I remember as a kid growing up, my Dad used to play this game all the time. Absolute technophobe he was, wouldn't go on the internet, wouldn't play any other game, but he would always break out Gradius every now and then. Never managed to beat the game, never could get past level 7. He always used to say to me "I'm sure that level 7 is the last level, there's no way that it could get any harder." Sure enough he was right. Seeing this video I think what he was doing wrong is that he never thought to switch the laser for the double for the final level. 30 years he played that game, never occurred to him to try that. He's gone now though, before his time :( Would have loved to have seen his face if he ever beat the game, think he would have done eventually
Used to play Gradius with my older brother in the 80s. He was great with all the games. Recently found an original Nintendo NES and bought him and me a console each. He played Gradius like he never stopped all those years in between, still good at it! Sadly Bro passed from cancer last August2021. Will share this video with his two young sons. When I watch this video it’s like I was watching how my bro used to play. Thank you for this! I’ll have to play it once again in his honor and maybe challenge his boys to a game too. Like we used to do during our childhood.
The composer for this game was only 17 years old when the game came out, and it was the first game she ever composed for. It's also one of the earliest games I can think of that has a song playing during the level. What a debut!
I discovered it just a few years back at 20-ish old as part of a loose bundle of NES games I got with the console, been one of my favorites on the system ever since. It's amazing how a game that's almost four decades old can still feel so kinetically pleasing in terms of gameplay.
Wow!! One of my favorite NES games of all time! I beat this game like 3 times! As a girl I thought I could NEVER do it! My parents and siblings would sit around me and watch me play it..the key was to choose the correct fire power for each level. This game took me on a journey that I'll never forget and it's 40 years later...The good Memories are too many to count!
I remember this game being so f'ing hard. I felt so accomplished when I finally made it to those asshole bubble shooting statues and never made it past
I hate the Moai stage, too. Everytime I completed the stage, I only have one life left, mainly because the stupid Moai heads keep shooting rings at me.
Hahaha. I used to play this game all the time on our NES in the 80s. Most memorable moment - my dad was the first of us to reach the final stage, and we didn't know about the gate at the end, so it closed on him and he had to play again. =D
Beating this game when I was 10 years is still the greatest achievement in my life. The only way to beat this game is with no deaths. If you die in a later level you're never going to power up again.
I used to record with a Walkman the games I beat. I recorded the songs playing at the ending and would have a beat game list saved using windows 3.1 note and a diskette. Good days.
I play this game when I was 6 and I finished Gradius using UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A B A.. and I am 38. Solomon's key, Galaga, Satanden, I think my father buys 100+ famcom games since 1982. . And he also like and a fan of Solomon's key. :) Great video and I love Family Computer..
My god I remember this game back in my youth! Those Easter Island heads shooting out blue rings instantly gave me a nostalgia rush! Bought this game on eBay just this second! Can't wait to play again and relive some memories! :-)
At 1:40, if you back your spaceship into the right corner of the giant rock, you'll score some hidden bonus points. There are lots of hidden surprises like that in Gradius.
My teenage years playing Nintendo Family Computer... lots of memories... and its confirmed that playing these games can help & maintain good mental health, on average/moderate playtime. Just balance it.
Thank you for this playthrough! This is how the game is meant to be played, and still be human! I had to look through 4 other playthroughs which were played in an extremely boneheaded way of getting so many speed ups at the beginning, instead of the more rational missile, option, etc. I couldn’t think of any reason why someone would do this due to the danger of crashing, but now I suspect they were cheating and playing at much slower speed, thus needing the speed up to not feel so slow in real life, and then they sped up the video later for uploading to TH-cam.
This game is so nostalgic of my chidhood. The sounds, the colors, whew!! My most favorite game of all though I've played computer games with superb graphics years after to this day.
