THE HUB

OMG!!!

FEATURED GAME

FEATURED MEMBER

DoctorIrish

DoctorIrish

The Doctor is in.

QUICK POLL

Grand Theft Auto IV: does it live up to the hype?

ASK THE PROS

THE GAMEPROS

FREE NEWSLETTERS

Sign up now to receive weekly or daily updates on your favorite games, stories, and more!



PSP | Action | Gradius Collection

Boxart for Gradius Collection
Gradius Collection 19 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.50
  • SOUND: 3.00
  • CONTROL: 3.00
  • FUN FACTOR 4.00
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.7

Review: Gradius Collection

Review by JohnnyK | 06/08/2006 | 11:16:51 AM PST

Five classic Gradius titles come blazing on to the PSP in Konami's retro-compilation Gradius Collection. Isn't it about time you got reacquainted wtih your inner Vic Viper?

The past couple of months have been good for PSP gamers, especially for those looking for a bit of retro fun on the go. Konami is about to get in on the compilation action with their game Gradius Collection, a catalog of the first four Gradius titles plus Gradius Gaiden, a game that has never been released in the US. If you're a 2D shooter fan, prepare to get weak in the knees. The classic Gradius games are here in all their arcade port goodness, complete with mind-numbing difficulties and slowdown. But, does the compilation really have much appeal to anyone but hardcore Gradius fans?

Five of a Kind

Gradius Collection contains five classic games -- Gradius, Gradius II, Gradius III, Gradius IV, and Gradius Gaiden. Most recently, Konami released Gradius III & IV for the PS2 in a two-game compilation. The first four games are pretty standard fare if you've followed the series in any discernible way. The real gem of the collection is Gradius Gaiden, a difficult and visually impressive title that only saw an official release in Japan before appearing in this compilation. Instead of picking weapon sets as you did in earlier games, you start off your adventure by picking one of four ships. Each ship has its own unique weapon set, and as a result, its own strengths and weaknesses. The weapons aren't all that much different than what was featured in previous Gradius games, but the attempt at trying to add some more personality to your ship is an admirable one.

Gradius Gaiden, however, really makes a name for itself in its fairly complex and visually stylized environments and levels. As you zip around shooting enemies, you'll be treated to levels that essentially come alive with debris, explosions, and other cool actions. While Gradius III and IV also featured some pretty interactive environments, Gaiden really seems to take the idea to a new level.

The Goodies, The Baddies

While having five full-fledged Gradius games ready for portable fun is great, there are some flaws that end up hampering what should be "the" ultimate Gradius experiment. None of the game support two-player action, which is downright unforgivable given the PSP's wireless capabilities. Also, the controls can be troublesome with neither the D-pad or analog nub offering up the really fine-tuned controls that I was hoping to have. Some levels, such as the high speed stage from Gradius IV, are nearly impossible thanks to the wonky control responsiveness, which creates a lot of frustration.

Gradius Collection is a dream come true for those hardcore fans of the series who thought Gradius V would be the last time they ever saw their beloved Vic Viper hurtling through space. The inclusion of Gradius Gaiden is a sweet bonus for those gamers, but casual folks out there will more than likely shrug this title off. Their is some nice bonus content, such as the soundtracks for all the games and a movie player to view intros, which helps add some much needed depth to a very niche title. It's by no means a perfect compilation (where are the GBA titles?), but for 2D shooter action on the go, you could do a heck of a lot worse.


Related Articles