Gradius - PS4 (Arcade Archives)

Gradius - PS4/Arcade (Arcade Archives)

Developed by Konami

Published by Konami and Hamster

Well, I have finally decided to resurrect the blog. In May of 2024 I managed to get a 1-All in Gradius on the game's 39th anniversary and had first thought about writing this post then. Now that it's been well over a year since the clear and Gradius is now over 40 years old, I've finally got around to writing the post.  

Gradius is a side scrolling horizontal STG developed by Konami for arcades in 1985. The player controls the Vic Viper across 7 stages in order to defeat the Bacterian Empire. Each stage also has it's own unique challenges, such as dodging the iconic Moai heads and enduring frantic rushes of enemies storming the player prior to an end stage boss. 

The gameplay features that stand out for me are the power up system and the Options system. When defeating enemies, power up pick ups appear that allow you to select from a menu of various power ups that improve your ship and give you a fighting chance. Some of these include Speed Up, which increases your ship's movement speed, Missiles for attacking ground units, and most importantly, Options. Options float around your ship carrying extra firepower. These can be maneuvered around your ship to offer critical defense and offense, especially when navigating tight areas that are littered with enemies. These were notably critical for me during the Moai head stage. However, they are extremely useful throughout the game's entirety. Additionally, power ups such as Lasers and Shields were also quite useful throughout the game.

While the player is free to load up on fire power and options, there is a trade off in the form of a Rank system. Stacking options on your ship and surviving for longer periods increases difficulty as you complete more stages. This leads to enemies firing more projectiles toward you at faster speeds. However, in my experience, the added firepower and defensive ability is worth the increased difficulty (at least in the first loop).

One thing I was concerned about before diving into Gradius was the difficulty in recovering when you get hit: the infamous "Gradius Syndrome". Upon losing a ship, you also lose all power ups that you had previously collected. This forces you to start from scratch in collecting power ups while facing comparatively heavy fire from enemies. However, I have found in my particular trouble spots that recovery strategies could be devised. Recovery is definitely not impossible in my experience. In my 1-All run I had to perform a couple of recoveries including one right at the end of the game in which some intense, almost bullet hell-like dodging was required. I ended up making it to 2-1 with a final score of 346800.

My score upon clearing the game.

Now that M2 has recently released the Gradius Origins Collection complete with M2 ShotTriggers goodies and the all new Salamander III, I feel like there is no better time to jump back into the series than now. I am certainly looking forward to exploring this series more through in the coming weeks and months.

 

Missile Dancer - Switch

 

Missile Dancer - Switch (2018) 

Terarin Games

Terarin Games/DICO Co

Well it's been a while since I've been able to post a clear but hopefully I am back to posting more consistently again.

Missile Dancer is a vertical shooter developed by Terarin games who have also developed the excellent Raging Blasters since this title was released. This game is focused on dodging missiles while firing missiles of your own using a lock-on targeting system similar to the one seen in games such as Rayforce. The game is simplistic in design and very easy to get into. You basically have one button that serves to fire your regular weapon and to lock-on your missiles to various targets. To launch your missiles while locked on you simply let go of the button to fire on your targets.

The game is presented with some very nice 2d sprite based graphics reminiscent of shooters seen on the PC Engine and boasts an excellent sound track to pump you up while you dance around volleys of missiles. The game consists of 8 stages and a few difficulty modes to up the challenge. Pick ups dropped by enemies allow you to extend your range and the number of missiles you can fire at a time. Each stage ends with a boss fight with some fun and well designed bosses. 

In an afternoon of playing I managed to 1CC the game on Normal mode and I would say it's another very accessible game from Terarin games. However the higher difficulties does up the challenge a fair bit and my next goal with this title is to 1CC it on Expert mode.

My score after 1CCing on Normal mode.

Override - PC Engine

 

Override - PC Engine (1990)

Developed by Sting

Published by Data East

 

While developer Sting is probably best known for their excellent Dept. Heaven series consisting of titles like Riviera, Yggdra Union, and Knights in the Nightmare, back in 1990 they developed a shooter for the PC Engine titled Override. They also later went on to self publish the title on the Sharp X68000 home computer renamed Last Batallion.

The game consists of six stages which loop after the credits upon clearing the game. The player ship's main weapon can be upgraded by collecting the "P" icons littered generously throughout the stages. There are also several secondary weapons which can be picked up and subsequently powered up by collecting the corresponding weapon's icon multiple times. Your third and most effective (overpowered) weapon is your charge shot that charges automatically when you hold your fire for long enough. Once charged your ship will unleash a screen clearing onslaught when makes short work of regular enemies and bosses alike.While this weapon is very powerful, it's probably best to be careful with the timing of it throughout the busier sections of a stage.

Adding to the forgiving nature of the game the player can take three hits before losing a life on the next hit and extends are earned every 70,000 points allowing the player to build up many extends by the time they reach the last level. There are also a few "E" energy pickups that will restore one block of health to your ship should you take a hit or two throughout a stage.

