After all these years, shooting the core is still just as fun as it was from day one.
As the title suggests, Gradius III and IV contains the arcade verions of said games on one disc. The Gradius games have always stood out for the unique weapons system they offer. Instead of collecting power ups that grant you different weapons, you get to select what means your enemies will be disposed of before you fly out into space. You get your choice from a nice variety of missiles, lasers, doubles, and shields. You also get access to the all powerful option, a red orb which multiplies your firepower. You can collect up to four of these babies and they will make a very tough mission slightly easier. Unlike most SHMUPs, the player actually controls which power-ups he/she obtains in whatever order he/she wishes. By collecting red power pods, you'll be able to activate your power-ups once they are highlighted. Should you go for another option or increase your speed instead? That all depends on you and the situation.
SNES owners were treated to a port of Gradius III. It suffered from some slowdown (which actually made the game easier) but the game was still highly entertaining and the arcade version actually lets you emulate this same slowdown by setting the Wait Level to 2. If the SNES version of Gradius III was your first chance at playing the game, then you may be quite surprised with the arcade version. The arcade version of Gradius III is much, much harder and unlike the SNES version, there is no High Speed level, which was originally level 7 in the SNES port. However, the SNES version lacked the Turbo stage (stage 4 here), which uses mode 7 effects. Another difference between the SNES version and the arcade version is that you get no continues. This may seem pretty unforgiving but there is a level select option in the game's menu that keeps track of how far you've progressed in each stage, so whenever you turn the game off, you can resume play from exactly where you left off. Of course if you prefer to start from scratch, you can do that, too.
This compilation marks the first time Gradius IV ever saw a console release in the US. Like Gradius III, Gradius IV has the same power-up system and really doesn't offer much in terms of different gameplay, but when you consider how successful the Gradius formula has been, that really isn't a bad thing. Even a few of the stages in Gradius IV are similar to those in Gradius III. There are two areas where the games do differ, however: difficulty and saved progress. Gradius IV is actually easier than Gradius III. The game certainly isn't a simple flight through space with the Vic Viper, but compared to the cruelalty that Gradius III can dish out, Gradius IV is probably the game that will make players less likely to chuck their controller out the window. Gradius IV has infinite continues, but the down side to this is that the game does not keep track of your progress via a level select option in the menus. So if you want to finish Gradius IV, you'll have to do it in one setting. Old-schoolers probably won't mind this much since that's generally how most SHMUPs are played, but since you can continue where you left off in Gradius III, the lack of the option seems a bit harsh in Gradius IV.
In most SHMUPs when you die, you respawn on the spot, but lose your weapons. When you take a crash in Gradius III and IV you not only lose all your goods, but you are taken back to the previous sub-level (or check point) within the stage. Not having all of your weapons in addition to being taken back to the last sub-level makes some already difficult games even more difficult. You can recollect some of your weapons but depending on where you're at in a stage, you can forget about facing a boss with a full set of options, if any at all. Also, being stuck with your default weapon is almost akin to bringing a knife to a gun fight. Overconfident gamers, check your egos at the door.
Both games in this anthology have some of the most imaginative levels ever seen in a SHMUP. If you're new to the Gradius world, you probably won't be expecting a lot of what you'll see here. Sure, both titles have the occasional fortress level, which is typical for most shooters, but the ones in these games actually have moving parts that can crush you if you don't move at the right moment. The Bubble stage has you shooting... bubbles. Yes, you read right, killer bubbles. There's also a Cell stage that will give Life Force players the warm and fuzzies.
No SHMUP fan will dispute the Gradius games having some of the best musical tracks in the genre. The tracks in both games are awesome to listen to during gameplay but you can also enjoy the music outside of gameplay with the music test option. Some of the series most memorable tunes come in the forms of the boss theme from Life Force and the Boss Parade track. New-school players aren't going to be impressed with the visuals in either of these games. Gradius III has a 16-bit look to it. Gradius IV actually uses polygonal graphics and comes off looking a lot better than its predecessor. Neither of these games have cutting edge visuals but retro gamers will feel right at home with their unaltered looks. Both games also have some very sweet CG intro movies.
Gradius III and IV is a solid compilation and is a must for SHMUP fans. Sure, you can play both games on the PSP's Gradius Collection, but no true fan of Gradius would pass this game up. After all these years, shooting the core is still just as fun as it was from day one.