Gradius V

by Konami

Product Features

• Pilot the famous Vic Viper as you go on a non-stop shooter thrill ride, to the core of the invading Bacterian core
• Amazing new Options Control features like Option Bombs and Option Stocks -- up your firepower to unheard-of levels
• Collect 12 amazing power-ups and heighten the power of your ship
• Blast your way through seven intense stages of classic arcade-style action!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000AHOOG
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 14, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,349 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Konami's popular shooting franchise, Gradius, returns in the first installment specially designed for a next-generation platform. With the new Option Controls feature and masterful level design, Gradius V creates a new strategic dimension in shooting as gamers take control of the Vic Viper and blast through seven stages of classic arcade-style action on a non-stop, intense thrill ride to destroy the Bacterian core.

Product Description

Gradius V - the long-running space shooter comes to your Playstation 2, bringing all-new graphics and options, with the same classic gameplay!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vic Viper is back, and better than ever, September 18, 2004

By 

Samuel Emoto - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Gradius V (Video Game)

For longtime fans of the series, the latest installment of Gradius will not just meet your expectations, it will exceed them. This game feels like a big "Thank You" from Konami to all fans of not only the series itself, but the near-extinct genre of shooting games in general.

From the very moment you start playing, you won't be sure if you're more excited about how everything you know and love about Gradius has been kept intact, or about how damn good the game looks, sounds, and feels on a next-gen system. The frame-rate is silky smooth 95% of the time (it rarely falters, but even when it does, it's not that noticeable), and the backgrounds are well-done without being too distracting to affect all that bullet-dodging you'll be doing.

Speaking of which, V is certainly the most intense Gradius installment when it comes to throwing hordes of enemies and insane amounts of bullets / lasers / environmental objects at you. Even on the easiest difficulting setting, it is unlikely that you will be able to beat this game without first earning a good number of credits (every hour played = 1 more credit).

(Of course, if you're reading this it's likely that you have a lot of experience with other shooters, so you may be the exception. If so, I encourage you to get this game as soon as possible so you can enter the High Score contest that Konami is running until some time in October.)

Bosses. Hope you like 'em, 'cause Gradius V has a ton of 'em. Sometimes there are three or four *in a row*. Even if you manage to survive an entire level without getting blown up, chances are good that you'll need every Vic Viper in stock to survive the boss. Gradius V is a hard game, but that's part of the appeal. Personally, the harder the difficulty setting is on this game, the more I enjoy it.

Lastly, some random info:

-Options are now called Multiples. (boo!) You can have up to four of them at once.
-There are four types of weapon-upgrade options available when you start. You can unlock a weapon-edit mode, which includes throwbacks to older Gradius games.
-Two-player *simultanious* gameplay! Ah... fond memories of Lifeforce. :)
-There is a stage-select mode you can use to practice any level you've been to. You can start from the beginning, or any one of the pre-defined continue points you made it to in the normal game.
-Yes, many of your favorite Gradius and Lifeforce tunes are in this game, not to mention some of the bosses. :)
-The Easter Island Heads, however, are not. :(

Gradius V is the best shooter available for any system, period. You don't have to rely on nostalgia alone to justify purchasing this game. It looks, sounds, and controls great. Everything you want is here... not to mention a few things you probably didn't know you wanted, but will certainly appreciate. Oh yeah, it's also $30 new, so what are you waiting for? You have a high score to beat. :)

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Since it is difficult, it is interesting., September 3, 2004

By 

T.Hamano (Osaka, JAPAN) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Gradius V (Video Game)

Gradius V was put on the market in Japan on July 22, 2004. Assuming that there is no difference in a Japanese version and the U.S. version, I write this review.
It is first surprised by the beauty of overwhelming graphics. Since it is too beautiful, it may be difficult to recognize a bullet from a background occasionally. But it does not need to be so much worried. To a delightful thing, a hit judging is very small. It can pass even by very narrow space.
�@It is surprised by the 2nd at the hardness of difficulty. An attack of an enemy like a storm already begins from around a stage 2. Enemies devise not a monotonous and intense attack but various intense attacks. Furthermore, an enemy's attack pattern changes with difficulty.
And corresponding to high difficulty, operativity is very good. An analog stick can adjust speed with the angle to lean. Moreover, the direction to lean can adjust option operation finely.
This game is very difficult. And it is a game for enjoying difficulty.
Finally, I give you a present. After pushing PAUSE...
U/U/D/D/L/R/L/R/L1/R1 (LASER)
U/U/D/D/L/R/L/R/L2/R2 (DOUBLE)
Credits increase in number for every hour, and, finally become a free play. Good Luck!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Difficult, January 24, 2005

By 

Jose Ibanez "woofboo" (Eatontown, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Gradius V (Video Game)

As a life time fan of the Gradius franchise, I can easily say that this is the hardest entry to the series. Gradius V was developed by the same team that made Ikaruga, the vertical scrolling space shooter for Dreamcast/Gamecube, which in itself was a masterpiece of difficulty. This game has a tendency to fill the screen with enemies and obstacles, all of which can kill you with a single hit. It frequently becomes difficult to keep track of where your ship is, what you're shooting at and what's shooting at you at the same time. This is not a game for people who don't like a challenge.

That being said, this game is awesome. The graphics and sound are amazing, and the original side-scrolling gameplay is completely intact from the previous versions.

It incorporates some of the best aspects of every Gradius game in the series: two player simultaneous play, weapon selection, and the ability to pick up your options when you die are just a few. Fans of the series will enjoy familiar bosses and music.

For people unfamiliar with the series, you might consider renting it first, and if you find your blood pressure rising to unhealthy levels, just return it and forget about it. Gradius fans shouldn't have to think about it at all and should just buy it already.