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[Kacho]

This collection features 18 versions across all 7 arcade titles in the series, including the first-ever appearance of Gradius III AM Show Version on home consoles.

A variety of helpful new features have been added to the games, including save states, a rewind feature, and Invincible Mode. The new Training Mode lets you adjust settings like restart points, loop counts, and power-up statuses to help hone your skills to perfection. There's also a gallery feature that includes music from the game, a variety of images from each title, and much, much more!

1. SALAMANDER III

2. GRADIUS
JP ROM Ver. / JP Bubble Ver. / NA Ver. (NEMESIS) / EU Ver. (NEMESIS) / NA Prototype (NEMESIS)

3. SALAMANDER
JP Ver. / NA Ver.(LIFE FORCE)

4. LIFE FORCE
JP Ver.

5. GRADIUS II: GOFER no Yabou
JP Early Ver. / JP Mid Ver. / JP Late Ver. / NA Ver.(VULCAN VENTURE)

6. GRADIUS III: Densetsu kara Shinwa e
JP Old Ver. / JP New Ver. / Asia Ver. / JP AM Show Ver.

7. SALAMANDER2
JP Ver.

DF Retro detailing the quality of this collection handled by M2 (spoiler: it's excellent)

 

[Kacho]

The pre-order discount is over in an hour and a half. Get while the getting is good.

 

[Fake]

Kacho can you add the DF RETRO video?

 

[roosnam1980]

excited but i wish they included the other console versions of gradius , maybe another compilation by konami?

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

This collection features 18 versions across all 7 arcade titles in the series, including the first-ever appearance of Gradius III AM Show Version on home consoles.

A variety of helpful new features have been added to the games, including save states, a rewind feature, and Invincible Mode. The new Training Mode lets you adjust settings like restart points, loop counts, and power-up statuses to help hone your skills to perfection. There's also a gallery feature that includes music from the game, a variety of images from each title, and much, much more!

1. SALAMANDER III

2. GRADIUS
JP ROM Ver. / JP Bubble Ver. / NA Ver. (NEMESIS) / EU Ver. (NEMESIS) / NA Prototype (NEMESIS)

3. SALAMANDER
JP Ver. / NA Ver.(LIFE FORCE)

4. LIFE FORCE
JP Ver.

5. GRADIUS II: GOFER no Yabou
JP Early Ver. / JP Mid Ver. / JP Late Ver. / NA Ver.(VULCAN VENTURE)

6. GRADIUS III: Densetsu kara Shinwa e
JP Old Ver. / JP New Ver. / Asia Ver. / JP AM Show Ver.

7. SALAMANDER2
JP Ver.

DF Retro detailing the quality of this collection handled by M2 (spoiler: it's excellent)

Bought! And Burning Heat is one of the all-time kickass chiptunes, holy shit. Love the version they made for Dance Dance Revolution:

 

[Naked Lunch]

Pre-ordered months ago for the slight preorder discount.

Everything M2 does is an instant purchase. One of the few auto-buy devs left in the entire industry.
This collection is a true treasure trove of content.

Love that this is coming to all platforms and is seemingly the return of the M2 Shottriggers line to the Xbox platform.

 

[Tarin02543]

Next: gradius V

 

[Diseased Yak]

Already bought! Excited to fire this up!

(Thanks for the OP, gives me some music to listen to at work)

 

[HYDE]

The collection doesn't even have all the games, pass. Unless a second collection comes that includes the rest I can wait.

 

[John Bilbo]

I will be picking this up later. Super excited for Salamander 3!

 

[Kacho]

maybe another compilation by konami?

Almost certainly if this sells well enough. Konami gave us multiple Castlevania Collections.

 

[willothedog]

they should definitely do a follow up with the parodius/otomedius games.

 

[BossLackey]

Glad to see more non-danmaku shmups getting ported or deved.

 

[Dev1lXYZ]

This is M2 Shottriggers hence the $40 price tag. The modes in these games and the gadgets on the sides of the screen make this collection well worth the price if you are into shooters, or as they are called nowadays, shmups. You also get an M2 developed Salamander 3, a brand new entry into the series. This game alone is worth the money to me. The last two weeks have been an amazing time for the genre with Earthion dropping last week and then this.

Gradius is a horizontal shooter series with the Salamander side series adding in vertical sections for variety and stands as the gold standard for the genre. Before CAVE came along, these were IT as far as the high bar of the genre. The infamous Konami code traces its origin back to this series, which Contra later incorporated.

My start with the series was Gradius on the NES. Back then, when you got games, you played them until you mastered them as they were so few and far between. I got my copy as a trade at school in the 7th grade. I can't remember what I traded, but both of us were satisfied with the games we received and I specifically remember my friend telling me that even his dad couldn't get past the second stage back then. I was obsessed with it to the point to where I mastered the game and could run through it without using the code.

I got Life Force as soon as it dropped on the NES, which was actually easier than the original to me and had better stages and bosses. Gradius 3 was one of my first Super NES games and was quite a showpiece game at the time which holds up today and is arguably better than the arcade game it is based on. Many hold that Gradius 3 in the arcade is impossible to 1 credit clear (1CC). Check the official Konami YT channel and they have recently posted that seemingly impossible task. It would be a number of years before I actually played Gradius 2 via the PC Engine CD (most of us thought Life Force was the sequel). Gradius 2 never got released on the NES in the U.S., unfortunately, but it's well worth tracking down and is one of the best looking 8-bit games and is quite a bit different than the arcade and PCE CD ports.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

These are way too hard for me, but glad the collection exists. I'll probably pick it up in a sale later on.

It's always the same with this series, for me. As soon as I get to the stage with the Moais and/or the section where the screen also scrolls vertically and you have to navigate some barriers, I can't keep up with everything coming from all directions at once.

