| Salamander (LifeForce in the US) Gradius II Unique Characteristics (continued) Another similarities between the games is that both share same thematic setups. For example, both games contain �Fire Stages� that has flames rising out from fiery suns, always threatening to reduce your ship to ashes in an instant. Both also have �Bio Stages' where the planes enter the depths of a gigantic organism, needing to fight off the biological defenses within the depths of its internal organs. Both also contain �Metallic Bases� near the end of the games - the frantic stage where the plane is pushed into hyper mode and you desperately need to avoid pillars crashing from up and down in the frenzy. On the other hand, did anyone ask what happened to Gradius I? Well, Gradius I is a rare game that has simpler graphics than Salamander. Having a more childish look, the game is not as influential as Salamander hence not much people even knew that it existed. Playing the game is just like playing a childish version of Salamander, even the music sounds childish too. But one thing worth noting is that Gradius I is EXTREMELY hard to complete. I have the game too, and until now, I have not even seen its ending, not to mention having a glimpse of its last boss... One last thing to credit both games. Not only are the gameplays of both games superb, the pumping music will also rock you to the core! My individual favourite is the music from the �Fire Stage� of Salamander... it is particularly soothing and addictive! (You are hearing it now) Another favourite is the tinkling music from the Crystal Stage of Gradius II... it enhances the beautiful atmosphere of the stage really well. In fact, the music from Gradius II is so good that I even spend time recording down every soundtrack on tape! There is a secret music-test which you can access from the title screen that enables you to listen to these wonderful soundtracks. Last Word: The success of Gradius II on the NES soon marks the beginning of more Gradius shooting saga in the future to come. It also continues many of its spin-offs later in other consoles such as the Super NES and the Playstation. Moreover, the concept of Gradius also spawns a new shooting saga - the Parodius series - which combines the power-up system of Gradius with a BIG sense of humor. In Parodius, you can also choose from a collection of hilarious characters that have different power-ups to spoil you for choices. To view a collection of all Gradius shoot-them-ups, click Here. Salamander Rating: 9 (at its time), 8 (now) Gradius II Rating: 10!! (at its time), 8 (now) Others: A challenge to all avid Gradius fans! I could complete Gradius II (NES version) easily with A SINGLE LIFE without dying throughout the whole game! Can you?? |
| Salamander and Gradius II |
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