I took this pic right after clearing the first loop.

My final score after reaching stage 2-4.

This title provides some good fun and does a good job of making the player feel like a badass even though it does lack in challenge. While I only cleared one loop of the game as of now, with a small amount of practice I'm confident that I could clear multiple loops given the generous extend system. When I return to this title in the future to attempt multiple loops I will update this post with the new score/screenshot.

Final Soldier - PC Engine

 

 

Final Soldier - PC Engine (1991)

Developed by Hudson Soft

Published by Hudson Soft

Released in 1991 by Hudson Soft, Final Soldier is the third and not so final entry in the Star Soldier series. The game consists of 7 main stages and two separate caravan scoring modes for tournament competition. The gameplay feels quite similar to it's predecessor Super Star Soldier as well as Compile's Gunhed/Blazing Lazers. Each stage contains 1 or more sub bosses as well as a main boss at the end of each stage. The exception to this rule is the final stage which has multiple appearances of the final boss throughout the level. While the early stages are lacking in overall challenge, the final two stages can prove pretty tricky the first few times around. The story involves the player fighting off an invading alien force that can travel through time as well as space.

 

 

There are 4 main weapon pick ups as well as a secondary missile pickup the player can use throughout the game. Each of these weapons can power up twice, also granting a shield of sorts with each power level. If you get hit your main weapon will power down a level. If your weapon is at the lowest power level when you get hit you will lose a life and all your power ups/options. In the later levels, recovering from such a loss can be quite difficult it certain situations leading a good run into a quick Game Over screen if you're not careful. In any credit after earning the maximum extends you have a limit of 6 lives before seeing the Game Over screen so a difficult recovery can end a run pretty quickly. Each of these pick ups can also be customized in the options menu before starting your run to have different shot patterns. Missiles can be customized to shoot either forward, backward, or homing. There are also "option" pick ups which generally act as options with the game limiting the player to carrying two at a time. These options can be detonated, sacrificing an option to clear the screen of enemies with is especially helpful in busier situations.

For my set up I focused on using the default Vulcan weapon and the homing missiles and this set up was the most effective I came up with for me. For my 1CC run I stuck to this set up for the whole run except when I accidentally picked up the Flame pickup toward the end of the 5th stage. I quickly switched back to Vulcan my first chance though.

 

This was another fun PC Engine STG to clear and was well worth checking out. While the overall challenge is easier then Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade, it still has some moderately challenging sections toward the end. I also really liked the soundtrack with some favorites being the 2nd stage's music as well as the final stage's music. Perhaps in the future I will spend some time with the caravan modes and see what kind of score I can get.

My final score of my 1CC run.

Trouble Shooter

 

North American Cover Art

Japanese Cover Art

Trouble Shooter - Genesis (1991)

Developed by Vic Tokai

Published by Vic Tokai

Released in 1991 by Vic Tokai, Trouble Shooter (AKA Battle Mania) is a side scrolling shooter for the Genesis/Mega Drive featuring two lead heroines Madison and Crystal as the main characters. The title is unique in that the player controls both characters at once while they battle their way through 6 stages on jet packs. Madison controls as the main character while Crystal behaves more like an option of sorts that you can maneuver as an extension of the main character. The player is also able to switch which direction Crystal fires allowing you to take on enemies from behind you as well. 

The game's visual style is very much anime inspired and is very colorful and interesting to look at. There is also some anime styled comedy presented throughout the storyline as well as in the gameplay. The way the first boss plays out gave me a chuckle for sure. 

The gameplay is very forgiving to the player for a few key reasons. 1. A lot of enemy projectiles can be shot down by the player as an alternative to dodging them. 2. The player has a life bar of sorts with several extends to the lifebar littered throughout the levels as well as by achieving scoring milestones of every 60,000 points. 3. The player's "super" weapon recharges in a relatively short amount of time resulting in any level's challenges made trivial if you time your use of supers well. 

Regarding the "super" weapons there are 4 different ones the player is able to choose from before starting each stage. Throughout the levels there are also power up icons that strengthen the players default weapons as well as speed up and slowdown icons to allow the player to adjust movement speed. In the last couple of stages the player no longer has access to their super weapon which does add a small amount of challenge to those stages not present in the earlier stages. 

All in all this is a pretty fun and easy clear pretty well suited for beginners. After a few runs to familiarize yourself to the game's mechanics, a 1CC likely won't be too far behind. I've heard that the JP only sequel Battle Mania 2 does provide more of a challenge and is definitely on the list for me to check out in the future!

My final score of my 1CC run.

