpot Review The Gradius series is one of the unsung heroes of the gaming world. All of the now-standard conventions of side-scrolling shooters - screens filled with enemies and enemy fire, gigantic bosses, and a large, multifaceted weapons system - were popularized in the Gradius series. For the PS2 release, Konami has skipped any sort of augmentation of these titles and instead has opted for straight emulation. Gradius III & IV are both identical to their arcade counterparts, down to such minutiae as imitating the same slowdown found in the originals. The world-famous Konami code is included as well. All of this will either light up the eyes of players jonesing for some healthy retro gaming or be a wicked disappointment to gamers looking for something new. Since the release of the original Gradius in 1985, and the subsequent releases of Gradius II, III, and IV in 1988, 1989, and 1998, respectively, not much has changed in the world of Gradius. Aside from a few slightly different enemy types and weapon configurations, III & IV play identically to Gradius circa 1985. But what's even more interesting than the games' similarities is that gameplay-wise, this old horse is able to keep up with the likes of Silpheed and other new-school side-scrolling shooters without breaking a sweat. The gameplay is still top-notch for the genre, and it will not disappoint shooter fans. One of the trademarks of the Gradius series, and a good portion of the side-scrolling shooters out there, is a high level of difficulty. Gradius III & IV are hard, and out-of-practice players will likely be jostled by their extreme difficulty - so be warned. Gradius III & IV show their respective ages, though with a certain amount of pride. Gradius III looks like the 16-bit 2D wonder that it is, while IV includes a smattering of polygonal effects and higher-resolution sprites. The reception of their antiquated presentation is dependent on the players themselves; the flat 2D graphics and tinny sound effects will either evoke bucketfuls of nostalgia for older players or come off as unimpressive and dated to players not raised on the series. While some consider it a cashing-in tactic by game companies, Konami has done a graceful job of repackaging and rereleasing Gradius III & IV. Both games represent their arcade counterparts flawlessly, to the point of including the flaws. Konami's sights may be locked dead on the retrogaming audience, but Gradius III & IV are both excellent, albeit incredibly difficult, games in their own right. Anyone looking for a solid side-scrolling shooter would do well to pick up this game. Gradius III & IV is the pinnacle of shooter evolution Gradius III is old-school all the way. Fans of the original arcade version of the game will be glad to know that the version found on Gradius III & IV is a perfect arcade port, right down to the ram rom check. The graphics are straight from the good old days of arcade gaming. The PS2 rips right through the 2D sprites that fill the screen, as it should, however the slowdown found in the original arcade version that actually serves as a life-saver in this game is noweher to be found becuase of this. However, those smart guys at Konami give you the option of actually adding a "wait" time to the game, which will cause intentional slowdown in parts of the game that are exact replicas of the slowdown found in the arcade version, which is a VERY welcome feature (considering this game is EXTREMELY hard even WITH the slowdown). Other special features include and Extra Mode, where you can play soem Gradius III mini-games, and a VERY useful Stage Select option, so you can skip right to levels you've completed. This game is all about hardcore, fast-paced shooter action. It was one of the best SNES games ever, and it's even better on PS2 becuase it's arcade perfect. Absolutely perfect. Gradius IV will probably be a whole new experience for US gamers. The game was released a few years back in Japan, and never saw release on a home system until the PS2 came out. While Gradius IV does manage to show off some neat polygons and lighting effects, but it still doesn't push the limits of your PS2... not by a long shot. But that doesn't matter. It's still the best looking Gradius game ever released, and it's also one of the best playing too! Gradius IV is as intense as they get. Like Gradius III, it's all about split second reflexes and insanely high difficulty. Konami has also added a special Boss Rush Mode where you can fight all the bosses time attack style. Also, with patience, you can unlock a stage select mode, so you can skip to whatever levels you've completed. Great stuff. For shooter fans, this is as good as it gets. You get the two best shooters of all-time on once CD with a bunch of great extras like Stage Select, BGM tests, and FMV intros for both G3 and G4. The game is perfect for all ages. Gradius III & IV is the pinnacle of shooter evolution. The only people who won't like this game are gamers looking for amazing 3D graphics out of their new PS2 and aren't concered about actual gameplay. For fans of oldschool shooters, this is PURE GAMING HEAVEN! Back in the 80s and early 90s, space shooters were a very popular breed of arcade game. The first many didn't offer much more than just firing at endless ships over and over again, but several others opted to add something unique to the formula. 1985 saw the introduction of Gradius, a game where you controlled the Vic Viper space jet through many challenging levels full of aliens, robots, and varying terrain. What was unique about Gradius was the customizable power up system it had. At the bottom of the screen, a long list of various upgrades for the Vic Viper is shown, and the more powerups you collect, the more useful upgrades you can acquire. You can add anything to the ship such as increased speed, bombs, multidirectional guns, piercing laser canons, or even add a helper ship to battle alongside you. It's a very deep customizing system, and it only increased with each new game. There was the spinoff Salamander(1986) a.k.a. Life Force, and Gradius II(1988) which were both successful sequels over in Japan. Now we get to this incredible PS2 collection focusing on Gradius III(1989) and Gradius IV(1997). Here's a brief description of each of the games: Gradius III offers the most levels, most upgrade customizing, and it's also the most difficult release yet. Since it was released back in the late 80s, the graphics are 16-bit quality with midi-sound effects and music. To