Aw man, Konami’s had their fair share of oops moments, haven’t they? I mean, seriously, who hasn’t heard about the whole Silent Hill and Metal Gear remaster mess? I remember loading them up and thinking, “Did they even try?” But hey, not all doom and gloom. Recently, they’ve had some hits, thanks to those wizards at M2. Those folks really know their stuff.
Now, let me ramble about something cool: Gradius Origins. Dropped just this week. And yeah, guess who’s behind it? Yup, M2 again. Gotta hand it to them. The Gradius series — oh, where do I start? It all began back in ’85, right after Konami had a go with their ’82 arcade gig, Scramble. Fast forward, and you’ve got a whopping mix of main games, spinoffs, and some side hustle called Salamander, which, weirdly, sometimes goes by Life Force. My brain hurts just thinking about it. Anyway, these games take you for a loop — literally.
Wasn’t till 2008 they gave us Gradius ReBirth on WiiWare. A blip and a half on the radar, probably. Who had a Wii back then? Anyway, we’re here now with Gradius Origins. Six games stacked in one package. I mean, this thing is almost a love letter to retro fans. There’s this Gradius 3, the one and only version shown off at some 1989 arcade shindig. Talk about nostalgia punches, right? You ever feel like you’re missing something big, then BAM, surprise, here it is in 2025!
I gotta throw in this bit: You’re not just playing these games, oh no. They’re loaded with invincibility and rewind. Sound weird? Maybe. But I’m all here for re-living those impossible bits without losing my last life. Plus, there’s art to dive into — sketches, music, you name it. Why does listening to the Gradius boss tunes on loop feel so darn good?
Let’s not skip the sprinkle on top — Salamander 3. Yeah. Brand freakin’ new, but looks like it time-traveled straight from the ’90s. Think sharp sprites and funky semi-3D tricks. Gameplay’s a mix of shoot ’em up madness, both horizontal and vertical. Invasive aliens and all that jazz. Hits you right in the feels while also feeling new-ish… if that makes any sense?
So, whether you worship Gradius or just dig curated retro collections that make you go “ooh, shiny!” — this collection’s like a golden ticket. Trust me. Gets you in the nostalgia zone without overloading the senses. Doesn’t cover the whole universe of Gradius, but for what it is? Pure joy.
Oh, and heads up — it’s out there on Switch, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. So, get on it or miss out. But, you know, that’s just my take.
