Gradius Origins

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.

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.

The next collection of retro Konami games is here, and their names are Gradius and Salamander.

Konami has partnered with shoot 'em up port experts M2 to deliver one of the best collections the Gradius series has ever received.

M2 and Konami deliver a carefully crafted compilation, ideal for arcade nostalgics, where original visuals, classic soundtracks, and Salamander III justify returning to space.

With Gradius Origins, Konami delivers an all-round successful collection that brings together six parts of the series under one roof. By implementing regionally different versions, they go the extra mile to put together a well-rounded package. Browsing through the different versions is fun and reveals the development history behind each individual part. And with Salamander 3, they even deliver a genuine new part that is clearly intended as a tribute to the series' history. The great convenience features are particularly noteworthy. For example, the insert-coin mechanism of classic arcades gives you almost unlimited attempts if you get stuck in the admittedly quite difficult games. In addition, the easy mode and invincibility are real aids to enjoying the games in a much more relaxed way. The icing on the cake is the free save feature and a small rewind function. Unfortunately, Salamander 3 only has an original mode, so at this point at the latest, we have to rely on our skills. Overall, I found Gradius Origins to be a great collection and an exciting journey through the history of the series, which, as it is, ultimately has no major weaknesses.

Side-scrolling space shooters haven't hit the same kind of resurgence, so what we're left with is a series of similar-playing shooters wrapped in a best-in-class collection of features that make them just close enough to playable. I appreciate the level of effort that was made for Gradius Origins, it has been treated with a kind of reverence that makes me think M2 truly cared about preserving these games. That said, in practice it feels more like a niche history lesson rather than a source of deep fun.

Gradius Origins is a great collection of classics that gives a look back in the past. Fans of challenging games or shumps will absolutely find something to chew on with this bundle. While it does feel lacking in terms of variety given the game’s storied history, the different versions give players a reason to try differente ones. Gradius Origins is also a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes in the genre.

Whether you’ve never played a game in the Gradius timeline, or if you’re a shoot ‘em up diehard, I can’t see a reason not to pick this collection up. It’s a great introduction to the genre as a whole, and the emulation work put into this release by developer M2 is as amazing a job as anything they’ve produced previously. It’s an absolute must buy in my opinion, so definitely check it out.

Gradius Origins invites us to discover this Martian-killing saga that became popular in 1985 with its arcade releases ranging from Gradius to Salamander II in 1996.