Gradius III

"A true shooter"

Gradius III is a true shooter in every sense of the word. It has non stop action, many different gun upgrades. Also, for old school type fans, there is little exploring, no puzzle elements, just pure shooting fun.

Graphics:8/10

The graphics are good enough that you know what your ship is, and you have a good idea of what the enemies are. But, even back in the early SNES days, you wouldn't be blown away by the graphics. If you compare it to a Super Mario World, you will be disappointed. But, you don't play a shooting game for the graphics anyway. As long as the graphics don't hinder the experience, then your fine. These graphics do not hinder the experience.

Sounds: 9/10
The ochestral soundtrack of this game will really drag you in. The rest of the sounds are adequate for the game (enough so you don't feel shortchanged, but nothing so special that you will take special note of it). But, shooting games are really helped by a decent soundtrack, and this one fits the bill.

Gameplay: 8/10
I've never played a Gradius game before, so I liken this back to an updated Defender game from the Atari 2600. You basically move your ship from left to right (though, you can move your ship all over the screen). You get to choose from several different types of weapons before gameplay (you can decide if an upgrade shoots a missle down towards the ground, or if your gunfire will shoot from the front and back of your ship, ect). During the game, with upgrades you can have about 4 different weapons, along with an option to have another ghost ship out helping you out, option to speed up, shields, etc. The levels increase in difficulty nicely, so you are never in a situation where you blew through one level, yet the next level you are no where near prepared for.

The game is hard though. Expect to put some serious time in before getting deep into the game (without cheating). The first level in this game isn't cake, you'll feel some accomplishment the first time you pass it.

To buy or rent: Buy. Not likely you'd be able to find a place that would rent it. But, you can buy the game for $10 or less at many used game establishments. Why rent the game, when you can own it forever for that price.

Final notes: Worthy shooter. It's hard, and graphically won't blow you away. But, if your a shooter fan, and have some time to burn, you will likely enjoy Gradius III.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/03, Updated 07/24/03