A vast improvement from the previous Parodius entry.
Story -
Once again, there's practically no story at all whatsoever, but it seems to be a continuation from the first Parodius game. Going through the game, it seems like the story is about you just blasting your way through the galaxy, taking out any enemies in your way.
Gameplay - [8/10]
The gameplay is possibly the true highlight of the game. Largely improving upon the first game, Gokujou Parodius seems faster, more enjoyable, and more action packed. Not only do each returning characters have better sprites, they get more upgrades than usual. Konami also improves the gameplay by adding tons more characters, such as a Dracula, a Pig, and much more! The amount of the characters in the game make up for a huge replay value. As for the main gameplay, after you choose your character, you move your character around as you cruise through the stages. The controls are very simple, and user friendly. Anyway, as you travel through the stages, you'll come across enemies and you'll have to shoot them down. However, even though it sounds fairly boring, it gets even better as your ship collects upgrades from enemy debris. After shooting down your enemies, they tend to drop power ups that upgrade your weapons. As you collect these power ups, the bar on the lower left hand-corner builds up. When the adjacent space is selected, you can press the Y button to power up. Whether it increases your speed, or gives you a protective shield, it helps you throughout the game. But there's one catch. No arcade shooter game would be complete without a bomb button, right? Well, the bombs in this game works differently. As you shoot your enemies down, you can also aquire bells instead of power ups. These bells give you points at first, but as soon as you shoot them, the color changes. The color identifies what special power your gonna get. For example, a green bell would grant you invincibility, while a different colored bell would give you a bomb. With all these helpful accessories in mind, you can't forget about the difficulty in this game. Unlike the first entry, the difficulty in this one is less frustrating. Even so, the game still keeps it's intense pace with a lot of action onscreen. As for the boss fights, they're nothing special. They tend to die if you take too long while fighting them. Overall, the gameplay is improved significantly from the first Parodius.
Graphics - [8/10]
The graphics, once again, is another improvement from it's prequel. You'll notice the beautiful sprites and backgrounds as you go through the game. Starry nights, cities, and space envelop the stages of the game. The playable characters are very smooth, and the action onscreen has the perfect arcade feel to it. In conclusion, the graphics for Gokujou Parodius rocks!
Sound/Music - [8.5/10]
Gokujou Parodius' soundtrack is composed of very familiar songs. One word is all I can say, very catchy. Even though I don't know the name of the songs that appear in the game, you'll get the gist of it as you pop it in your SNES. These upbeat, frantic music accompanies you throughout the whole game and livens up the experience. You won't be disappointed with the music.
Final Word -
My opinion for you is that if you like arcade scroll-shooter games, then look no further! Gokujou Parodius is the perfect game for you, but it's one flaw is that it is very, very short. To give you even more bad news, it lags as the screen captures too many action onscreen. Even so, you'll enjoy Gokujou Parodius for what it is, a fun adventure throughout the crazy universe,