Gradius Gaiden (PS1) - 3-ALL Hardest Clear (3,122,070 to 4-9)

Gradius Gaiden
©1997 Konami
Here, we have what many consider to be the pinnacle of the Gradius franchise. Even if this isn't your favorite game in the series, chances are it's near the top of your list. Sure, it may be just a "side story", but when it comes to quality, it's clear this game is anything but an afterthought.
For one, the game is fantastically put together. Hitboxes are generally forgiving without being too lenient, the difficulty is approachable for newcomers while still providing a challenge for people who want to push the game to its limits, stage and boss design is spectacular and provides a lot of spins on old tropes, it plays well, there's a wide variety of customizable options (pun not intended) for players with different playstyles, co-op play is available, and there's hardly even any slowdown! Even Gradius Syndrome is heavily toned down in this game, with way more power-up opportunities than usual.
The visuals and audio are also breathtaking, and are even more impressive when you consider the hardware this game runs on. For a game that entirely uses sprites, you'd have no way of knowing that just from looking at it and watching it play out in real time. A lot of clever visual effects are used all over the place in just the right ways, and everything from the bosses, to level scenery, to the background has so many tiny details to take in. And then there's this game's soundtrack, by far one of its best selling points. Every track, whether it's for a boss, a regular stage, or anything else, fits its situation perfectly. Oh, and it has a nice reverb effect that just amplifies its epicness, especially on original hardware. If you want a prime example of how it all comes together to create a masterpiece, look no further than the final boss sequence, by far one of my favorite moments in not just the Gradius series, but video games in general. I'd put it right up there with Super Mario Galaxy 2's final battle sequence. (Ironically, though, both fights are hilariously easy.)
You get four different ships to choose from, each with wildly different weapon configurations. The Jade Knight and Falchion Beta break the game, and the Lord British isn't all that great, while the Vic Viper, my preferred choice, provides a nice balance between having good coverage and decent damage output without being too overpowered. Double-upgradable weapons return in this game, with creative implementation as expected. You also get four different Shield types to choose from: the standard Shield and Force Field, the Guard (which protects you from terrain, but leaves the front and back of your ship exposed) and the Limit (which gives three seconds of invincibility).
This game also allows you to customize the order of your power-up bar. While a nice feature, I feel like it kinda cheapens the game a bit, especially when used in conjunction with the Limit, as you can just place the Limit near the front of your power-up bar and spam it every five seconds. I use the default SMDLO? gauge order, as the game is already forgiving enough with power-ups and it forces me to have to think harder during recoveries (not that easier strategies don't also require skill). This is also why I use the Force Field, since I still have to focus on not getting hit and dodging stuff instead of relying on free invincibility all the time. In a way, it's kinda needlessly making the game harder on myself, but I find it way more fun to play this way. (Plus, it just feels more like Gradius to me.)
High loop runs of this game are a real treat. You don't just get the usual higher rank and suicide bullets: enemies are added in various places, new stage obstacles are introduced, some bosses have new attacks, and there's even an entire boss added to the boss rush. Getting to experience all of it is an absolute thrill, and the main reason why I desired for a 3-loop clear to begin with, on top of doing it on the hardest difficulty for added pressure. All of this, and many more things I couldn't fit into a 5000-character description, make this a game you must try if you want to get into the Gradius series, or even if you have a taste for shmups in general. It's a technological masterpiece that encapsulates the best parts of Gradius, while still being relatively approachable to novices.
I would've liked to have clutched out the 4-ALL, but for what it is, I'll accept this run all the way through. It sure does feel nice to finally have a proper run of this game not only in color, but with the original disc on original PS1 hardware.
Played on a Japanese PS1.

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