Gradius Origins
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Critic Reviews for Gradius Origins
Konami has partnered with shoot 'em up port experts M2 to deliver one of the best collections the Gradius series has ever received.
The next collection of retro Konami games is here, and their names are Gradius and Salamander.
M2, famous for its articulate, somewhat surgical approach to porting historical code just right, has done another fine job with Gradius Origins. There's so much polish here it positively gleams, and the overall care, bonus gadgetry and quality of life extras are all impeccably set. Salamander III is the big one, and it delivers, even if it doesn't really push the envelope in terms of originality or visual bombast. It's a shame there are still Gradius absentees in the list, and one day perhaps a truly comprehensive compilation will rear its head. For now, though, it's time to saddle up and destroy the core like never before.
Gradius Origins is a celebration, an act of love for an era when every token was a gamble between you—a clumsy kid—and the universe itself.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The collection provides a huge array of titles with iconic, timeless gameplay, and a brand new title that deftly reinvigorates the franchise. If you like shmups, this one is a must.
As if this commendable rediscovery wasn't enough, M2 enriches the package with a completely original Salamander, developed with an eye on what a third installment would have been like if it had been released in the 1990s: the answer to this question is a video game calibrated for more modern sensibilities, but at the same time completely inserted into a historical continuity that will delight all fans of the saga.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I have a soft spot, like a big glowing orange weak point, for arcade-era shoot 'em ups. Not that I'm much good at them, mind. There's j...
Gradius Origins is an impressive but incomplete collection. It captures the essence of a genre and a generation of gamers. It's a shame that the absence of the fourth and fifth installments keeps it from being a must-have for every SHMUP fan.
Review in Italian | Read full review
