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JK51981's Gradius (NES)
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| [January 30, 2007 04:37:17 PM]
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After watching a student beat the first stage during Monday’s lecture, I managed to do the same. I had originally thought that the volcanoes involved some sort of gimmick; I didn’t think players had to simply shoot at the lava until the game would allow passage. I easily defeated the next challenge, a circular battleship that shot at timed intervals while spastically moving up and down. At this point, I started using save-states just to see where the game would take me. As I have mentioned before, Gradius is absurdly difficult in many places and it simply isn’t a reasonable goal to finish the entire game in one gaming session as a novice.
After I trivialized the initial difficulty, I breezed through several sections, which displayed surprising variety. From the beginning to where I stopped, I’ve seen fortified landmasses, volcanoes, floating fortresses, and even bizarre Moai statues that fired annoying volleys of projectiles. There is also a wide array of enemies; older ones from earlier in the game would also become progressively more difficult as well. In comparison to a game like Galaga, or other older schmups with more static qualities, Gradius is a true innovation with revolutionary new features.
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| [January 28, 2007 08:32:42 PM]
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I’ve owned a Nintendo Entertainment System during my younger days and I have the scars to prove it. Games were significantly more difficult back then and superhuman levels of patience were required to cope with the overwhelming frustration. However, it’s difficult to vividly recall pain until you suffer through it again. Forcing myself to play Gradius opened a floodgate of bad memories and bitter tears.
From what the game has presented so far, story and characters seem to be nonexistent. The player is thrown headfirst into action after selecting one or two characters, without any backstory or introductions. Considering the primitive gaming system, shoot-em-up genre, and the time of development (1985), this is not a surprise. Instead, the production is focused mostly on the gameplay, where Gradius truly shines. Though I’ve only made it to the two volcanoes spewing lava in the first level, the innovative elements are still well-apparent. This game popularized the “power meter” weapon selection bar, where capsules are collected and the player can purchase power-ups. Gradius also set the standard for shoot-em-up games around this time, though it pales in comparison to more modern games.
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JK51981's Gradius (NES)
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Current Status: Finished playing
GameLog started on: Saturday 27 January, 2007
GameLog closed on: Tuesday 30 January, 2007 |
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