Gradius Galaxies
A GBA-exclusive Gradius title set between Gradius III and Gaiden.
Gradius Galaxies, known as Gradius Advance in Europe, is a horizontally scrolling shooter for the Game Boy Advance developed by Mobile21 and published by Konami. It is the only Gradius title released for that platform and its story is set between Gradius III and Gradius Gaiden.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Mobile21
- Publisher
- Konami
- Designer
- Hideaki Fukutome
- Series
- Gradius
- Released
- November 9, 2001 (EU)
- November 30, 2001 (NA)
- January 17, 2002 (JP)
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Game Boy Advance
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The gameplay closely follows the series formula, with the player piloting the Vic Viper through enemy waves. Traditional Gradius elements such as moai statues, an undefended final boss, and the upgrade power meter appear. The weapon system matches Gradius III except that edit mode is absent, and four configurations are available: Balanced, wide area (Salamander) power, and air-to-ground, each indicated by the Vic Viper's color. Only two shield options exist—shield and force field—and the S. option is missing. Players may let the computer assign power-ups automatically or purchase upgrades manually. Three difficulty modes are offered, each containing three loops that unlock progressively. The Japanese version includes an unlockable challenge mode absent from the US and European releases.
Reception
Metacritic classified the game as receiving generally favorable reviews. Nintendo World Report described it as potentially the GBA's Ikaruga. IGN noted the ability to save high scores directly to the cartridge. Famitsu gave a score of 32 out of 40. GamePro stated that control is sharp but depends on speed-up upgrades, the graphics hold up on the small screen, and the music is standard and forgettable.
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