Home /
NES

Gradius

NES

NES

It's a Duel to the Death With the Evil Bacterions! You are the last hope of the gentle people of Gradius. You've just lifted off to confront the all-out attack of the amoeboid Bacterions. Your hyper-space fighter is armed with the greatest arsenal in the galaxy. Air-to-surface and double beam ...

Download

0/5 Votes: 0

Report

Developer
Konami

Released on
1986

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Wikipedia
View article →

Report this app

Images

Description

It’s a Duel to the Death With the Evil Bacterions!

You are the last hope of the gentle people of Gradius. You’ve just lifted off to confront the all-out attack of the amoeboid Bacterions. Your hyper-space fighter is armed with the greatest arsenal in the galaxy. Air-to-surface and double beam laser cannons for incredible firepower. Powerful force fields for protection. Time and space warps for fleeing the dimension. You’ll need it all, just to survive. Because at the heart of the Bacterion Empire lies the Xaerous Superfortress – the nerve center of the all-knowing, all-seeing Bacterion Bio-Computer. It’s a Duel to the Death. While the entire galaxy watches. Waits. And hopes.

Gradius

Overview & History

Released by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 (following its 1985 arcade debut), Gradius is a legendary side-scrolling shoot 'em up that defined the genre. Players pilot the iconic sub-fighter, the Vic Viper, into the heart of the Bacterian Empire to rescue the planet Gradius. Designed by Konami's legendary programmer Kazuhisa Hashimoto—whose infamous 'Konami Code' was famously created just to beat this punishingly difficult game—the NES port successfully captured the frantic energy of the arcade original despite hardware limitations, cementing its legacy as a cornerstone of retro gaming.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard shooters of its era, Gradius introduced the revolutionary Power Meter system. As players destroy glowing red enemy formations, they collect Power-Up crystals. Instead of immediate upgrades, these crystals fill a status bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to strategically select your upgrade—ranging from Speed Up, Missiles, and Double fire to the iconic Laser, Option (shadow drones that mimic your attacks), and the impenetrable Force Field. Across seven diverse stages—from cavernous asteroid belts and fiery solar prominences to the biological mazes of the Bacterian mothership—players must master enemy attack patterns while navigating tight corridors, destructible terrain, and relentless boss encounters like the iconic Moai statues and the core-defending Big Core.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Vic Viper in 8 directions
Action Keys: Z / A key fires standard weapon; X / S key activates selected Power Meter upgrade
Enter: Start / Pause