Gradius (c) 1985 Konami.
A superb and demanding shoot'em up that shares - along with Irem's 'R-Type' - the destinction of being a true innovator of its genre and, again like R-Type, completely revolutionized the humble shoot-em-up.
Gradius' eye-catching graphics guaranteed gamer interest but it was the game's genius 'weapon upgrade' system that really made the difference. Never before could players actually CHOSE how to upgrade their ship. Destroying waves of enemies would often see the player reward with an 'orb' that could be picked up. The player could collect up to 6 orbs and could effectively 'buy' an upgrade from the 6 displayed at the bottom of the play area (speed-up, bombs, double, laser, multiple - which are orbs that follow the player's movements and add greater firepower - and a mystery 6th upgrade that is marked with an '?'). Game difficulty increases depending on how many power-ups the player has, so it is sometimes advantageous to NOT power-up your ship too much.

>>> TECHNICAL DETAILS
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Game ID : GX400
Main CPU : 68000 (@ 9.216 Mhz), Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) AY8910 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), K005289 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), VLM5030 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 256 x 224 pixels
Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 3

>>> TRIVIA
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Released in May 1985.
This game is known in Europe as 'Nemesis'.
First shoot-em-up with serious power-ups.
Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Konami Game Music Vol.1 - 28XA-85) on 27/06/1986.
Apollon Music released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Original Sound of Gradius - KHY1016) on 05/05/1987.
Interesting note : Several Konami arcade games ('Gradius', 'Parodius Da! - Shinwa kara Owarai e', 'Salamander', etc...) have the default high score set at 57300. '573' refers to Go-Na-Mi kana letters, a play of word for 'Konami'.
Bandai released a boardgame (in Japan only) based on this videogame (same name) in 1986 : The board is split into 8 sections, each with its own rules. The things that remain the same are that each uses a square-grid for movement, and you can power up your ship by getting the capsules.
The first level of Gradius is available as a mini-game in the Nintendo Super NES game 'Legend of the Mystical Ninja'.
In the Nintendo NES hockey game Blades of Steel, one of the intermission screens is a playable sequence which recreates the fight against the first Gradius boss.
The popular trading card game 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' has drawn inspiration for some of its cards from the game, which are Gradius, Cyclon Laser, Gradius' Option, Victory Viper XX03, and Power Capsule. Other cards include enemies and boss characters such as Solar Flare Dragon,The Statue of Easter Island, Moai Interceptor Cannons, B.E.S. Covered Core, Big Core, B.E.S. Tetran, and B.E.S. Crystal Core, as well as the spell card Boss Rush.
Konami's music simulation game 'Pop'n Music' features the song 'Gradius Full-Speed' which is a mix of the music in the first level of Gradius. This song is also featured in 'beatmania IIDX'.
There's an unlockable 3-D remake of the original Gradius arcade game found in 'Zone of the Enders - The 2nd Runner'. It's called Zoradius (for Zone + Gradius). It can be found in the battle against Vic Viper, or by replaying the fight as an Extra mission, then pausing the game an entering a variation of the Konami Code. In Zoradius, the player uses the Vic Viper in fighter mode, flying through a tunnel and shooting down various non-humanoid enemies from the game to gather powerups to increase the Viper's firepower and shields.

>>> TRICKS AND TIPS
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* Plan your power ups well : When starting/restarting the game, the regular shot being your only method of attack could be very tough. But that doesn't mean increasing your firepower by equipping MULTIPLE very first is good because you cannot move around quickly. You will end up being hit. Therefore, first power up your speed once or twice so you can move faster.
* DOUBLE and its problems : With DOUBLE, you can shoot in front of you and diagonally. However, since you cannot fire rapidly, it is not a weapon easy to use. Equip at least 2 MULTIPLE before equipping DOUBLE.
* Make good use of the LASER : Hitting enemies above and below you with the LASER is rather easy. You don't have to go for a direct hit. Make it fly near the enemy for a slight touch.
* MISSILE movement : The MISSILE moves along the ground. If there is something sticking out of the ground, the MISSILE stops there. Keep an eye on the landscape.
* Take control of the MULTIPLE : The MULTIPLE follow the path of VIC VIPER. Take advantage of this feature and attack enemies that VIC VIPER cannot reach. Use formations to wipe out th enemy!
Also, the faster VIC VIPER is, the more widely spread the MULTIPLE are from each other. Take advantage of this feature as well.
* Renewing the BARRIER : The BARRIER wears out not only by making contact with the enemy and enemy shots. It does so by touching the landscape. Make use of this trait and make the BARRIER touch enemies or the landscape to wear it down and get rid of it. Then equip a new BARRIER.
* Come up with a conquering pattern : This game is a shooter that gives you a lot of freedom in terms of how you can conquer levels. Learn the tips, remember the appearance patterns of the enemy, and come up with your own way of conquering the game.

>>> GAME SERIES
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1. Gradius (1985)
2. Salamander (1986)
3. Gradius 2 (1987, MSX)
4. Gradius II - Gofer no Yabou (1988)
5. Nemesis 3 - The Eve of Destruction (1988, MSX)
6. Gradius III - Densetsu Kara Shinwa-e (1989)
7. Nemesis '90 Kai (1993, Sharp X68000)
8. Salamander 2 (1996)
9. Solar Assault - Gradius (1997)
10. Solar Assault - Revised (1997)
11. Gradius Gaiden (1997, Sony PlayStation)
12. Gradius IV - Fukkatsu (1999)
13. Gradius Generation (2001, Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
14. Gradius V (2004, Sony PlayStation 2)
15. Gradius Neo (2004, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
16. Gradius Neo Imperial (2005, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
17. Gradius Wide (2007, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
18. Gradius Rebirth (2008, Nintendo Wii)

>>> DESIGNERS / PROGRAMMERS / STAFF
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Music by : Miki Higashino

>>> GAME PORTS TO OTHER SYSTEMS
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* Consoles :
Nintendo Famicom (1986)
Nintendo Game Boy (1990)
NEC PC-Engine (1991)
Sega Saturn (1996, 'Gradius Deluxe Pack')
Sony PlayStation (1996, 'Gradius Deluxe Pack')
Sony PSP (2006, 'Gradius Collection')
Nintendo Wii (2007, 'Virtual Console' - NES version)
Nintendo DS (2007, 'Konami Classics Series - Arcade Hits')
* Computers :
MSX (1986)
Sharp X1 (1986)
Sharp X68000 (1987)
Commodore C64 (1987)
NEC PC 8801
PC [MS Windows] ('Gradius Deluxe Pack')
* Others :
LCD handheld game (1989) by Konami.

>>> OTHER GAME RESOURCES
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Game's rom.