Gradius V Review and Awesome Impression!

ST Dragon · 05 February 2008, 14:12

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been playing Gradius V on the SONY PS-2.
It has been ages since I played such an awesome action intensive shooter, with gorgeous visuals, excellent gameplay, and a cool orchestral sound track to boot (Very important in my book).
Especially the Boss tunes (both remixed and new), which are excellent!)

It also features some of the most sinister and fiercest looking Bosses I’ve encountered in a shooter. I’m glad that Treasure added the huge thermo-nuclear explosions from Ikaruga, seen when the Bosses die. Witnessing them get incinerated and engulfed by those awesome explosions, is a shocking experience indeed! You can even feel the heat wave from the nuclear blast in your face!

But the most impressive part of the game and the fiercest battle, takes place in the level 5 asteroid belt.

At the densest part of the belt, while you’re trying to avoid the rocks, two large asteroid breaker star-ships (Like the north-pole ice-breaker ships), come charging and smashing through the asteroids whilst firing napalm-type cluster bombs meant to destroy you!

As if this wasn’t intensive enough, the large flagship of the breaker fleet appears directly in front of you and large quantities of the asteroids begin to pile up in its path!
Then the flagship begins to fire six immense plasma beams obliterating everything in their path including your ship!

[ Show youtube player ]

[ Show youtube player ]

[ Show youtube player ]

After experimenting with all four weapon arrays, I’ve concluded that “Type 4” with its rotating multiple formations is by far the best, as it provides excellent defense capabilities (almost 70% protection when rotating around your ship) and great offenses, as all four multiples can easily be concentrated directly in front by quickly & continually tapping the multiple control button 3-4 times. It also offers adequate multi-range fire-power as the curved rotating laser-beams can cover a pretty wide range, far over and bellow your ship (Even through solid structures)

I’m very close in completing it (I’ve reached up to Level 5 using only one credit in normal difficulty) but so far, this has been a very fun experience indeed! A lot more fun than R-Type Final at least.

All I can say is that if Konami & Treasure did such an excellent job bringing the Gradius universe to the PS-2, then I can only dream of how awesome it will be on the PS-3 when it’s released! (Hopefully in disc media form, rather than the cheap-ass download service)

Hewitson · 06 February 2008, 08:11

I too am a fan of this game, its amazing graphics really show what the ps2 is capable of. Its a shame most games on it have such $hit graphics when the machine is capable of graphics of this quality.

keropi · 06 February 2008, 08:13

yeah, have this for a while, it is AWESOME!!! recently I grabbed Gradius Collection for my PSP, ultra-nice too!
PS2 is awesome too

EmuChicken · 06 February 2008, 09:14

... Gradius V... by far one of , if not the BEST 2D / 3D side shooter on the ps2...

but it is bloody difficult! - even on normal mode XD

ST Dragon · 06 February 2008, 09:46

Yes, Treasure games have never been for the faint of hearts!
You should try Ikaruga on the Dreamcast!

Easy mode in Gradius V is comparable to Normal mode in most main stream 2D shooters, so casual gamers should stick to that in order to get the most fun out of it.
Same counts for Ikaruga!

DamienD · 09 February 2008, 02:50

Hello St Dragon,

I've edit all the images in your original post and uploaded thumbnails instead... May I ask that you to use this method when posting loads and loads of images? We need to be mindful of users that still connect using a modem or don't want to wait ages for the page to finish loading

ST Dragon · 10 February 2008, 00:51

OK, sure thing!
Thanks for telling me about thumbnail view, as I hadn't noticed!

viddi · 10 February 2008, 00:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST Dragon

OK, sure thing!
Thanks for telling me about thumbnail view, as I hadn't noticed!

Yep, me too.
So you remind me to edit my A600 modding thread.

05 February 2008, 14:12	#1
ST Dragon Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: home Posts: 171	Gradius V Review and Awesome Impression! For the past 2 weeks I’ve been playing Gradius V on the SONY PS-2. It has been ages since I played such an awesome action intensive shooter, with gorgeous visuals, excellent gameplay, and a cool orchestral sound track to boot (Very important in my book). Especially the Boss tunes (both remixed and new), which are excellent!) It also features some of the most sinister and fiercest looking Bosses I’ve encountered in a shooter. I’m glad that Treasure added the huge thermo-nuclear explosions from Ikaruga, seen when the Bosses die. Witnessing them get incinerated and engulfed by those awesome explosions, is a shocking experience indeed! You can even feel the heat wave from the nuclear blast in your face! But the most impressive part of the game and the fiercest battle, takes place in the level 5 asteroid belt. At the densest part of the belt, while you’re trying to avoid the rocks, two large asteroid breaker star-ships (Like the north-pole ice-breaker ships), come charging and smashing through the asteroids whilst firing napalm-type cluster bombs meant to destroy you! As if this wasn’t intensive enough, the large flagship of the breaker fleet appears directly in front of you and large quantities of the asteroids begin to pile up in its path! Then the flagship begins to fire six immense plasma beams obliterating everything in their path including your ship! [ Show youtube player ] [ Show youtube player ] [ Show youtube player ] After experimenting with all four weapon arrays, I’ve concluded that “Type 4” with its rotating multiple formations is by far the best, as it provides excellent defense capabilities (almost 70% protection when rotating around your ship) and great offenses, as all four multiples can easily be concentrated directly in front by quickly & continually tapping the multiple control button 3-4 times. It also offers adequate multi-range fire-power as the curved rotating laser-beams can cover a pretty wide range, far over and bellow your ship (Even through solid structures) I’m very close in completing it (I’ve reached up to Level 5 using only one credit in normal difficulty) but so far, this has been a very fun experience indeed! A lot more fun than R-Type Final at least. All I can say is that if Konami & Treasure did such an excellent job bringing the Gradius universe to the PS-2, then I can only dream of how awesome it will be on the PS-3 when it’s released! (Hopefully in disc media form, rather than the cheap-ass download service) Last edited by DamienD; 08 February 2008 at 20:00.

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06 February 2008, 08:11	#2
Hewitson Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 41 Posts: 3,773	I too am a fan of this game, its amazing graphics really show what the ps2 is capable of. Its a shame most games on it have such $hit graphics when the machine is capable of graphics of this quality.

06 February 2008, 08:13	#3
keropi . Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ioannina/Greece Posts: 5,040	yeah, have this for a while, it is AWESOME!!! recently I grabbed Gradius Collection for my PSP, ultra-nice too! PS2 is awesome too

06 February 2008, 09:14	#4
EmuChicken Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Nagoya, Japan (moved!) Age: 41 Posts: 746	... Gradius V... by far one of , if not the BEST 2D / 3D side shooter on the ps2... but it is bloody difficult! - even on normal mode XD

06 February 2008, 09:46	#5
ST Dragon Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: home Posts: 171	Yes, Treasure games have never been for the faint of hearts! You should try Ikaruga on the Dreamcast! Easy mode in Gradius V is comparable to Normal mode in most main stream 2D shooters, so casual gamers should stick to that in order to get the most fun out of it. Same counts for Ikaruga!

09 February 2008, 02:50	#6
DamienD Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London / Sydney Age: 47 Posts: 20,420	Hello St Dragon, I've edit all the images in your original post and uploaded thumbnails instead... May I ask that you to use this method when posting loads and loads of images? We need to be mindful of users that still connect using a modem or don't want to wait ages for the page to finish loading

10 February 2008, 00:51	#7
ST Dragon Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: home Posts: 171	OK, sure thing! Thanks for telling me about thumbnail view, as I hadn't noticed!

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