Gradius II

This article is about the arcade game. For the MSX game known as Gradius 2 in Japan, see Nemesis 2 (1987 video game). For the Game Boy game also known as Gradius II, see Nemesis II (1991 video game).

Gradius II
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Director(s)	Arcade version Hiroyasu Machiguchi Famicom version Shigeharu Umezaki
Composer(s)	Arcade version Shinji Tasaka Motoaki Furukawa Kenichi Matsubara Seiichi Fukami Famicom version Hidenori Maezawa Yukie Morimoto
Series	Gradius
Platforms	Arcade Nintendo Family Computer, Microsoft Windows, PC Engine CD, X68000, mobile phone, Wii (Virtual Console), PlayStation, PlayStation Network (PCE-CD version, for PS3 and PSP)
Release date(s)	March 24, 1988 Arcade JP 19880324March 24, 1988 EU 1988 Nintendo Family Computer JP 19881216December 16, 1988 X68000 JP 19920207February 7, 1992 PC Engine CD ROM JP 19921218December 18, 1992 Sega Saturn & PlayStation JP 19960329March 29, 1996 Microsoft Windows JP 19970221February 21, 1997 Mobile Phone i-mode JP 20040219February 19, 2004 Windows Phone JP 20100119January 19, 2010 PlayStation Portable JP 20060209February 9, 2006 NA 20060606June 6, 2006 EU 20060915September 15, 2006 AUS 20061006October 6, 2006 KOR 20060209February 9, 2006 Konami the Best JP 20070125January 25, 2007 PlayStation Store NA 20091210December 10, 2009 Wii Virtual Console Famicom JP 20070424April 24, 2007 PC Engine CD JP 20071113November 13, 2007 PAL 20080502May 2, 2008 NA 20081020October 20, 2008 PlayStation Network JP 20101020October 20, 2010
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player
Cabinet	Upright
Arcade system	Konami Twin 16
Display	Raster, 320 x 224, horizontal orientation

Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou (グラディウスII GOFERの野望, Gradiusu Tsū: Gofā no Yabō, Gradius II: Gofer's Ambition), known as Vulcan Venture in arcades outside Japan, is a horizontally-scrolling shooter originally released for the arcades in Japan in 1988. It is the sequel to original Gradius and was succeeded by Gradius III: From Legend to Myth. Ports of Gradius II were released for the Family Computer (under the shortened title of Gradius II), PC-Engine Super CD-ROM², and the Sharp X68000 in Japan. The original arcade version is also included in the Gradius Deluxe Pack compilation for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn and in Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable.

Gameplay

The player returns as the role of the pilot of the Vic Viper spaceship to battle the second onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire, under the new leadership of Gofer, the giant head. Gradius II has kept the gameplay from the original game, but infused it with enhancements brought from the spin-off, Salamander (Life Force). This is primarily evident in two of the weapons configurations that are selectable. Another first in the series was the inclusion of the "boss rush" (also known as "boss parade" or "boss alley"), a level designed entirely with only boss confrontations.

Weapons

Gradius II retains the selection bar from Gradius, but now the player can choose between four different weapon configurations and progressions. All schemes have speed-up and multiples (Options), but have differing 'Missile', 'Double' (laser), and 'Laser' weapons. The player can have at most four multiples. Additionally, there are also two types of shielding to choose from: shield and forcefield. The shield option adds more durability, but only for the front of the Vic Viper, while the forcefield adds protection for the entire spacecraft, albeit only against three hits.

The following applies to Nintendo Family Computer version. Choosing another multiple after four will make the four multiples to move around the spacecraft for 16 seconds. Force field is the only shielding available for protection of the entire spacecraft, withstanding 5 hits and it is included in four different weapon configurations and progressions. 'Double' and 'Laser' has to be activated twice to achieve full performance.

Conditions during gameplay

The following applies to arcade version.

• Player is given 1 life at 30,000 and for every multiples of 70,000.
• The game will unprovide 1 life if player has reached 99 lives or player's score has reached 9,999,999.

The following applies to Nintendo Family Computer version.

• Player is given 1 life for every multiples of 30,000.
• The game will unprovide 1 life if player has reached 99 lives or player's score has reached 9,999,990.

Ports and related releases

The game was first ported to the Family Computer in 1988 and was never released outside of Japan, despite English-only. The game also features a mapper chip which enhanced some of the game's graphics and sounds, such as animation and even voices.

A PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² port was later released only in Japan in 1992. The graphics remained nearly unaltered, the background music is mostly the arcade version's soundtrack in redbook audio format, and one additional stage was added that is similar to the temple stage in the NES version of Life Force and the first stage of Gradius III: From Legend to Myth.

Gradius II was later re-released in the Japanese exclusive Gradius Deluxe Pack for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows in 1996, and for the first time a worldwide release on the Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. No version of Gradius II saw a release in North America until its inclusion in the Gradius Collection in 2006. The Famicom and PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² ports were re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in 2007, the latter internationally.

Reception

IGN gave the Virtual Console release of the PC Engine CD version an 8 out of 10, praising the ability to choose which power-ups the player character has access to before entering a stage and the inclusion of useful cheat codes "to offset the otherwise potentially overwhelming difficulty".

External links

• Review and guide of Gradius II
• Gradius II at the Killer List of Videogames
• Gradius II at MobyGames