Just played this game on an emulator for first time since playing it on console about 15 years ago. I think I made it to the second level on console. Used state save abuse like crazy in order to beat this game on the emulator and it was very fun. Ended up with a score of 256,200. Quite short of yours as you are obviously a complete master at this game. I eventually figured out I couldn't have all the upgrades and had to leave one by the wayside. I got the 3 speedups as you did. I decided any more than that was too fast. For the majority of the game, however, I chose the double instead of the laser and now see that is not the smartest choice except for that last level. Lots of those rock arm monsters on level 5 I simply evaded rather than destroyed, for instance. You only needed 2 shield replacements whereas I needed about 7 or 8. Major props to you! Oh! and the music from the 2nd part of level 4 here is some of the best video game music I have ever heard! And I have played about 100 NES/SNES games. Rivals much of the music Capcom came up with for their Mega Man series. The chord progression in this Gradius 4-2 is a little similar to "Elecman" in the first Mega Man for NES.
Thanks! I totally agree with you about the stage 4 music, it's awesome. If you like that you should definitely check out the hidden remix track from the arcade version of Gradius III: th-cam.com/video/XuYKhG6KEMs/w-d-xo.html. It's amazing!
I got addicted to this game when i was in 4th year high school. It took me more than a week to figure out how to survive the last stage. my favorite game way back in the 80’s.
This is by far my most favourite NES game. I used to play all night and day at the end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s. Although my dad would beat me all the time😂
When it came to the talisman statue level, I didn't spare those talisman statues because I would obliterate many as possible when I first played this game.
That's a decent run. At the end of level 2, you don't have to move at all if you sit just off the bottom left corner with the options above you. Also, you can position yourself to sit between the missiles from the ships at the end of the levels without having to move. And also, this game can be completed like you did WITHOUT a shield.
Peg boy?! In my suggested lol. I’m surprised you didn’t know the auto fire trick. Nice run. What’s “no miss” mean? I thought you were gonna hit every enemy.
I never finished this Gradius when I was a Kid but I finished Gradius II many times because I had memorized the game and it had the famous Konami Cheat 30 lives. Gradius was so hard for me as a kid. What the game made even harder is that when your ship explodes, you will move back two steps backwards where you came from. I do not know how many stages this game have but I think the farthest I reached was half of stage 7 and if I remember correctly I only reached it as a kid twice or two times! Stage three the Moai Stage was always the stage where I end my campaign trying to finish the game. I played this game on my Family Computer the original first version of the Family Computer where the two controllers is attached at the back of the computer, cannot be removed and the controllers are put at the side of the computer. I still my fake tape of this game. I wish I had the second and third game Salamander III the last game for the Family Computer. When said I finished Gradius II I only borrowed the tape from my Aunt to my Papa's side. One of these days, I will play this game again through emulator.
I finally got past that level this year. I played a little bit of level 5 on a friends save acidentally. I was not too bad. I do think that level 3 is one of the hardest levels in the game.
I remember when first time t past that trapped last level and i met the final boss and i was scare to think he’s unbeaten but bro was a dead brain 🧠😂😂🤣
1:34 If you touch the right edge of that floating rock with the back of your ship, you'll get 1-up. But you can also blow up easily :) I still remember that.
Thank you for the notes. Here I wonder how can you fire so fast without turbo. My thumbs sore after playing this game. Also I'm not a big fan of laser weapon. I need a good reflex to deal with enemies and I'm really clumsy with shumps. Double is better for me as it covers more area, so I don't have to manuever too much.
Not long ago I randomly stumbled across the song about that code. I had no idea what I was watching until I saw the game and it all struck me. The sudden influx of nostalgia, the memories of playing this as a kid in Lebanon, it's like I opened an invisible door of my being.
One of the first video games I ever played aside from Super Mario Bros and Contra. I still remember the adrenaline from fighting and beating the first boss for the first time.
I'm playing this on the switch..I had no idea I'm about to beat the game...I thought it was just an unforgiving game with mega levels. I figured games from the 80's don't mess around, get good is the only option.
