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Parodius

NES

NES

One day, our octopus friend gets into a fight to the death with his old rival, the bug. Our octopus wins and people start to call him Mr. Parodius. On his paid vacation he goes to the countryside to enjoy a little farming. Returning to our ready-made octopus pot, he reads the "People of the Unive...

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Developer
Konami

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

One day, our octopus friend gets into a fight to the death with his old rival, the bug. Our octopus wins and people start to call him Mr. Parodius. On his paid vacation he goes to the countryside to enjoy a little farming. Returning to our ready-made octopus pot, he reads the “People of the Universe” newspaper and nearly falls off his chopping board in surprise. There now is a picture of the mysterious Great Octopus with the Earth in his arms.
“F…father?,” he stutters. It was his father, who had disappeared just two years before never to return home.
So Octopus sets out on a search for the truth and with his companions begins to travel the world!

Parodius

Overview & History

Developed and published by Konami, Parodius (originally subtitled The Octopus Saves the Earth) landed on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992, following its success in Japanese arcades. Serving as a satirical, surreal spoof of Konami’s own legendary Gradius series, the game trades stoic sci-fi seriousness for absurd Japanese pop-culture parody. Players pilot eccentric characters through bizarre stages populated by flying penguins, dancing showgirls, and Moai statues wearing shades. The NES version skillfully condenses the arcade experience, retaining the whimsical charm, frantic horizontal-scrolling shoot-'em-up action, and the iconic, upbeat classical-music remix soundtrack that defines this cult-classic franchise.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Parodius utilizes the signature Gradius power-up gauge system, allowing players to collect flashing red items dropped by specific enemies to advance a highlighted cursor across a bottom-of-the-screen meter. Depending on the character selected—ranging from the iconic Vic Viper and the octopus Takosuke to the cute Pentarou the penguin and the explosive twin bell Ship Bel—the upgrade tree varies wildly. Upgrades include speed boosts, standard missiles, double beams, laser arrays, option clones that mimic your movements, and a temporary shield. A unique addition to this whimsical entry is the Bell System: shooting floating multicolored bells changes their color, and collecting them grants screen-clearing effects, invincibility, or massive score bonuses. The game demands precise dodging through bullet-hell patterns while maintaining a sense of humor as you battle giant floating pigs and giant smoking moai heads.