Gradius IV Fukkatsu
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| Gradius IV Fukkatsu | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Release date(s) | JPN February, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Horizontal scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Cooperative |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable |
| Input | 8-way Joystick, 3 Buttons |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system(s) | Konami Hornet |
| Arcade display | Raster, 512 x 384 pixels (Horizontal), 65536 colors |
Gradius IV Fukkatsu (グラディウスＩＶ～復活～? lit. "Gradius IV: Revival") is the fifth game in a series of scrolling shooter video games produced by Konami. The game is officially the fourth title, but the prior release of the console-only Gradius Gaiden affected the numbering of the games. As its numbering would suggest, the game has more in common with Gradius III than Gaiden. This title brings a considerable graphical upgrade, particularly with the use of colored lighting. In addition, there has been several additions and removals to the vaulted weapons system; specifically, the edit mode has been removed and an online ranking system was added.
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[edit] Gameplay
The core gameplay of Gradius IV remains relatively unchanged. However, several changes were made on the weapons system in the transition from Gradius III. First of all, the edit mode has been completely eliminated, as are the "Snake Option" (s.option), the "Reduce" shield type, and the seventh powerup category. The seventh powerup category was the one that was labeled "!" and would produce detrimental results, such as reducing the speed or eliminating the weapons of the ship.
In this game there are a total of six configurations, the first four of which are migrated from Gradius II. There two new configurations are as follows:
Configuration 5: The missile mode is a vertical mine that is released above and below the ship. After a short delay, the mines explode, yielding a large explosion. The double mode is the standard 45-degree angle split. The laser mode is a thin armor piercing round that can penetrate multiple enemies.
Configuration 6: The missile mode is the flying torpedo, which produces two missiles that fly forward in front of the ship. The double mode is the tailgun, seen in other configurations. The laser is the twin laser seen in Gradius III.
Starting a tradition that is continued in Gradius V, this game introduced an online-ranking system. After a player's game is over, a password would be presented. This password, which is hashed scoring information, can be uploaded to a Konami website [1]. This ability was only available in Japan, and was discontinued in August 27 of 1999. This was similarly done for the Gradius III and IV console release. Score recording was disabled approximately a year after its arcade brethren.
[edit] Stages and bosses
- Stage 1: Liquid Metal – Yorogaton Chimera
- Stage 2: Plant – Dendrodium
- Stage 3: Bubble – Bubble Core
- Stage 4: Magma – Gillador
- Stage 5: Moai – Aa and Mu
- Stage 6: Cell – Belial
- Stage 7: High Speed – Rolling Core
- Stage 8: Boss Rush – Vanishing Core, Big Core Mk-III Revised, Covered Tetran, Planet Core
- Stage 9: Last – Bloody Gate, Crab II, Gofer
[edit] Ports
Gradius IV: Fukkatsu never received a direct port. It was included in the Gradius III and IV compilation for the PlayStation 2 in 2000 and as a part of Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. The former also includes a boss rush mode (play all the game's bosses in a time attack fashion) and a stage select.
[edit] Soundtrack
Konami released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Gradius IV Fukkatsu Original Game Soundtrack - KICA-7947) on 05/03/1999.
[edit] References
- (2006) Gradius Portable Official Guide. Konami. ISBN 4-86155-111-0.
[edit] External links
- Official
- Official website (Japanese)
- Internet ranking (Japanese)
- General resources
- Gradius IV Fukkatsu at The Killer List of Video Games
- Gradius IV at Gradius Homeworld
- Gradius IV @ Thundercross