Gradius... Or Nemesis. I've been playing this for 30 yrs... Put many a 10p in the machine... Used have smoke and then go and zone out on it... It is a classic shooter up.. Always has a place in my heart along with Defender.. And Scramble!!!!! 😀
I used to play Gradius on my NES when I was a child and beat this awesome game so many times. Nowadays,I doubt I would still have the skills to beat it again ...ah well,who knows? :D
Played this game mid 90's and goddamn it was hard and it still look hard as hell. Every time i've managed to pass a lvl, the next one always full of surprises and more frustrating to pass. Todays generation keeps calling these games "rouge like". Show them this game and watch them try to beat it.
Avoid killing the Moai heads in stage 3. I believe the warp is triggered automatically after a certain number are killed, not sure exactly how many though.
You could beat the game in under 18 minutes ? Wow, kinda awesome in a way. I remember Robocop on the NES, I could finish that game in half hour in total. Kinda miss real quick games like that.
If you defeat the first boss as soon as its core turns blue you will go to the warp zone and skip the second stage If you destroy a lot of moai in the third stage you'll get the warp zone again and skip the fourth stage There are other skips as well but I never got them
I remember as a kid growing up, my Dad used to play this game all the time. Absolute technophobe he was, wouldn't go on the internet, wouldn't play any other game, but he would always break out Gradius every now and then. Never managed to beat the game, never could get past level 7. He always used to say to me "I'm sure that level 7 is the last level, there's no way that it could get any harder." Sure enough he was right. Seeing this video I think what he was doing wrong is that he never thought to switch the laser for the double for the final level. 30 years he played that game, never occurred to him to try that. He's gone now though, before his time :( Would have loved to have seen his face if he ever beat the game, think he would have done eventually
David Sawyer Jesus; I’m tearing up.
Your dad sounds like an awesome guy haha
Same here but with an uncle. I'd navigate while he shot. It took over 50 tries but we beat it
(presses F to pay respects)
Sounds like you need to do it for your dad bro! X
Used to play Gradius with my older brother in the 80s. He was great with all the games. Recently found an original Nintendo NES and bought him and me a console each. He played Gradius like he never stopped all those years in between, still good at it! Sadly Bro passed from cancer last August2021. Will share this video with his two young sons. When I watch this video it’s like I was watching how my bro used to play. Thank you for this! I’ll have to play it once again in his honor and maybe challenge his boys to a game too. Like we used to do during our childhood.
Thank you for sharing your story!
Thank goodness for TH-cam because I would’ve never in my life seen the ending to this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What about a game geine?
AFTER ALMOST 30 YEARS OF NOT SEEING THIS GAME I REMEMBER THE LEVEL 1 TUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me too!!!!!!!
Me too
Yeah me too
The composer for this game was only 17 years old when the game came out, and it was the first game she ever composed for. It's also one of the earliest games I can think of that has a song playing during the level. What a debut!
instant memories :D i think i never passed level 6 :O
Man, everyone here playing this game in their childhood. I just discovered it and I'm obsessed. Im glad it gets to be part of my childhood as well.
Aye yo same. I'm 18 years old.
I discovered it just a few years back at 20-ish old as part of a loose bundle of NES games I got with the console, been one of my favorites on the system ever since. It's amazing how a game that's almost four decades old can still feel so kinetically pleasing in terms of gameplay.
Wow!! One of my favorite NES games of all time! I beat this game like 3 times! As a girl I thought I could NEVER do it! My parents and siblings would sit around me and watch me play it..the key was to choose the correct fire power for each level. This game took me on a journey that I'll never forget and it's 40 years later...The good Memories are too many to count!
I remember this game being so f'ing hard. I felt so accomplished when I finally made it to those asshole bubble shooting statues and never made it past
Me too. Broke my first controller to this game.
and now they make SP 2 gradius for switch there's second and third loop and its harder than the OG
I hate the Moai stage, too. Everytime I completed the stage, I only have one life left, mainly because the stupid Moai heads keep shooting rings at me.
Hahaha. I used to play this game all the time on our NES in the 80s. Most memorable moment - my dad was the first of us to reach the final stage, and we didn't know about the gate at the end, so it closed on him and he had to play again. =D
+MatrixAndrAIa Lol the same thing happened to me the first time I got to the end. Damn gate!