Vimana

 

Vimana - Arcade (1991)

Developed by Toaplan 

Published by Tecmo 

Vimana is probably one of Toaplan's lesser known titles, mostly because to this day it has yet to receive a console port since release (hopefully M2 will fix that soon though!). The game takes place on the planet Vimana which has been completely destroyed in a war against machines. The enemy machines continue to take fragments of the planet and fortify them as their bases while the planet's original inhabitants struggle to take back what's left of their planet. The player is tasked with assaulting these bases and take back the remnants of their planet from the enemy forces. The player takes control one of a pair of ancient space craft and heads into battle as one of the Vimana Warriors.

While there are several points in the game where the music changes, maybe signifying a stage change, the game plays as one continuous scrolling battle with very little downtime for the player. The player ship is equipped with a relatively narrow standard shot achieved by tapping the button (or autofire) as well as a charge shot that covers a wide area when holding the fire button down. By picking up power-ups throughout the game, the player weapons increase in width and power. Instead of your standard screen clearing bomb, pressing the second button surrounds the player's ship with a protective layer made up of several circles which then automatically home in on surrounding enemies making it a great way to get out of a jam when completely surrounded. 

Extends are rewarded to players every 70,000 points and seem relatively generous throughout the game, especially if the player is effective with their alternate "bomb" weapon when getting crowded. The best tip I can give for someone wanting to achieve the 1-ALL is to conserve most of these items for the late game but don't be afraid to use a few early on. They can be picked up throughout the game and it's much better to use one of those up in a hairy situation rather than lose a life and a large stock of them at once. There are certain times in this game where there are many bullets on the screen simultaneously and one could possibly consider it a small stepping stone in the direction that eventually lead to the "bullet hell" style of shooter that Cave pioneered. That being said I would still say that the game has much more in common with older Toaplan shooters than games like DoDonPachi. 

My final score where I cleared the first loop and made it 37% through the second loop.

Overall I thought this game was a solid release from Toaplan. It's difficulty is toned down compared to some of their more popular releases (on the first loop anyway) and it's a pretty manageable 1-ALL after some practice. Here's hoping we will see a console release of this title from M2 in the near future!

GG Aleste II: Lance Bird (Aleste Collection)

 

GG Aleste II (Aleste Collection) - Switch (2020)

Developed by COMPILE / M2

Published by M2 

GG Aleste II is a direct sequel to GG Aleste that was originally released in Japan for the Sega Game Gear in 1993. The game also saw release in Europe as Power Strike II for the Game Gear (not to be confused with the Master System game of the same name which was a completely different game). You play as a character named Alice who is testing a new prototype aircraft called Lance Bird when she suddenly is forced into battle after a sudden attack on the "space plant" which serves as the game's opening level.

The game consists of six short but frantic levels as well as two bonus levels where the perspective shifts to behind the player ship as the player shoots targets from a third person perspective for bonus points in the main game. The Lance Bird is equipped with a standard automatic weapon that fires straight ahead of the craft. There is also a selection of 4 sub weapons that the player can choose from to start the game, as well as throughout the game by picking up the drops with the corresponding letter. N for Neo Napalm, H for Hammer Hawk homing missiles, D for Delta form (defensive weapon that circles the player ship), and R for Rising Masher (a laser weapon). These weapons can be powered up by collecting the "P" icons that are dropped my various throughout the game. In addition to this the player also has access to a screen clearing weapon called the G Strike. These are added to your inventory by collecting a set number of icons that are dropped by drones throughout the game as you shoot them down. It seems that collecting a certain amount of these in a short period also generates a shield for the player that allows you to take one hit without losing a life.

I found that the best sub weapon is by far the Neo Napalm weapon and if you're looking for a smooth 1CC this weapon is a no brainer. Not only is it very powerful but it also cancels out a good amount of enemy bullets making large portions of the game quite a bit easier. I would recommend saving your G Strikes for the last couple of bosses as those are by far the most challenging part of the game. While this title is relatively generous with extends, it's not nearly as generous with them as the first title was. If you're not careful, the last couple of bosses can hit you a few times making it difficult to come back from as your power level goes down with each miss. I would say that this game is a nice progression in difficulty for players coming from GG Aleste 1 but still very manageable for players who are experienced in the genre.

One thing I noticed was that the enemy attack patterns can be pretty repetitive and you'll be seeing some of the same enemies and patterns in the final stages as you did on the first level. This does allow one to learn most patterns in the game pretty quick but veterans will have no trouble at all with most of the game. Due to the limitations of the original hardware there is also quite a bit of slowdown if you choose not to disable it in this new release. This slowdown serves to aid the player in managing some of the more hectic parts of the game but if you're looking for a bigger challenge this can be disabled. That being said, considering that this game was developed for the Game Gear it's quite an impressive feat for that hardware. The graphics, sound and music are top notch as would be expected from Compile and no doubt pushed the Sega Game Gear to it's limit when originally released.

My final score on the default difficulty.

My online rank as of this post.

Overall I enjoyed this one quite a bit, M2 have done a fantastic job bringing these titles to newer consoles and making them much more accessible than they have been. I will soon be looking toward GG Aleste III which was newly developed by M2 in 2020 and included in this same collection!