[Gradius Origin Collection] review. "Saloman Serpent III" is in full swing from the third lap. With all maniac options on board, "Gra III" can be said to be a new work

 

"Gradius Origins Collection" is scheduled to be released by KONAMI on August 7, 2025 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). This work is an omnibus software that contains the 2D shooting games "Gradius" and "Sarahman Snake" numbering works released in arcades from 1985 ~ 1996.

In this article, I would like to share my impressions of playing the many versions (more than 18 versions) prepared for each game. The author has played all of the recorded works until they clear one credit of the arcade version (domestic version) (*).

*Excluding rare versions and completely new "Saloman Serpent III".

I am very satisfied with the volume of all 7 titles / 18 versions or more

This collection contains more than 18 versions of all 7 titles. Please check out the related article for details, and among the included works is the completely new work "Saloman Serpent III", which is a huge volume.

Moreover, there are plenty of optional functions, and customization such as the continuous fire button is free. The UI is easy to understand, and I have no complaints. No, it's just a little bit exact, but I'll touch on it at the end of this article.

The latest numbering work that I've been waiting for for a long time. "Saloman Serpent III" is in full swing from the third lap

This time I was able to play the equivalent of the full version. For starters, I decided to play from "Saloman Serpent III", which I was most interested in. Because he is particular about pixel art, his first impression is not "a continuation of 'Saloman Serpent 2'", but a development of the first "Saloman Serpent".

There are two types of aircraft that can be selected immediately after the game starts: the Lord British Mk-III and the Big Viper Type L. The basic performance is almost the same, but the former has a ripple laser and the latter has a strongly adjusted laser. In addition, the author chose the latter because he is a laser person (*).

* The reason why I am a laser person is because I am not good at hand continuous fire, but don't worry, the shots in "Sara Mansnake III" are fired continuously by holding down the button.

One of the unique elements of this game is the "multiple change". When you take this item, the movement of multiple (*) becomes inertia. Many of you may recognize the Snake option in Gradius III.

* Refers to the alter ego (optional) of your ship. Normally, it moves to follow its own aircraft. It's a familiar power-up from the Gradius series.

This snake multiple (or should I say) is just exhilarating! Snakes are very useful for enemies in places that are difficult to shoot with normal (tracking) multiples, as they can be wiped out with brute force. Regular multiples are more convenient when you want to combine multiples in one place or don't want to break the formation, but I broke through most of the stages with a combination of laser + snake. Gori push the best.

"Saloman Serpent III". Like a car wiper, it pushes forward while cleaning the terrain. Kuu~~~, it feels good!

And another unique system is "Burst Shot". This means that you can shoot a powerful shot for a certain period of time by pressing a button.

Specifically, if the equipped weapon is a ripple laser, a wide ripple laser is fired, and if it is a laser, an extra-thick laser is fired. If used well, even bosses can be killed instantly.

What's interesting is that you can use Burst Shot even when you're not using Ripple or Laser. The burst shot during the normal shot is to attack 8 directions around it, but this is strong anyway. It can be said that it is a system that is useful for rebuilding after making mistakes. Of course, it would be good to shoot in a difficult place.

Another feature of this work is that the remaining machines are extended more and more depending on the score. By the time I cleared one lap, the number of aircraft remaining had increased to more than 15. It's easy to recover from mistakes, and I feel like this is too big of a deal. If you're familiar with the Gradius series, it's not uncommon for you to see the ending for the first time.

It can be said that it is a "null game", but I think this balance is ant. Sometimes you can play stress-free yourself, but it's easy to get used to even if you're not used to shooting games, and since it's not an arcade game, you don't have to worry about playing for a long time.

And if you are an advanced shooter who is confident in your skills, I recommend playing the higher order lap. By the second lap or so, I was like, "Is it getting a little harder? "It was just that, but around the third lap, I could feel the seriousness of the Salamanda army.

