Gradius II was published by Konami, released in 1988.

What kind of game is Gradius II?

Gradius II is a action, shooter game for the NES / Famicom.

Can two people play Gradius II?

Yes. Gradius II supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does Gradius II load?

The Gradius II ROM is 165 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Gradius II?

Gradius II runs on NES / Famicom and Nestopia UE (Accurate). You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Gradius II Game (1988) - NES

Name: Gradius II
Availability: InStock
Author: Konami

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
NES / Famicom (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
Nestopia UE (Accurate)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

PLAY ⚡

NES / Famicom (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

▶ ACTIVE

Nestopia UE (Accurate)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Gradius II is a renowned side-scrolling action shooter developed by Konami and released for the NES in 1988. Players once again take control of the advanced Vic Viper spacecraft, tasked with defending the galaxy against the relentless Bacterion Empire. Building upon its predecessor, the game introduces a selectable power-up meter at the start of your mission, allowing you to tailor your ship’s offensive and defensive capabilities before diving into the intense, highly challenging levels.

How to Play

Navigate through hostile alien environments, destroying waves of enemies and dodging incoming fire. Defeating entire squadrons or specific red enemies yields power capsules; collecting these advances your selection on the power-up bar. Use the Arrow Keys to move the Vic Viper, Z and X to fire your weapons and activate the currently highlighted power-up, and Enter to Start.

Tips

Prioritise the Options: Acquiring “Option” satellites early is highly recommended. These glowing orbs follow your flight path and multiply your firepower, making it much easier to clear screens of enemies.
Play cautiously after a death: Losing a life strips you of all your upgrades. When respawning, focus on surviving and carefully gathering capsules to restore your Speed and Force Field before attempting aggressive maneuvers.