Whilst the original Gradius was indeed the first of its kind, 2004 saw the return of two of the original arcade shoot em ups. The first being the enjoyable R-Type Final and the second being this one, Gradius V. After the lacklustre Gradius IV, it would be easy to dismiss Gradius V as yet another attempt to bleed an already dead franchise dry. This is hardly just another sequel, this is a remake and a remix employing classic elements of the Gradius and (YES) Salamader / Lifeforce games with whole new ones. But even after the stunning intro movie, the weapon selection screen makes this fourth sequel look very primitive, especially compared to R-Type Final which features hundreds of weapons and ships. But then the game begins and you realise who really is the new champion of shrumps.
Gradius V's game-play is so incredibly polished that it shows how daft some of those other impossible Japanese shooters really are. What seems difficult the first time will become increasingly easier as you learn attack patterns, guardians and collect those vital power-ups just like you did way back when. When you get it wrong you'll want to kick yourself but find that you only want to come back for more until you can do it but realise that you only have one credit left. But don't worry, the next time you play you'll have one more! Still, even when your credit count doubles, this ain't no walk in the park, even with a buddy at your side. Yep, it's traditional Gradius style game-play alright but developers Treasure have added that extra amount of intelligence that comes with every single so called "mindless arcade style game" that they release. Nobody does it better.
Then there's the pumping soundtrack which gives an epic like quality and features melodies the likes of which haven't been heard in a video game for years. I also noticed that the music drifts into familiar territory on more than one occasion... Old school fans will know exactly what I'm talking about here! Graphically, I think Retro Gamer magazine said it best; "Gradius V is easily the best looking 2D shoot-em up ever created". To even label it as just 2D is an insult. George Lucas would love to create visuals as good as this. The amount of colour and detail this one oozes is something to be, ahem, treasured. Speaking of which...
Thank you Konami for hiring Treasure for this outstanding sequel. Treasure, the masters behind other great shooters, Ikargu and Radiant Silvergun (still seen as the greatest shoot em up of all time in many hardcore fan's eyes) have not only brought Gradius back from the dead and to its former glory but they've created what I feel is the most complete arcade shrump experience at home so far. At its best, I was convinced I was reliving the glory days of coin ops all over again and in this era, that is truly a rare experience. Yes, I'm a retro fan but I play new games too and in 2004, I found no other game more satisfying than this.
You'll probably be able to find Gradius V in a bargain bin right now. Ignore the mainstream and pick it up. If you were there in the 80s, you'll understand. If you weren't, time to play something different.
10/10
Gradius V's game-play is so incredibly polished that it shows how daft some of those other impossible Japanese shooters really are. What seems difficult the first time will become increasingly easier as you learn attack patterns, guardians and collect those vital power-ups just like you did way back when. When you get it wrong you'll want to kick yourself but find that you only want to come back for more until you can do it but realise that you only have one credit left. But don't worry, the next time you play you'll have one more! Still, even when your credit count doubles, this ain't no walk in the park, even with a buddy at your side. Yep, it's traditional Gradius style game-play alright but developers Treasure have added that extra amount of intelligence that comes with every single so called "mindless arcade style game" that they release. Nobody does it better.
Then there's the pumping soundtrack which gives an epic like quality and features melodies the likes of which haven't been heard in a video game for years. I also noticed that the music drifts into familiar territory on more than one occasion... Old school fans will know exactly what I'm talking about here! Graphically, I think Retro Gamer magazine said it best; "Gradius V is easily the best looking 2D shoot-em up ever created". To even label it as just 2D is an insult. George Lucas would love to create visuals as good as this. The amount of colour and detail this one oozes is something to be, ahem, treasured. Speaking of which...
Thank you Konami for hiring Treasure for this outstanding sequel. Treasure, the masters behind other great shooters, Ikargu and Radiant Silvergun (still seen as the greatest shoot em up of all time in many hardcore fan's eyes) have not only brought Gradius back from the dead and to its former glory but they've created what I feel is the most complete arcade shrump experience at home so far. At its best, I was convinced I was reliving the glory days of coin ops all over again and in this era, that is truly a rare experience. Yes, I'm a retro fan but I play new games too and in 2004, I found no other game more satisfying than this.
You'll probably be able to find Gradius V in a bargain bin right now. Ignore the mainstream and pick it up. If you were there in the 80s, you'll understand. If you weren't, time to play something different.
10/10