Konami’s Gradius Origins: The Ultimate Retro Collection

Publisher Konami’s had, let’s say, a bit of a bumpy ride with bringing older games back to life. Remember the Silent Hill and Metal Gear collections? Yeah, those left a sour taste. But lately? Their newer stuff is kinda hitting it out of the park, thanks to the magic touch of M2, those emulation maestros.

So, Gradius Origins, anyone? It just landed last week, and holy smokes, it’s fantastic. M2, you’ve done it again!

Okay, so let’s rewind a bit. The Gradius saga kicked off way back in ‘85, riffing on ideas from this earlier Konami arcade game, Scramble. There are like five main games, spin-offs, you name it. And oh boy, Salamander (or Life Force if you’re feeling fancy) switches things up with the power-ups and even throws in some vertical madness.

Fast forward to ‘08 and Gradius kinda went quiet after Gradius ReBirth on the ol’ WiiWare – surprise surprise, M2 was behind that too.

Now with Gradius Origins, you’ve got six arcade classics resurrected in bewildering detail. Games like Gradius, Salamander, Life Force, and more — 17 variations in total! Get this: there’s this special Gradius 3 from an ‘89 trade show that vanished until now. Talk about a blast from the past that gaming geeks are drooling over.

Imagine you’re replaying levels you keep botching, invincibility switches, and even digging into early sketches and artwork. Oh, and the tunes! Crank up that iconic boss music – it lives rent-free in my head now.

M2 throws in some whacky options for the hardcore crowd too. Bug simulations? Check. CRT filters? You betcha. It’s kinda nerdy but in the best way.

But hold on, here’s the kicker: Salamander 3. Yup, they whipped up a brand new game. It feels like it stepped right outta the late ‘90s with crazy sprite work and some pseudo-3D visuals. Classic Salamander action against space critters and bio-monstrosities? Yes, please! It’s this odd mix of nostalgia and “where did this come from?”

Now, I’m gonna sound like a broken record, but if Gradius or Salamander is your jam, this collection is a must-have. Sure, it sticks to arcade games but does so much, you’ll hardly notice.

Hit up Gradius Origins on Switch, PS5, PC, or Xbox Series X. Seriously, go play it.