Publisher Konami’s been all over the map lately, trying (sometimes failing, let’s be real) to bring back their old games. I mean, who remembers that whole Silent Hill HD mess? But recently, they’ve really kicked it up a notch. Especially thanks to M2, those emulation wizards — they’ve pulled off some epic retro collections.
Now, hold up, let’s talk about one collection that just dropped like a surprise gift from the nostalgia gods: Gradius Origins. I gotta say, I’m pretty stoked. M2 rocked it again, of course.
Anyway, Gradius kicked off back in the mid-’80s — 1985, to be exact — riding on this cool wave of side-scrolling shoot-’em-ups. It took what Konami first did with Scramble in ‘82 and ran with it. There are five main Gradius games (spinoffs galore, too!) and then there’s Salamander, or Life Force, if that rings a bell. They switched up power-ups and added vertical scrolls, just for kicks. Oh, and Gradius has been kinda quiet since ‘08’s Gradius ReBirth on WiiWare. M2 was behind that one too, talk about a full circle!
So here’s the deal with Gradius Origins: it’s like a time machine, bringing back six arcade classics — Gradius, Salamander, Life Force, Gradius 2: Gofer no Yabou, Gradius 3, and Salamander 2. What’s wild is they dug up 17 variations, including a Gradius 3 version only seen at a 1989 arcade trade show. I mean, how cool is that? Just thinking about all those retro game fans losing it over this rare gem is kinda heartwarming.
Now, these games aren’t just rehashed and thrown at you. Oh no. We’ve got invincibility modes and automatic rewinds, so now maybe — just maybe — we can beat those insane levels. Plus, for the geeks who love behind-the-scenes stuff, there’s a goldmine of artwork and music from the old days to dive into.
And M2’s got options for the die-hards. Like, you can play with bugs intact just like the original game, and mess around with CRT filters that make it all feel like you’re back in your parents’ basement playing on some retro TV. It’s detailed, borderline obsessive, honestly.
But wait, there’s a twist! Gradius Origins rolls out a brand new game: Salamander 3. It’s like stepping into a time warp to the late ‘90s with its look and playstyle. Whether you’re zipping side-to-side or up-and-down, it’s a proper challenge. Nostalgia alert, big time.
So yeah, if you’ve got a soft spot for Gradius, Nemesis, Salamander, or whatever they’re calling it these days, this collection’s a must-have. It’s a love letter to the arcade era, minus a few odd titles here and there, but packed with pure, retro joy.
You can snag Gradius Origins on Switch, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. Happy gaming!