MatrixAndrAIa this game was with me and uncle back in the days. He'd shoot while I navigated
I was just playing this and that shit happened to me that's why I came to youtube to see the ending (Which I was at apparently............damn it)
@@PEG are you a guy or a woman
Guy
never finished this game as a kid. did it last night on my nes mini. so satisfied
Beautiful game. And you are a beautiful person with a beautiful playthrough. PERFECT
Wow
Wholesome
Gay
wasn't that perfect u wanker.
I still remember, when i played this the very first time back in 1990.
Beating this game when I was 10 years is still the greatest achievement in my life. The only way to beat this game is with no deaths. If you die in a later level you're never going to power up again.
zorchy • 6mo ago : Gradius
I used to record with a Walkman the games I beat. I recorded the songs playing at the ending and would have a beat game list saved using windows 3.1 note and a diskette. Good days.
You earned my respect. I never got to experience it past the 4th stage. Awesome work.
Whoever did this, absolute legend
Broke my first controller playing this game back in 87 … I was 7 . Extremely hard game
This and Lifeforce on the NES, loved these games
My dad used to blaze through this and R-Type, and to this day I've never beaten either one. I get anxious just watching this. 😂
I play this game when I was 6 and I finished Gradius using UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A B A.. and I am 38.
Solomon's key, Galaga, Satanden, I think my father buys 100+ famcom games since 1982. .
And he also like and a fan of Solomon's key. :)
Great video and I love Family Computer..
Opening tune is so cosmic man... One of the best things 8 bit has ever created...
My god I remember this game back in my youth! Those Easter Island heads shooting out blue rings instantly gave me a nostalgia rush! Bought this game on eBay just this second! Can't wait to play again and relive some memories! :-)
+chrismadagames Glad you rediscovered this awesome game, have fun!
This is my first time seeing Gradius 1 and I’m surprised there isn’t more variety among the stage bosses. But still fun to watch, good playthrough.
This and Life Force were awesome.
Wow this game is unbreakable like a diamond. Truly a shining experience. If just echoes through my head over and over
At 1:40, if you back your spaceship into the right corner of the giant rock, you'll score some hidden bonus points. There are lots of hidden surprises like that in Gradius.
daniel thomas You don't get bonus points, you get a 1up.
@@Colonel-Llama
Yes you can also get bonus points man not only 1 Up.
This Game was hard. Thanks for the memories. For a second I went back to 1989.
My teenage years playing Nintendo Family Computer... lots of memories... and its confirmed that playing these games can help & maintain good mental health, on average/moderate playtime. Just balance it.
Thank you for this playthrough! This is how the game is meant to be played, and still be human! I had to look through 4 other playthroughs which were played in an extremely boneheaded way of getting so many speed ups at the beginning, instead of the more rational missile, option, etc. I couldn’t think of any reason why someone would do this due to the danger of crashing, but now I suspect they were cheating and playing at much slower speed, thus needing the speed up to not feel so slow in real life, and then they sped up the video later for uploading to TH-cam.
Highest level I got to was 3 ur a legend my friend
This game is so nostalgic of my chidhood. The sounds, the colors, whew!! My most favorite game of all though I've played computer games with superb graphics years after to this day.
Wow this is crasy skills..!! Awesome video Mr PEG!! =)
16:44 That wall at the end is evil.
man this was my old jam game! thanks for playing it! i cant seem to find the name till i saw ur vid!! 😁
Wow!!!! you are amazing for finishing the game.....thumbs up!!!
This is the first time I’ve Seen somebody beat this
Man when I was a kid I always died on the stone place. You're an excellent pilot!
Ahh, Gradius! So many memories!
Played the Hell out of this growing up. I have it on an emulator still.
In gradius 3 i really love the soundtrack of the Moai stage😊
Josuke likes this
thank you, this is amazing. I stumbled over this by accident
I still have PTSD from the sound of the ship blowing up when I used to play. Because once that happens you're done.
👀
I grew up its sad 😭 I remember playing this game when I was young
The most difficult and fascinating computer game to win up to the last stage of the game.
