My Played Video Games Review: Gradius III for the Super Nintendo

Gradius III is a scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami, originally released in 1989 for the arcades in Japan and Asia. It is the third game in the Gradius series of arcade-style shooters. The game was ported to the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom in Japan in 1990 and North America in 1991.

Spaceship shooters are not really my favorite genre in video games. But I do play them when I do get tired of the other types. Thankfully, this is one of the best of the old classics.

The Story

That wretched fiend, Bacterion, is once again wreaking havoc on Gradius and the surrounding planets. It is your mighty job to put an end to it. Unless maybe you think life as an amoeba spawn would be pleasant!

Go and confront Bacterion and disintegrate its heart. If you do, all that is right in the universe will breathe a sigh of relief. And if you don't, you will hear the echo of a solitary clap and the final unfolding of the Dark Curtain.

The Graphics and Sound

The levels look good, and so do enemies, and bosses look fine as well. However, the game has a significant slowdown. It does not take a lot for the game to slow up either. This may actually be okay for you, however. It gives you time to think about the moves you should take to weave between those projectiles. So the slowdown is helpful, but some of you hardcore shooter fans may be a bit disappointed with it.

The music is excellent! It screams with an outer space expedition vibe and the themes change up as you advance in the game. The sound effects are clear and distinctive as well.

The Gameplay

Gradius III gives you the chance to select what kind of weapons you use. There are many weapons including spread bombs, additional attack pods, low-flying missiles, energy beams, and force fields. To activate these weapons, you must get the power-ups left behind by certain enemies. They are mostly colored orange.

Building your weapons up is a hassle at times. Some special enemies appear maybe two times during a stage which leaves you 3 short of your max power attack package. Even more annoying is the fact that dying takes away nearly all your power-ups. It is damn annoying! There are just some levels that are very difficult to beat. This is my biggest complaint about the game. That annoying difficulty. Once you get killed, your ship is restored but with very little of its gained power. So not only are you weaker than before, you're a short distance away from a boss that will destroy you.

Replayability is good. The game is fun to keep coming back to because it is fairly short, and you can keep trying many new weapon combinations. It is like the arcade games where you are supposed to play it many times.

My Verdict

Gradius III has aged well through the years. It s still entertaining to play and flying shooter fans will still dig it. But you can tell it is dated. I think the game has lasted well in spite of its difficulty. If you are a shooter fan, and have some time to burn, you will likely enjoy Gradius III.

Play it on the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on your favorite emulator.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!