Gradius III is Konami’s 1989 arcade shoot-’em-up, the third entry in the Gradius series and a direct sequel to Gradius II. Piloting the Vic Viper fighter, players fight through waves of alien defenses, using the series’ signature Power-Up Capsule system to build up speed, weapons, and shields between attacks.
How to Play
Survive each stage’s terrain and enemy formations while collecting power-up capsules dropped by defeated enemies. Capsules advance a meter that cycles through Speed Up, Missile, Double, Laser, Option, and Shield — activate whichever upgrade is highlighted to apply it before the next wave arrives.
Controls in the browser: arrow keys to move the Vic Viper, Z to fire, and X to activate the power-up meter.
Tips
- Don’t grab too many Speed Up capsules early — extra speed makes it harder to thread the ship through tight corridors and enemy walls.
- Losing a life strips away all your Options and equipped weapons, so play cautiously rather than relying on a fully powered-up ship to carry you through later stages.

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