Now that's impressive
Very very awesome run! Definitely not a easy feat very sweet!
WOW!! This takes me back!
Love this game.. played it back in the day! Arcade 1 up get it on one of your cabs!!
14:43 I would always look forward to this, favorite bit in the whole game! 💙💙💙
Just played this game on an emulator for first time since playing it on console about 15 years ago. I think I made it to the second level on console. Used state save abuse like crazy in order to beat this game on the emulator and it was very fun. Ended up with a score of 256,200. Quite short of yours as you are obviously a complete master at this game. I eventually figured out I couldn't have all the upgrades and had to leave one by the wayside. I got the 3 speedups as you did. I decided any more than that was too fast. For the majority of the game, however, I chose the double instead of the laser and now see that is not the smartest choice except for that last level. Lots of those rock arm monsters on level 5 I simply evaded rather than destroyed, for instance. You only needed 2 shield replacements whereas I needed about 7 or 8. Major props to you!
Oh! and the music from the 2nd part of level 4 here is some of the best video game music I have ever heard! And I have played about 100 NES/SNES games. Rivals much of the music Capcom came up with for their Mega Man series. The chord progression in this Gradius 4-2 is a little similar to "Elecman" in the first Mega Man for NES.
Thanks! I totally agree with you about the stage 4 music, it's awesome. If you like that you should definitely check out the hidden remix track from the arcade version of Gradius III: th-cam.com/video/XuYKhG6KEMs/w-d-xo.html. It's amazing!
I got addicted to this game when i was in 4th year high school. It took me more than a week to figure out how to survive the last stage. my favorite game way back in the 80’s.
Awesome Gameplay!
Hats off . You are the chosen one.
I played this game a lot in the 80's when I was a kid, it gave me anxiety as an adult.
Damn the soundtrack.
Thanks this was one of the first game o got when I got my nes for my 13th birthday thanks grandma😁😁😁
This is by far my most favourite NES game. I used to play all night and day at the end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s. Although my dad would beat me all the time😂
When it came to the talisman statue level, I didn't spare those talisman statues because I would obliterate many as possible when I first played this game.
So much perfection in the game.
That's a decent run. At the end of level 2, you don't have to move at all if you sit just off the bottom left corner with the options above you. Also, you can position yourself to sit between the missiles from the ships at the end of the levels without having to move. And also, this game can be completed like you did WITHOUT a shield.
But just to be safe lol
He missed the 1up by touching the boulder by tail
I liked games like gradius, but was not good at them, but enjoyed how other players played them, amazing ☺️.
The early age of bullet hells. Laser HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Double is better when there are lots of enemies everywhere.
I generally use Double on the stages, and Laser on the bosses.
Loved this game as a kid! Nice run, too!
my freaking childhood man.
Peg boy?! In my suggested lol. I’m surprised you didn’t know the auto fire trick. Nice run. What’s “no miss” mean? I thought you were gonna hit every enemy.
Hey tapeworm nice to see ya. No miss means no deaths. Japanese term.
I never finished this Gradius when I was a Kid but I finished Gradius II many times because I had memorized the game and it had the famous Konami Cheat 30 lives. Gradius was so hard for me as a kid. What the game made even harder is that when your ship explodes, you will move back two steps backwards where you came from. I do not know how many stages this game have but I think the farthest I reached was half of stage 7 and if I remember correctly I only reached it as a kid twice or two times! Stage three the Moai Stage was always the stage where I end my campaign trying to finish the game. I played this game on my Family Computer the original first version of the Family Computer where the two controllers is attached at the back of the computer, cannot be removed and the controllers are put at the side of the computer. I still my fake tape of this game. I wish I had the second and third game Salamander III the last game for the Family Computer. When said I finished Gradius II I only borrowed the tape from my Aunt to my Papa's side. One of these days, I will play this game again through emulator.
This is so mesmerising 9:40
I've only arrived to that Moai level, finally I know how hard the next levels are 😭
I finally got past that level this year. I played a little bit of level 5 on a friends save acidentally. I was not too bad. I do think that level 3 is one of the hardest levels in the game.
