Gradius NES Review - Cheaters Have All The Fun

Gradius and Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt were the very first two games I ever owned for the NES, and I became bored with them very quickly. This was due in part to the fact that I was about 6 years old and had little experience with video games. As I got older (and when I got a Game Genie) I was finally able to have fun with Gradius.

Gradius is a fun game filled with little secrets here and there, but can be extremely frustrating if you have built up a great arsenal of weaponry and accidentally slam into an asteroid, only to find yourself starting over with virtually no weapons in the midst of a bajillion swooping enemies. This is why I only ever enjoyed playing the game with Game Genie codes. But that's just me.

If you enjoy a challenge and like powering-up a small, unprotected spacecraft so that it can blow stuff up, this is a game for you. And it can really be fun, if you get into it.

-Flashman85