Gradius
Ah, Gradius - one of the most frustrating games of all time. This is a classic shoot-em-up on the NES, released by Konami and loved by gamers everywhere. Collect bonus tokens as you progress and activate them to choose your own power-up: Speed (shoot faster), Missile (shoot ground missiles), Double (more powerful shots), Laser (goes through ships), Option (mini-ship follows you and shoots), or Shield (allows for 7 more hits before death). The controls are absolutely spot-on, and it's a good thing - otherwise, the game would be absolutely maddening and more than likely would have faded into obscurity. Gradius is considered an NES classic because of two main things: the music, and the gameplay. The music is absolutely spectacular in some parts, and the theme of the first level is one of the most memorable video game tunes of all time. The gameplay is wonderful as well, though more than a little difficult. You'll have to play through levels a couple times to get the movement patterns of the enemies down pat, but that's not a necessity to survive. There are only 7 levels, but Gradius accomplishes enough in those 7 levels to secure its place in both NES and shoot-em-up history as a stone-cold classic.
Legacy...
Gradius was originally released in 1985 as an arcade title and migrated its way onto the NES, MSX, PC Engine, Sega Saturn, Playstation, and some cell phones - impressive for such a simple game. Vs. Gradius was also released, allowing for two-player arcade gameplay. If you enjoy frustrating but enjoyable non-stop shooting, Gradius is a perfect Virtual Console purchase for you.
