GRADIUS ORIGINS

Welcome to the GRADIUS ORIGINS COLLECTION, where we dive into the classics that defined the shoot ’em up genre! This compilation brings together the raw, adrenaline-pumping action of Gradius I, II, III, and the spin-offs SALAMANDER I and II. These games aren’t just about blasting everything in sight, they’re about strategy, precision, and that sweet, sweet power-up system that’s become legendary. Let’s break ‘em down.  

GRADIUS is where it all began. You pilot the Vic Viper through waves of Moai heads, bubble dragons, and that infamous killer wall at the end. The game’s power up meter is its genius, no random pickups here. You earn upgrades by grabbing capsules and carefully choosing between speed, missiles, lasers, or the game changing Options (those little drones that double your firepower). It’s tough tho. One hit sends you back to square one, and the checkpoint system means you’ll be sweating bullets. But mastering it? Pure satisfaction.

However, the Resurrection Patch makes it way less punishing. Dying no longer sends you back to a checkpoint with a bare bones ship, instead, you respawn from the back of the screen with temporary invincibility, just like in SALAMANDER. There’s also a continue feature (finally! ) and it even saves your progress after a GAME OVER, so you don’t lose your high score or level progress. Plus, the patch adds the 100,000 point bonus from the Japanese version after beating the game, along with extra messages for subsequent loops. It’s still hard as hell, but now you won’t feel like smashing your console buttons after one dumb mistake.

The sequel steps things up with more weapons, more enemies, and even crazier stages. The Four Options limit is gone, meaning you can fill the screen with firepower if you’re good enough. The bosses are bigger, the stages more varied (hello, crystal level! ), and the difficulty? Yeah, it’s still brutal. But the new weapon configurations, like the Double and Laser, add depth. This one’s a fan favorite for a reason, it takes everything great about the first game and cranks it to 11.  

The no upgrade loss hack is a godsend, dying no longer strips you of all your hard earned power ups. Some of these levels (and bosses) are near-impossible without upgrades, so this tweak keeps the challenge without the frustration. Then there’s the Arrangement Chronicle Death patch, which tweaks the graphics to match the arcade version more closely. Sprites, colors, and details get a facelift, making this already gorgeous game even sharper.

Then there’s GRADIUS III, the king of pain. The arcade version is infamous for its absurd difficulty, with screen filling bullets and enemies that just don’t quit. But it’s also the most ambitious, introducing the weapon edit system, letting you mix and match upgrades to suit your playstyle. The SNES port toned down the insanity, but it’s still a beast. The visuals are sharper, the music slaps, and the sense of scale is unreal, especially when you’re dodging asteroids or weaving through a high-speed tunnel.

The FastROM conversion patch fixes bullets slowdown, making the game run at full speed like it was always meant to. No more chugging frames when the screen fills with lasers and explosions. The weapon edit system and insane difficulty are still here, but now it plays smooth, which is a big deal when split-second reactions mean life or death.

Now, the SALAMANDER games, the stages alternate between horizontal and vertical scrolling, keeping things fresh, and the bosses are just as memorable (RIP anyone who faced the fire dragon unprepared). It’s a bit more accessible than GRADIUS, but don’t let that fool you, it’s still punishing.

With the Arrangement Chronicle DELTA patch, the graphics are tweaked to look more like the arcade, with better palettes, resized Options, and a Vic Viper that actually resembles its original design. There’s even a new options menu where you can adjust lives, continues, difficulty, and even a sound test. Oh, and the mapper’s been upgraded to MMC5, meaning smoother performance and fewer technical hiccups.

SALAMANDER II is the underrated gem. It brings back the power up meter but adds force fields and charge shots. The graphics are slick, the soundtrack bangs, and the challenge is perfectly balanced, hard but fair. The branching paths add replay value, and the bosses are some of the best in the series. It’s a shame this one doesn’t get as much love, because it’s a banger.

Sadly, there’s no fancy patch for SALAMANDER II, and to top it off, the only way to play it on 3DS is the SALAMANDER DELUXE PACK PLUS, which only works on a New 3DS.  

The GRADIUS games are all about skill, patience, and that unbeatable rush of finally conquering a stage that’s been wrecking you for hours. Salamander offers a slightly different flavor but keeps the core intensity intact. Strap in, power up, and try not to scream when you get hit, again.