date, I find this to be my favorite Gradius game of all. The levels offer plenty of variety ranging from sand pyramids, to warping bubble fields, to erupting volcanoes, to stone mountains containing those Easter Island statues, to crystal caves, and even a few bio-organic stages as well. In this game, you only get a limited number of lives, though you can select any part of every stage once you've cleared each one. Gradius IV on the other hand, is slightly shorter and more simple, yet the graphics here easily blow away the games before it. The sound quality is also much improved backing the gameplay with an awesome cd-quality soundtrack. Most of the stages here represent ones from previous Gradius games, such as the sun-sphere stage from Gradius II. However, thanks to the improved visual quality, Gradius IV takes these stages and adds brand new elements to them, such as the wavering lava in the volcano stage. In this one, there is no stage select, but you can continue as many times as you wish, though it still doesn't help make the game any easier. The best way to describe the Gradius series is by a phrase I've heard before by another amazon reviewer: "Easy to learn, difficult to master". And it's VERY difficult to master at that. Anyone can easily pick up the game and quickly learn how to balance flying the ship around enemies and managing the powerups at the same time, but it takes great patience and a truly dexteritous gamer to actually make it through to the end. Never before have I played a game that's so challenging, but at the same time a game that I love so much. Even with the deep upgrade customizing system, THE SOLID GAMEPLAY HERE IS UNRIVALED. Remember back in the old days when you got the shivers playing your favorite oldschool game, such as Super Metroid? Well, that's the same feeling I got when I popped in this collection as the rocking title theme kicked in. Pure nostalgic bliss for older gamers. There are a few extra modes as well, and you can unlock them if you beat each game on different difficulty levels. Despite its genuine nostalgic appeal, this game has received nothing but downgrading reviews. It's just too bad that this game was released right at the launch of the PS2 because it was seriously overlooked in favor of newer games with better graphics. A system launch is the absolute worst time to release game collections like this because most people will only buy the games that utilize a new system's graphic capabilities. It was automatically pushed aside because it didn't "take full advantage of the PS2's cpu processor". Whatever. To me, graphics don't matter much if the gameplay is very shallow. You may think differently, but I play games because of how fun they are, not because a character model has 43 million polygons. Gradius III & IV Collection is a prime example of substance over flash. PROS -many modes of difficulty. CONS The verdict is that if you like or love oldschool shooters and grew up with them when you were younger, then you should absolutely love this Gradius collection. On the other hand, if you don't like shooters, then stay away. Of course you can always rent the game if you have trouble deciding whether you like it or not. I consider this to be the best $20 I've ever spent on a game. Give it 5 stars if you love this type of game, and 4 if you find it to be too difficult. Also look out for the new Gradius V coming soon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF THE GENRE. Other games which are similar to Gradius III & IV: Rob Cameron That doesn't mean it isn't a great game! Gradius is one of the best side-scrolling games ever made. Just because you got a brand spanking new 128 bit system doesn't mean you're too good for the classics, does it? :) I think it's great to actually see a 2d game now and then. Everything is 3d these days! If you're looking for a really cool semi-3d shooter, check out Slipheed: The Lost Planet. (You might remember Slipheed from the Sega CD days.) I say semi-3d because it's a top-down shooter, so you don't really have full 3d movement (like a flight sim) but there are huge 3d bosses and all kinds of sweet terrain and backgrounds. Also a great game to show off the graphics power of your shiny new system!
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Every console system pays homage to the past, even as consumers leap into the future. The Dreamcast hosted various Midway and Namco arcade packages, and there was the famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about 2-D space shooters) GigaWing. Sony and Konami are getting into the act by bringing the Gradius series to PlayStation2--at launch, no less. While it gives many, if not most, people a significant "warm, fuzzy" feeling to revisit the past, one can make a strong case that developing a PS2 version of Gradius III & IV was more about padding the launch lineup.
Cons:
The popularity of retrogaming is unquestionable. Between the remakes of old franchises and the repackaging of old arcade games into "best of" console compilations, it's obvious that today's game players have a huge soft spot for recent nostalgia. With this in mind, Konami has brought Gradius III & IV, a name that no doubt warms the memories of many NES players, to the PS2.
--Ryan Davis--Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.Customer Reviews
Gradius III & IV is a collection of 2 classic games on one CD, and while it doesn't show much of the graphical power your shiney new Playstation 2 is capable of, it's still the systems best game out so far. Both versions are perfect replicas of their arcade counterparts. Gradius III saw release in the US on the Super Nintendo back in the early 90s, but up until now, Gradius IV, which came out in late 98 in japanese arcades, has never seen the light of day in the US market.
Gradius III & IV(2000). A PS2 collection of two classic arcade space shooters.
-Fun, frusterating, and challenging gameplay for the fan of shooters.
-2 classic games in one.
-Great music
-may only appeal to the fans of shooter games.
-some may be turned off by its high-curve difficulty
-'Life Force' for the NES
-'Gradius V' for the PS2
-'Ikaruga' for the Gamecube
-'Layer Section' for the PC
-'Radiant Silvergun' for the Sega Saturn
Okay, before you get your hopes up too much, this is *not* a new Gradius game. It's an arcade perfect translation of Gradius III and IV from the arcades. It's just a regular 2d side scrolling game.
Price: $94.52
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