Customer Reviews

Gradius Collection

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a long time fan of Gradius for my Nintendo and Game Boy. I guess I was hoping for remakes of the Game Boy versions but they are remakes of the Arcade games. I'm so used to the Game Boy versions that I am not 100% sure if these are exact duplicates of the arcade versions. Now I was able to check Gradius 3 against the arcade and they were the same as far as I got. So anyways after the semi-dissapointment for that minute I realized that the arcade versions are just as great. They're so many options I haven't used yet you never know what versions you'll see.

The game play is great. May take a bit to get used to the D-pad because the game gets a little sensitive in spots but you'll get over it. I like the fact that you can change all the firing options. The graphics are great. I guess after playing Gradius Galaxies on Game Boy advance and going to widescreen digital picture anything looks great. You get 5 versions of Gradius. After a while it's all Gradius to me but still fun to play. You'll have endless hours of killing time with this game and you'll actually be into it. Gradius is one heck of a vintage Konami game and it looks great with it's new 2006 touch up. If you enjoyed Gradius in the past then you'll love it now.

Gradius has been one of my favorite video game series. I was a kid when the 1st one came out on Nintendo, and game back then was really really hard. Now that I'm an adult who has kept up with video games and am considered a "veteran gamer", I thought I'd have an easier time getting through this Gradius series re-release. Let me tell you, years of sharpened gaming skills did not make this game any easier(when left on the normal difficulty). The collection is great not only in the fact that it has almost all of the Gradius games included on one UMD, but also because YOU CAN ADJUST THE DIFFICULTY!!! Easy and very easy settings are available. I for one am going to keep it on the normal difficulty and deal with them the way I always have, with much frustration. These games are fun, but damn are they hard!!!

This is not necessarily a game for the average gamer. Things simply have changed a lot since Gradius was originally released. The game clearly is from an age where you didn't play to win a game, but to see how far you could get before the game beat you. And of course, the graphics are just the original graphics from way back when. However, if you are a fan of the original game and/or retro-gaming then this will be a blast for you!

I especially like Gradius 1. The others tend to be a little on the hard side I think. All of the included games are ideal handheld games. You can play in short bursts (the original was designed to last the length of a quarter, remember?). Controls are relatively simple. And battery consumption is at an all time low it seems, allowing you to play this game for long durations on long plane rides, when all other games would have long drained all the power out of the PSP.

In short: I like this game collection, especially the very original Gradius. Just be aware that when you buy this, you are not getting a modern game, but a very retro game.

What a geat value title for any psp owner that is even slighly interested in 2d classic shooters. From what I remember enjoying these games in the arcades many years ago I am pretty sure that these are the direct faithful arcade roms/ports. Besides them being direct faithful arcade ports these games were also previously released as follows: Gradius 1 and 2 that are on this compilation were released both on a single disc called "Gradius Deluxe Pack" on the ps1 many years ago, sadly it was a japan only release. Gradius Gaiden that is on this compilation was also released on ps1 many years ago, sadly it was also a japan only release. Gradius 3 and 4 that are on this compilation were released both on a single disc on the ps2 called "Gradius III & IV", fortunately it was also released in the us this time. These games hold up pretty well even today especially Gradius Gaiden. I have been a big Gradius fan since I first got the chance to play Gradius in the arcades many years ago, and Gradius Gaiden alone is worth the purchase of this wonderful compilation for your psp, not to say that Gradius 1-4 are bad because they are also definitely worth it also. I am glad that Konami decided to make this wonderfully thought out compilation officially available stateside, it would have also been great if this game compilation had seen a ps2 release but I am thankful nonetheless that it was released on the psp at least. Once you pop Gradius collection in your psp you'll know why this game has incredible value and is hard to put down. Of course this game is hard as nails most of the time but it is a good type of hard difficulty, and besides how would it be a "real" game without some difficulty to it. I would suggest this to people that are looking for a good challenge and gamplay and/or have never even played a Gradius game before and would like to see what a 2d shooter is all about, though most casual gamers might not like this there is a good chance that some casual gamers will and this game is definitely worth it if someone is looking to improve their video game skill, although I also own Gradius 5 for ps2 which is a lot harder(in a good way) than any of the Gradius games on this compilation these games are still hard as nails and just as addicting as Gradius 5 for ps2. For me purchasing this particular game compilation once I found out about it was a no brainer and would be for anyone else that has been playing video games for a long time. This is definitely worth the purchase for anyone interested in 2d shooters, I guarantee it.

Cool game, fun at times, can become repetitive. I play this game once a week and at first get so engaged, but it may become repetitive. I used to love these Gradius games and I bought it to return me to my childhood times. Its fun for people who love it and I highly recommend if you have the time for this game.

Its nice having this game on PSP, its the type of game you'd play on a cellphone while waiting for a doctor's appointment but this time its on PSP. Its awesome on widescreen although you can play on regular screen. There's several versions and each one is addictive the same, never want to stop and put it down. I am completely satisfied with this game and I would definitely buy another one for a friend as a gift.

You're probably wondering why I rated this four stars yet am calling it a great collection. Well, the screen is only available in either 4:3 aspect ratio, or STRETCHED widescreen. Stretched looks bad, and it irritates the heck out of me, so that's why I give this game 4 stars.

I didn't get into the Gradius games until Super Gradius for the SNES. I saw this collection, and thought it'd be a nice addition. The first three games were on the NES, and you can definately tell. The last 2 games on this collection are newer, but I haven't seen them on any other system before. They're the ones I find myself playing. Its a fun collection, however I have the feeling I would have rather had an all new Gradius for the PSP instead of this collection. But since we can't have a new portable Gradius, this one will definately do!

This is Gradius. If you know what Gradius is, you know how hard and fun it is. The only drawback is, the Playstation(tm) styled controls can be difficult at times. It doesn't completely take away the fun of the game, but there is a bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty darn fun.

You know, this game is awesome in ALMOST every respect. It emulates the Gradius games perfectly, from the very first all the way to Gaiden. It keeps the good ol' music intact, the controls are easy to pick up on, and the it's nostalgia is pure. The one problem is that these games are a wee bit difficult. As in, original japanese difficulty. The good news is that they've implemented save states, so you can restart at a tough level. Overall, It gets 4 stars from me.

This is an excellent game for the PSP. This collection includes the original versions of Gradius (arcade) and the newer versions as well. The options allow you to set the screen size (original or full-screen) which helps a lot. You can also map the buttons however you like in the options menu and they've provided a "rapid-fire" button setting for each of the games. Options can also be saved to the memory card so that when you start the game again, you don't have to reconfigure your buttons to the way you like them. Just power on, choose your game, and you're ready to go. It may also be helpful to note that each game has it's own set of options--so if you wish to have a different configuration for Gradius than, say, Gradius 3, you certainly can.

They've added some other features to the options menu. There are some 3d movies that you can watch, and you can listen to the music for each of the games as well. Another interesting feature is that you can use the analogue stick on the PSP if you don't like the traditional D-pad. Both the analogue stick and the D-pad are enabled by default, and don't need to be set in the options menu. I find myself alternating between the two, but in general, the D-pad is a little easier to use (in my opinion), but I also like the feel of the analogue stick.

In short--I love old arcade shooting games, and if you're a fan of classic shooters like me, these games will keep you busy for hours. It's an excellent collection and well worth the price.