I seem to remember playing Salamander in a previous shooter collection. The final part of the game was simply insane, and I maintain there's some parts that are impossible if you die and have to lose all your power-ups.

 

[Dacvak]

The sale is still up on the eshop for the next 11 hours as of writing this. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/p...eoEmkUA5DzjnHgq8C9he6ndu5vUX-W2aq9z_wdbV6QV6T

Super excited for this, M2 doesn't miss.

Now I've got Earthion, Sol Cresta, and this collection to play through. Shmup fans are eating good lately!

 

[clarky]

I already have Arcade classics on Switch, what's the difference with this release. Worth it?

 

[Holammer]

Glad to see more non-danmaku shmups getting ported or deved.

Genre has been held hostage by the crazies for far too long.
Shmups used to be for everyone. Now the screen is coated with sine-waves made of bullet.

 

[Connificent]

Konami keeps blessing us

 

[Kacho]

Shmup fans are eating good lately!

Next week

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

 

[roosnam1980]

i still own this brilliant game.........

it got a superb remake for the x68000

 

[clarky]

Next week

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

Nice, cheers for the head up. Not played some of those in years.

Edit. Bit steep imo that should all be one collection. Not paying 60 notes for both.

 

[clarky]

i still own this brilliant game.........

it got a superb remake for the x68000

Is that a port of Salamander?

 

[roosnam1980]

Is that a port of Salamander?

it is basically a sequel to gradius 1 for the msx , released as nemesis in europe , it was released before the arcade version of gradius 2
game has a different storyline told through cut scenes , brilliant game ,

 

[clarky]

it is basically a sequel to gradius 1 for msx , released as nemesis in europe , it was released before the arcade version of gradius 2
game has a different storyline told through cut scenes , brilliant game ,

Had a quick butchers at a video. The fire level looked like lifeforce/Salamander.

Good times with these games. I used to be able to clock Nemesis a few times off one 10p back in the day.

 

[Krathoon]

I just blew off the dust on the key I bought ages ago.

I guess I will be playing this tonight.

 

[AJUMP23]

Looks like a great collection.

 

[roosnam1980]

Had a quick butchers at a video. The fire level looked like lifeforce/Salamander.

Good times with these games. I used to be able to clock Nemesis a few times off one 10p back in the day.

the psp salamander portable collection includes all three msx gradius games in the series

 

[Dacvak]

Next week

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

 

[Kacho]

The featured section will never look cooler than it does now btw

 

[John Bilbo]

I thought this was the year of the ninja but the shmups are not doing too shabby either!

 

[Katatonic]

 

[clarky]

The featured section will never look cooler than it does now btw

Shame we couldn't get Shinobi up there at the same time.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

These are games I WANT to be into. They look and sound awesome. I always buy one, play for ten minutes, get shit on over and over, do it again the next month and so on. I suck ass at these games.

PS: Username checks out!

 

[Pimpbaa]

Worse thing about the arcade version of Gradius 3 while it plays a lot better than the SNES version, the music is so much better on the SNES.

 

[Kacho]

I can't remember how to beat the piranha plant boss in Gradius 3

 

[Arsic]

I love shmups but I have never liked gradius.

I was maybe going to support it but $40 is too big of an ask lol.

Edit: Now I know I'm burnt out from work. I confused Gradius with R Type for some reason.

6 titles for $40 is fair. I thought it was just one game multiple versions.

May pick this up after Earthion next month. Broke boy problems.

 

[Kacho]

Finally beat Gradius 3. Way harder than the SNES version. God damn.

 

[Super Lemon Drop]

Thanks for the topic, OP. I guess I missed this announcement if it had one.

Just preordered on PS5. Got 10% off to boot!

 

[simpatico]

This has been one of my moonshot dream PC ports for a long time. I hope impressions are good. I can never get really invested in a save file with emulators. I wish it wasn't that way. I play physical cart based SNES Gradius a lot, and everyone knows it can get a little rough in ol single digit FPS periods. Still a rock solid SHMUP and a titan of the genre to me.

Konami keeps blessing us

You guys thinks it's safe to a dream a little dream about a PSX SotN port to Steam? I don't know if my heart can take it. I literally bought an iPhone contraption that makes it a Razer Switch thing for SotN (but really has been a sleeper purchase if you're only semi interested in super casual ""mobile"" gaming ie: the couch during football season.). Decimus collection was a huge breath of fresh air and frankly hobby invigorator in the gaming release window it came out in. I've had an eBay cart loaded up many times with a PSX and disc...

 

[Kacho]

I can never get really invested in a save file with emulators. I wish it wasn't that way.

I'm the same way. Emulation in general is not very appealing to me whenever I try it. I'll play something for 10 minutes and never return. Not sure why.

You guys thinks it's safe to a dream a little dream about a PSX SotN port to Steam?

I'm sure M2 is already working on it for Konami. There's enough Castlevania left for a few collections.

SotN, Rondo, The Adventure Rebirth, and Castlevania Chronicles would pair well together.

 

[Cakeboxer]

I loved the Gradius series as a kid, but they were really hard and left no room for mistakes.

 

[roosnam1980]

the screen scrolling seems faster than i remember , one death and you lose all power ups.
this is brutal

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Some sadistic asshole must've designed this boss, WTF

I was thinking to myself "wow Gradius 1 was fucking brutal, Salamander seems a lot more fair in comparison"… then I reached this boss.

 

[simpatico]

I'm sure M2 is already working on it for Konami. There's enough Castlevania left for a few collections.

SotN, Rondo, The Adventure Rebirth, and Castlevania Chronicles would pair well together.

So far all the ports have been of the PSP version. I hope Konami sees value in doing a new port of the PSX. See? I'm already letting myself get carried away. I need to stop.