Gradius III

Gradius III (グラディウスIII -伝説から神話ヘ-, Gradiusu Surī: Densetsu kara Shinwa e, Gradius III: From Legend to Myth) is a 1989 scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami, originally released for the arcades in Japan and other parts of Asia on December 11, 1989. It is the third sequel to the original Gradius for the arcades following Gradius II: Gofer's Ambition, and was followed by Gradius IV: Resurrection. The game was later ported to the Super Famicom in Japan in 1990, and for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1991 as a launch title, simply known as Gradius III. The arcade version was included with Gradius IV in a two-in-one compilation (Gradius III & IV) for the PlayStation 2 and in the Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable.

Gameplay

The player returns as the role of the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire. There are a total of ten levels in the game, with stage 4 being something of a bonus level; here, the player controls the Vic Viper in a third-person perspective and must avoid colliding with walls. Though the level is completely devoid of any enemies, free floating power-ups are scattered throughout. There are also two hidden levels that are based on the early sections of Gradius and Salamander. The game contains the familiar weapons, level layouts, and enemies that have become trademarks of the series.