Gradius III & IV (PS2)
Platform: PS2
Developer: KCET
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Shoot-em-up
Released: November 13, 200
Metacritic: 64
What is it: Two old school shoot-em-ups in one masochistic package.
0:00 – I love the Gradius series to almost no end. Gradius V is one of my favorite games on the PS2, Gradius Collection on the PSP, but yet I’ve never played IV and only the poor SNES port of III. Let’s see if this lives up to the series’ golden standard.
0:02 – The Vic Viper flies around in space, does awesome stuff, and then (as the series dictates) shoots the core. It works well as an intro but only makes me wonder why they haven’t tried making a Gradius game in the style of a combat flight simulator. Like what Project Sylpheed did with the Silpheed franchise, but better.
0:05 – Starting with Gradius III. Start the first level, die within a minute. Yep, it’s Gradius alright.
0:08 – Game over already. No progress at all beyond my first death. Not too surprising in Gradius, since you lose all your power ups upon death. Very much grounded in old school arcade game design, which hates you for having the nerve to try and beat it. Once more into the breach!
0:14 – A bit more progress followed by a game over. Gradius III has a reputation for being particularly difficult, even for a Gradius game. That reputation is well deserved. I usually have no trouble with shoot-em-ups, and I haven’t even reached the first boss yet.
0:19 – Yet another game over, again very little progress, but yet I’m loving it. It’s difficult to explain exactly why I enjoy this. A lack of progress and quick succession of deaths would irritate me to no end with other game, but here I accept it. Part of it has to do with expectations: if I expect to die a lot it doesn’t annoy me so much. But more than that is the level of precision, of perfection needed to advance. You don’t have an all-powerful ship, enemies are all around you, and you need to be lightning quick to avoid death. Add in the clearness of how to improve (oh, I just need to go down instead of up, or target that enemy first) and it makes progress seem very achievable but just hard enough to be elusive. The result is a feeling of great satisfaction for the slightest bit of progress. To me that’s a welcome change from a world of games where progress is taken for granted instead of earned.
0:30 – And still no real progress. Time to stop beating my head against the wall here and try Gradius IV.
0:35 – Two things stand out about Gradius IV. First, the game is easier than Gradius III, despite moving at a noticeably faster pace. Second, this game has what can only be described as PlayStation 1-tastic graphics.
0:38 – First boss reached! The addition of a continue option really helps. I am now fighting a three headed space dragon that transforms into a three headed space sea turtle that throws chunks of its brain at me that, if hit, explode deadly projectiles in all directions. Huh.
0:49 – Space dragon defeated and now at the second boss, a giant space murder-flower. Problem with this game is the faster pace results in gameplay feeling less precise. In Gradius III, if you moved, it’s your own damn fault. With Gradius IV, it feels a little looser, which is not good. Add in the ability to continue and it feels less like fighting for, and earning, every inch you take from the game, which is what makes Gradius games in general so rewarding. I can understand why Gradius IV is generally considered the weakest of the main series.
0:54 – Plant boss defeated, next level is… space ice bubbles? What?
1:00 - Yet another game over. A fitting end point.
Conclusion: Gradius III and IV are frustrating games that have absolutely no problem killing you and casting you aside. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. For a precision shoot-em-up, that’s how it should be.
Will I keep playing it: Through gritted teeth, yes.
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gamingproject2012 posted this
