NES Gradius II

[JediKnight313]

14:33 - homage to Gradius 1

[Cr4ck4lack]

its like nemesis for gameboy??

[superkeenenbell]

Kinda weird that Konami put much more effort in 8-bit consoles than the arcade consoles...

[Matthew71488]

Am I seeing thing because, the ships look 3D

[Gurra88]

Really good graphics for a NES game. :|

[Buzda]

I'm confused why they only used Gradius II arcade's boss music "Take Care" for only the final boss battle.

[kinmanyuen]

super awesome port

[frodo9]

see this kids, this is hardcore games XD

[ImTheDruggernaut]

Oh, don't tell me.

[ImTheDruggernaut]

Gradius and Life Force look shockingly similar.

[BlueKewne]

00:40 hey the music, that's Burning Heat - 3 Option Mix from DDRMAX2 :D

[tey1984]

Those samples and sprites are from Contra hahaha awesome recycling :D

[Mr523cbg]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THE GAME ON THE YOUTUBE I NEVER PLAYED GRADIUS II FOR THE NES BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER RELEASED IN THE U.S.

[molonlave2010]

Did I saw a giant bird shooting lasers? LMAO

[kinmanyuen]

omg graphics are so unreal for 8bit nes! its like playing snes

[Quartrez]

@kinmanyuen LOL you should check the PC Engine version (which is an almost perfect, if not perfect, port of the arcade game)

[kinmanyuen]

great music and sound... pure konami galore!

[ThrilloVanHouten]

This game pushes the Famicom's CPU & PPU so hard that I'm almost surprised that they don't melt from exhaustion! I paid a hefty $70 for this cart back in '03 and never regretted it, even though I ended up being stationed in Japan years later, where the streets are practically paved with cheap & rare Famicom games :-) .

SNES Gradius III doesn't look all THAT much better than this, which proves that this game's truly a masterpiece.

[travelsonic]

"This game pushes the Famicom's CPU & PPU so hard ..."

No kidding, especially the area with those giant crystals - unbreakable crystals + the ones that break apart + 4 option and the Vic Viper shooting lasers and twin missiles + enemies flying and shooting towards you really caused a massive slowdown. :P

[hudshsoft]

Kann man das mit dem Japan-Adapter auch auf deutschen NES-Konsolen spielen?

[FlipxicanB3bO]

wow , I see alot of Gradius III here

[Mirum74]

Gradius 2(NES) e Gradius 5(PS2)

são os melhores jogos da série.

Gradius 2 (NES) and Gradius 5 (PS2)

are the best games of the series.

[DanielJMachin]

Konami did a great job converting this game to the Famicom, but this version is extremely easy compared to the arcade original.

[IDMWEIGHTSIDM]

longplay FTW

[SyNul]

It's nice to see one of the games from one of my absolute favorite game franchises being played so perfectly, and non tool-assisted. Thanks VERY much for uploading this.

[molonlave2010]

What a game! Way better than the first version

[yaujaksum]

up → up → down → down → left → right → left → right → B → A → START

that all weapon code are not effect in this game.

[superkeenenbell]

@yaujaksum but you can use it at the title menu to have 30 lives

[Alex75271]

GODLIKE!!! you play awesome, thanks for uploading!

[ThrilloVanHouten]

This video isn't running at 30 FPS; the force field and the ship itself alternate frames in the actual game due to technological restrictions. At 30 FPS it results in typical NES-style flicker, but in this vid I can only see either the ship or the shield, never both at the same time.

Other than that, sweet vid!

[Angsc09]

@ThrilloVanHouten

The Second Toughest game in video game world history.

[Angsc09]

I really really love Konami NES Instrument cause of the drum that making soundtrack more catchy then Capcom.

[knallcop1]

extreme cool Level-design

[MrGimli2]

i like gradius 3 more

[MoreAwsomeMetal]

I've heard of a PC Engine Gradius II, but never of a NES Gradius II...

Was this one on the Famicom? Or did it also went to USA?

[Angsc09]

@MoreAwsomeMetal

Actually, all the MSX game version only release in Japan until today they release in full package for the American.

[Theshark15z]

What is up with those stoneheads?? I like them don't get me wrong but I always found them to be the most annoying enemies in the game.

[Theshark15z]

I've noticed that the gameplay continues frequently uninterrupted. Lifeforce would have a short pause after defeating the bosses and before pursuing to the next level. This one just keeps going non-stop all the way. I like it.

[javolinico]

This is frikin Hard!

[AcolyteSilene]

I noticed one of the bosses appeared similar to the Crystal Core of some sorts from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Then again, anything Konami gets a spotlight in card form, right?

[Apcorn]

Awesome!!

[hylianarmy0]

I know that this was on the Famicom, but it never did make it state-side, did it?

[Steller1980]

Blame the marketing of Life Force, it was marketed as the squeal to Gradius, despite the fact that Life Force is more of a spinoff. If you want to play this game you can get on the PSP on the Gradius Collection or on the Wii.

[hylianarmy0]

I have it on the Wii.

[RetroRepair]

@hylianarmy0 Hope you bought the PCE version

[hylianarmy0]

That's the only version they have available.

[jeremyschultz1]

The sound fx in this game are the same as in Super C :)

[Angsc09]

@jeremyschultz1

I just fucking love Konami NES Drum it is so catchy.

[nightventure]

Interesting. In case it wasn't mentioned before, Contra has been fighting alien forces in space. Looks like Konami has decided for them lol.

[mafatu32]

Is it me or does this game look exacly like Gradius 3 for the SNES?

[triton115]

What's with the Figure 8 patterns you were doing?

