Gradius is Konami’s 1985 horizontal scrolling shooter for the NES, a port of their arcade hit and one of the most influential games in the console’s library. You pilot the Vic Viper spacecraft against the Bacterion empire through stages that include a volcanic planet surface, ancient stone formations, Moai heads that fire stone rings, and organic coral caverns before the enemy’s fortified base.
How to Play
The power-up bar along the top of the screen is what makes Gradius distinctive. Defeated enemies drop orange capsules; each one advances a cursor across a row of upgrades: Speed Up, Missile, Double, Laser, Option, and Shield. Press X to cash in whichever upgrade the cursor is resting on. The decision of when to commit — hold off a beat and reach something better, or activate now before a stray bullet hits — is the game’s central tension.
The Option is the most powerful upgrade: a golden orb that trails the Vic Viper and mirrors every shot you fire. Two or three Options dramatically multiply your firepower and are key to clearing the game’s harder sections.
Controls:
- Arrow keys — move
- X — fire / activate power-up
- Z — missile (when equipped)
- Enter — Start / Pause
- Shift — Select
Tips
- Hold out for Options. Each Option drone roughly doubles your coverage. Take Speed only if you are struggling to dodge; otherwise wait for the drones.
- Watch for the death loop. Dying strips every upgrade. Respawning with nothing in a crowded section often leads to another death before you can rebuild — a trap this game is known for. Find a clear stretch of screen before farming capsules.
- Konami Code. Pause the game mid-run and enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Z, X. You receive a full loadout of power-ups — the cheat that made this code famous.
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