Konami’s Gradius Origins: The Ultimate Retro Collection?

Oh man, where do I even begin with this? So, Konami’s been kinda sloppy with their older games, you know? Like those Silent Hill and Metal Gear HD collections that left fans, um, unimpressed. But, here’s the twist — lately, they’re hitting those retro chords thanks to M2, some real emulation wizards.

So, the big news — Gradius Origins lands! I tell ya, it’s top-notch. You can thank M2 for this gem again. Gradius, for those who don’t remember, kicked off in 1985. Think side-scrolling shoot-’em-ups jazzed up from their 1982 hit Scramble. You’ve got five main Gradius games, various spinoffs, and even Salamander (or Life Force, if you wanna be fancy). Bunch of changes there, like power-ups and vertical stages. I mean, this series took a nap for a minute after 2008’s Gradius ReBirth, a WiiWare thing by M2.

And now? Gradius Origins is like a love letter to six classic arcade games: Gradius, Salamander, Life Force, the whole shebang. Seventeen variations, including some exclusive never-before-seen-at-home stuff like a 1989 trade show version of Gradius 3 — that’s huge for the arcade nostalgia crowd.

Anyway, it’s packed with options — invincibility modes, rewind features, you mess up, you get another chance. Finally beat those insane levels! Tons of old sketches, early concept art, and music — have you heard the Gradius boss theme? It slaps. M2 lets you tweak things too, every little detail like bug recreations and CRT filters; it’s like, how deep can you go?

But wait, here’s the kicker: Salamander 3. Brand new game! Looks and feels straight outta the ’90s, mixing those pixel sprites with almost 3D visuals. It’s a trip, a total nostalgia punch that feels like a natural sequel in the Gradius saga against alien ships — makes my heart race, seriously.

If Gradius or Salamander rings any bells, jump on this collection. It’s not all-inclusive, sticking just to arcade games, but man, what a tribute. Available now everywhere — Switch, PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X. Go grab it already, you won’t regret it.