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Gradius III

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In the darkest reaches of infinite space, pure evil lies in wait ... The Dark Forces led by the god of destruction, Bacterian, prepare to launch a massive onslaught against the planet Gradius. Possessing unstoppable power, the Dark Forces threaten to plunge the Universe into total war and complet...

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Developer
Konami

Released on
1989

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

In the darkest reaches of infinite space, pure evil lies in wait … The Dark Forces led by the god of destruction, Bacterian, prepare to launch a massive onslaught against the planet Gradius. Possessing unstoppable power, the Dark Forces threaten to plunge the Universe into total war and complete annihilation.

Their invasion force smashes the Gradius defenses, and the surrounding planets soon fall like dominoes. Now Bacterian’s evil grasp reaches for the heart of the resistance…planet Gradius itself…

To counter the oncoming threat the United Gradius World Forces gather all their fighter craft. Half of them form a defensive net – the other half a strike team. But they are badly outnumbered and The Dark Forces easily tear through their thin frontline. No fighters survive the slaughter….

In a last gasp move, the United Gradius World Forces send out two fighters, previously considered too dangerous for combat missions: The InterDimensional VIC VIPER fighters.

The Fighters take off for the heart of darkness to join the fray that will decide the fate of the Universe…

Gradius III

Overview & History

Released by Konami into Japanese arcades in 1989, Gradius III: From Legend to Myth represents the absolute pinnacle of side-scrolling shoot-'em-up punishing difficulty and audio-visual spectacle. Serving as the third arcade installment in the legendary space saga, the game chronicled the Vic Viper pilot's desperate warp-drive journey through the Bacterian empire's heavily fortified dimensional strongholds to prevent the revival of the dark deity, Gofer. Running on Konami's powerful hardware, it pushed 16-bit era sprites to their absolute limits with breathtaking parallax scrolling, massive screen-filling bosses, and an iconic, jazz-fusion-infused soundtrack composed by the Konami Kukeiha Club. Though notoriously punishing—earning a reputation for coins-eating brutality that forced players to memorize every single wave of alien formations—it remains a masterclass in mechanical depth.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike its predecessors, Gradius III revolutionized the series by introducing the custom weapon edit mode, allowing players to pre-select their loadout of missiles, double-shots, lasers, and shields before launching. The signature power meter returns, enabling players to collect red power capsules dropped by enemy formations to sequentially power up their ship: Speed Up, Missiles, Double, Laser, Option (which deploys up to four glowing shadow clones that mimic your fire), and the iconic Force Field. Furthermore, the game introduced the 'Mosaic' power-up, which temporarily clears all on-screen bullets. Players navigate through wildly inventive stages, including an ancient ruins level plagued by floating Moai heads, a fiery solar prominence stage, and a treacherous shrinking corridor that demands pixel-perfect dodging.