I remember when first time t past that trapped last level and i met the final boss and i was scare to think he’s unbeaten but bro was a dead brain 🧠😂😂🤣
1:34 If you touch the right edge of that floating rock with the back of your ship, you'll get 1-up. But you can also blow up easily :) I still remember that.
Thank you for the notes. Here I wonder how can you fire so fast without turbo. My thumbs sore after playing this game.
Also I'm not a big fan of laser weapon. I need a good reflex to deal with enemies and I'm really clumsy with shumps. Double is better for me as it covers more area, so I don't have to manuever too much.
I played this game as a kid and never beat it but loved it. Bought it as an adult and still can't beat it lol
UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A B A SELECT START
Not long ago I randomly stumbled across the song about that code. I had no idea what I was watching until I saw the game and it all struck me. The sudden influx of nostalgia, the memories of playing this as a kid in Lebanon, it's like I opened an invisible door of my being.
One of the first video games I ever played aside from Super Mario Bros and Contra. I still remember the adrenaline from fighting and beating the first boss for the first time.
If you liked it, you should try Dominus Solaris. It's a new shoot em up game similar to this with pixel art graphics mixed with modern lighting
Nice run.
I'm playing this on the switch..I had no idea I'm about to beat the game...I thought it was just an unforgiving game with mega levels. I figured games from the 80's don't mess around, get good is the only option.
Me too. Can you beat it without save states? That is my goal.
Also the switch version drops you in like loop 4 for some odd reason. An inexperienced player would get demolished at the giant face stage
Something about these games resembles a bad dream. They’re weirder than carrots playing a piano.
FLAWLESS VICTORY!!!
This ain't MK
@@anthonyfavela6016 he said it because PEG didn't suffer any damage!
Gradius... Or Nemesis. I've been playing this for 30 yrs... Put many a 10p in the machine... Used have smoke and then go and zone out on it... It is a classic shooter up.. Always has a place in my heart along with Defender.. And Scramble!!!!! 😀
There's a way to warp into the Moai stage right after stage 1. But I don't remember how.
I used to play Gradius on my NES when I was a child and beat this awesome game so many times. Nowadays,I doubt I would still have the skills to beat it again ...ah well,who knows? :D
some nice and golden memories right here.... :')
Nice video pegboy
This game damages my brain with all those moving things
Played this game mid 90's and goddamn it was hard and it still look hard as hell. Every time i've managed to pass a lvl, the next one always full of surprises and more frustrating to pass. Todays generation keeps calling these games "rouge like". Show them this game and watch them try to beat it.
I been playing this games so many years and I never finish it
Wow playing like pro
U are pro
Hope I can finished it since wit ur tip
07:50 Is there a way to play this level? Or it randomly appears? In my game that level doesn't appear at all
Avoid killing the Moai heads in stage 3. I believe the warp is triggered automatically after a certain number are killed, not sure exactly how many though.
@@PEG ah i see. Thank you ;)
OH. MY. GOD. Excellent!
You could beat the game in under 18 minutes ? Wow, kinda awesome in a way. I remember Robocop on the NES, I could finish that game in half hour in total. Kinda miss real quick games like that.
NES classic edition conformed
Correct. All of my nes videos are played on a real nes with the real carts. I don't use emulators or nes classic edition.
Somehow certain stage is skipped
Replaced with faster scroll with bunch of unkillable head enemies
If you defeat the first boss as soon as its core turns blue you will go to the warp zone and skip the second stage
If you destroy a lot of moai in the third stage you'll get the warp zone again and skip the fourth stage
There are other skips as well but I never got them
IS THIS.... A JOJO REFERENCE
Man you play this weird lol. Plus no warp level skip? Crazy. Either way thanks for posting
I intentionally skipped the warp because I wanted to show all the levels.
Esos sonidos te transportan ala infancia...
Awesome port, especially for such an early one.
Serotonin unlocked
the nostalgia is real, i remember playing this game on the Atari
Finally I would be able to see what's beyond stage 3, haha