Pushed by the terrain traps and the intensity of enemy attacks, the leftovers accumulated in the first lap melt more and more. However, if you practice repeatedly, it is not an impossible game. After its release, will we be able to worship the high-level lap play of ultra-advanced players?

The AM show version of "Gra III" is too different even for the untrained eye

Of the titles included, the only one that is completely new is "Sara Manserpent III...... However, I would like to introduce the Japan AM show version of Gradius III: From Legend to Myth as equivalent to a completely new work. Only those who played the real thing in 1989 can say that it is not a new work. The first noticeable difference is as follows (in fact, there are more).

• The Milky Way in the background of stage 1. Overall looks flashy
• The flow of sand in the dunes is also expressed in anime
• You can shoot a lot of ripple lasers (up to 2 shots in the screen in the full version)
• The order of the stages is different. Different enemy placements, bosses, etc.
• The 3D stage is still alive and well in the AM show version. The placement of the capsule is pear
• Force field and reduce can be used together
• The Big Core Mk-III didn't have a "woo mama"

This is just a few. I think it's a completely different game from the regular version. Of course, it's a version under development, so there are some rough parts, but it's finished at a level that can be played sufficiently. I thought it was worth buying just to play this.

"Gradius III: From Legend to Myth" Japan AM Show version.

I would like to recommend it to those who have not cleared "Gra III"! There are no unreasonable mistakes with all maniac options

I have mentioned in previous interview articles that there are plenty of maniac options (*), but when I played with them in actual play, they were very interesting.

*A function that makes the product version easier to play and adjusts the bugs and specifications that were originally included to make it easier to play.

In particular, "Gradius III" is full of elements of maniac options. As a test, I tried playing the Japan NEW version with all maniac options turned on. Then all "unreasonable mistakes" will be eliminated, and you will be able to play very comfortably! "Gra III" itself was my first time playing in a long time, so I thought I would make a mistake in the first half of the stage, but I made it to stage 9.

When playing, select "E Equipment", which can only be selected by playing with the maniac option. Twin lasers are very powerful. Twin lasers have a wide vertical hit judgment and are easy to shoot enemies near the ceiling, so there was almost no chance of double (vertical). Mega Clash, which is an option hunter countermeasure, was also convenient and comfortable to play, so I thought "E equipment is good equipment".

"All ON" is actually a lie. I didn't know how to attack the shadow gear, so I turned off only one.

"Gradius III: From Legend to Myth" Japan NEW version. Mess around with the maniac option and challenge with E equipment.

Reaffirming the greatness of the early works. "Gra II" is still supreme

I've only played new games and maniac options, but if you haven't played the "Gradius" and "Saloman Serpent" series, I would like you to play each game with the aim of clearing one credit. You can practice using interrupted saves, but in the end, I recommend that you do your best until you can complete one lap without a save.

This is because the sense of accomplishment when you clear it is irreplaceable. The no-miss clear video is available on the official YouTube, so it is a good idea to refer to this, but I think it will be a good experience to think about how to attack on your own.

If you are wondering, "I haven't played any ......of the series games, but where should I start?", of course you can do it in the order of the numbering of the works, but if you are not particularly particular about it, you can try "Gradius II GOFER's Ambitionis recommended for everyone. Since it is a work three years after the original "Gradius", it is fairly simple, but you can choose from four types of equipment, and you can experience standard elements such as high-speed scrolling stages and boss rushes.

"Gradius II GOFER's Ambition".

If you're going to go this far, you can also do "IV" and "V"...... Expectations for the future

This is the end of the author's review. I've only talked about a few titles yet, but there's no end to it, so ....... I have praised various elements of this work, but there are no complaints. If you were to enrich the numbering works so far, it would have been perfect to include "Gradius IV -Resurrection-" and "Gradius V", but ....... Although the latter is not an arcade work, it is still a numbering.

However, if this is realized, the author will say, "Put 'Gaiden'", "Include 'Solar Assault'", "Parody" series as well as ......", and I think this was also a good thing in the end. But I hope these will be reprinted someday!