[adalstan]

Infinity

[AcolyteSilene]

AKA Mobius formation.

[mamman93]

Btw, how did you get that light bulb that turns down the light around your video up there?

[mamman93]

Zomg I just love that song at 0.40 :D Can't get enough of it =D

[SovietBunny]

00:42

sounds like burnin' heat in DDRMAX 2

[Hirakoshinji19]

it is burnin heat.... try to play it again and check the background vids its victory viper....

[ffrancistwiy]

I thought Life Force was Gradius II???

[SAGAIA2]

Life Force is known in Japan as Salamander which is a spinoff series to Gradius.

[yellofury]

yeah I only played LifeForce

I wish I had to play this when I was a kid looks awesome

[miguelitro]

This game alongs with Megaman pwns forever

[DrLove0378]

Amazing game! Too bad it doesn't work on RetroUSB's PowerPak. :( I think it's because of the esoteric mapper this game uses...

[overdoased]

Lol four options...

[SAGAIA2]

Gradius II Famicom has a VRC4 chip which Konami made themselves that allowed them to make better looking games.

[NotRegret]

That missle powerup he is using is just incredible usful. Its at the perfect angle, highly damaging, versitile to aim.

[alaggan]

The NES 5th sound channel is capable of PCM samples. Terrific adevertisment for the Famicom.

[joystickjedi]

Oh, and a masterful play through!

[joystickjedi]

What a game, and what a conversion for the Famicom! I have the arcade emulated and the wonderful DUO version and even the Saturn one and the Famicom version STILL impressed me! If this had hit the NES back in the day I would have liked it even better than Lifeforce!

[NotRegret]

Talk about how old school games are about memorizing patterns is bs. Its just a matter of how you beat. If you donut develop the skill to beat a game without memorizing patterns than you have to compensate with memorization. Hence the more skill you have the less you need to memorize.

[MrRomiq]

yesss. i remember my favourite game ever

[KeysToMyGuitar]

So that's not Vic Viper. Is it Lord British?

[lvcsslacker]

I'm pretty sure it's the vic viper.just a better sprite... :D

[Anirbanghost]

According to Wikipedia, it is called Metalion.

[lvcsslacker]

Ahh... I stand corrected... :D

[MidnightMidna]

That was only for the MSX Gradius II (which was calles Nemesis over here a la Europe, oddly) IIRC. This is the port of the arcade Gradius II, which features the Vic Viper.

[Mugenlova]

This game is an excellent example of what the NES was capable of when pushed to the limit,

It's a port of the arcade version with new bosses,amazing grapics for the nes and even VOICE SAMPLES!

Something that should've been impossible for the NES!

[maltadude]

oh hail Konami

[strangebeavis]

Yep. Unfortunately, the special chip that the Gradius II cartridges featured in order to run on the Famicom were extremely expensive to produce, which is a big reason why this game never saw the light of day on the NES in America.

[novastrike1981]

Would you happen to know what chip exactly? To me it seems like the one in the FC version of the first Contra since it doesn't seem to have more sound channels but maybe it was used for some irq graphics tricks, like for fire in the first stage and the mouth and eye movement of the last boss.

[novastrike1981]

Err...since NES was perfectly cabable of playing even DPCM samples it had no problem with voice samples. Don't get me wrong, the game itself is still as awesome as you said: it certainly made me drop my jaw from the first stage onward :)

[pchk1]

Cool !

I used to do the original Gradius (called Nemesis in Britain) on arcade machine non-killed for three straight rounds.

[Dukenukem155]

I have all gradius on psp, life force and origional since i was 7 on nes 8 bit

[hoodmistress]

It's a shame this game here never made it to the states. It looks like a fun game.

[LunaaTiCc]

Great Soundtrack!

[Toad22484]

Yep.

[Angsc09]

@LunaaTiCc

Actually, is a massive transformation from starring new adventure into serious pumping kicking aliens asses.

[sprinter82]

Good god, what an awesome game. My favorite part was fighting those Life Force bosses [with its boss theme playing!]. This was non-tool-assisted, yes?

[Toad22484]

Yes it was, check out my channel to see my explanation.

[Akutare]

I hear voices! This semed awesome on the NES also.

[HALBREEDER]

Was this game at all related to the game "life force"? Cuz theyre quite similar.

[Toad22484]

Honestly, I don't know the whole Gradius/Life Force time line/story. I'm sure if you googled about it you could fine something though.

[ShimmySystem]

Life Force is a spinoff from Gradius so yes. Gradius2 was after life force.

[HALBREEDER]

Awesome, i always figured they were somehow related, just never knew how.

[Dez26]

Life Force is a spinoff of the Gradius series.

[RetroChump]

This game is awesome. Second level's Music was used in DDRMAX2.

[Toad22484]

It certainly is.

[swordbladez]

Where did you get this game? I've been looking and looking... I've only ever seen it on Japanese PC Cd Roms. Please let me know! Great great video!

[Toad22484]

Ebay is a good place to start, I've seen them on there. Other then that I really dunno.

[compewtore]

there are places that re-release old nintendo games. you might try checking one of those sites.

[swordbladez]

Thanks for the help! I got a copy for my japanese famicom system for just under $10US.

[wisey1wiseone]

This looks rather easy in comparison to Gradius III.

[Toad22484]

It is, but it's still fun.

[Homer177]

I actually had a ton of trouble with this one..then again, I'm horrible at shooters.

[at1981]

Thank you for your good playing of this nice game :)

[Toad22484]

hehe no problem.

[visjoner]

What a power of destruction, that ship! (lol) Not necessary u reply :)

[Toad22484]

ok ;).

[MisterDynamite]

Nice!!

[Toad22484]

thank ya.