Gradius

Gradius (series)

Year: 1986, 1991
Platform(s): Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo
Designer(s): Konami [1986] & Hiroyasu Machiguchi [1991]
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

"Gradius is all about pimping your ride. The sluggish junker you start out with is soon augmented with shields and weapons of your choosing. Gradius' unique power-up system makes for some tough decisions: do you beef up your defenses in order to tough out that inevitable meteor shower? Or do you crank your ships thrusters to their max, relying on a quick trigger finger to clear a path? Starting out in fairly straightforward space environments, things soon got weird in Gradius, with levels filled with Moais shooting donut rings." - Stephen Ng, IGN

Recommended Titles:
Gradius (1986) [Arcade / NES]
Gradius III (1991) [Arcade / SNES]