Gradius Origins

"Gradius Origins demonstrates that arcade shoot &s;em ups are still popular. The audio still sounds good, the graphics are still strong, and the gameplay is still tight. This package celebrates the past while preserving it for the future, and the …"

"GRADIUS ORIGINS is a must-have collection for any shoot &s;em up fan; heck, the super-fun SALAMANDER III makes it worth the price of admission alone and when you consider just how many extras and options are packed in, you&s;d be …"

"With Gradius Origins, Konami delivers an all-round successful collection that brings together six parts of the series under one roof. By implementing regionally different versions, they go the extra mile to put together a well-rounded package. Browsing through the different …"

"Gradius Origins invites us to discover this Martian-killing saga that became popular in 1985 with its arcade releases ranging from Gradius to Salamander II in 1996."

"Gradius Origins honors one of Konami&s;s flagship franchises, demonstrating its importance to the genre and revealing a title that was previously considered a myth. Furthermore, the work done to make all titles accessible and preserve their original structure makes this …"

"Gradius Origins is a great collection of classics that gives a look back in the past. Fans of challenging games or shumps will absolutely find something to chew on with this bundle. While it does feel lacking in terms of …"

"Gradius Origins is a celebration, an act of love for an era when every token was a gamble between you—a clumsy kid—and the universe itself."

"Whether you’ve never played a game in the Gradius timeline, or if you’re a shoot ‘em up diehard, I can’t see a reason not to pick this collection up. It’s a great introduction to the genre as a whole, and …"

"Salamander 3 is reason enough to get Gradius Origins, and the rest of the games on the list are also well worth sticking around for."

"Gradius Origins manages to do a rare thing: it&s;s, at the same time, a collection of classic games, a historical document and a respectful modernization example."

"Gradius ORIGINS is a well-crafted collection that goes far beyond simply bringing together older titles: it delivers different and rare versions of the games, a new entry featuring Salamander 3, and an absurd amount of extra content."

"Ultimately, Gradius Origins proves to be a collection capable of delivering dozens of hours of entertainment, adapting to every type of player. Nostalgic fans will be able to rediscover the original challenging difficulty and relive the emotions of the arcades, …"

"The collection provides a huge array of titles with iconic, timeless gameplay, and a brand new title that deftly reinvigorates the franchise. If you like shmups, this one is a must."

"GRADIUS ORIGINS is an essential pack of the shoot&s;em up history with high quality games and rich quality of life tools. Despite a few issues that should have been avoided, it&s;s the kind of collection that&s;s essential to keep such …"

"Side-scrolling space shooters haven&s;t hit the same kind of resurgence, so what we&s;re left with is a series of similar-playing shooters wrapped in a best-in-class collection of features that make them just close enough to playable. I appreciate the level …"

"Gradius Origins is a solid way to revisit or discover some of the best arcade shooters from Konami’s past. It is not a full series collection, but what’s here is put together with care. The quality-of-life features help smooth out …"

"Gradius Origins is a gem of video game preservation, a respectful collection of the original titles that provides all the context we need to enjoy, understand, and study them."

"Konami and M2 have crafted a fine collection here that any fan of Gradius should check out. With three Gradius titles, three Salamander titles, and Life Force here there is a lot of shoot ’em up gameplay to enjoy even …"

"Gradius Origins is a phenomenal package that has just about everything you could want from one of these. The games included are incredible, they created a new entry just for the collection, and the additions and inclusions are simply amazing."

"Gradius Origins stands as a masterful work of preservation and a solemn tribute to the genre. The choice not to analyze the individual chapters with modern standards was a deliberate decision, as the collection&s;s nature is intrinsically educational and preservative. …"

"Gradius Origins features a whole host of classic shmups that will beat the crap out of you, and even an all new one inspired by them."

"M2 and Konami deliver a carefully crafted compilation, ideal for arcade nostalgics, where original visuals, classic soundtracks, and Salamander III justify returning to space."

"The next collection of retro Konami games is here, and their names are Gradius and Salamander."

"Konami has partnered with shoot &s;em up port experts M2 to deliver one of the best collections the Gradius series has ever received."

"What’s here feels curated with care: It’s both a history lesson and an adrenaline rush in one polished collection."

"GRADIUS ORIGINS does what it says on the tin. It allows us to play all the Gradius and Gradius adjacent games in one place, either toughing it out or wimping out with the new features."

"Konami keeps its promise to revive love for its most classic franchises with Gradius Origins. A love letter to the beginnings of the series, it takes the titles from the first 11 years and adds a kind of "what if" …"

"Gradius Origins is ideal for shoot &s;em up fans: seven classics, tons of extras, and great technical work. A recommended homage for those looking to relive the saga."

"Gradius Origins not only bundles together the first three Gradius games and makes multiple versions of them available, it also includes a trio of Salamander games and Life Force. These spin-offs dramatically boost the collection&s;s value, especially with Salamander 3 …"

"I have a soft spot, like a big glowing orange weak point, for arcade-era shoot &s;em ups. Not that I&s;m much good at them, mind. There&s;s j..."

"Gradius Origins brings to PS5 some of the most important horizontal shmups in history, all released between the 80s and 90s, with different versions of each title, in addition to a series of new features and extras that will please …"

"M2, famous for its articulate, somewhat surgical approach to porting historical code just right, has done another fine job with Gradius Origins. There&s;s so much polish here it positively gleams, and the overall care, bonus gadgetry and quality of life …"

"M2 revives the Konami saga, one of the greatest video game legends, with a comprehensive, in-depth, and curated collection, topped off with a new Salamander installment."