Gradius ReBirth
Encyclopedia
Gradius ReBirth is a shoot 'em up
video game for WiiWare
developed by M2
and produced and released by Konami
. It is the latest installment in the Gradius series
, and was released in Japan on September 2, 2008, and in North America on March 9, 2009 and in the PAL regions on July 3, 2009.
at the end.
Realizing that a threat from the Bacterians may be imminent, the Gradian Government deploys its Gradian forces to combat the threat. Among them is Special Colonel James Burton, who had defeated the Bacterians a few years ago. Armed with an A.I. program called Gaudie, James Burton sets out in the hyperspace fighter known as the Vic Viper, in the hopes that he can combat the new Bacterian threat. But little does James know that there's much more in store for him...
as its basis. The power meter and text display have also been updated. The music was composed by Manabu Namiki
and consists of remixed music from previous Gradius games.
An update to the game was released on the Wii Shop Channel for free of charge. It improves some of the visuals and adds a new ranking board for the adjustments made to the score system. In addition to this, there are new music tracks and a few changes to the game's levels.
gave the game 7/10, praising the nostalgic retro design but finding the game to be punishingly hard for most players and the lack of multiplayer disappointing. Despite also praising the retro visuals and soundtrack, NintendoLife gave Gradius ReBirth 6/10.
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
video game for WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
developed by M2
M2 (game developer)
M2 M2 M2 (有限会社Ｍ２(エムツー) is a Japanese video game developer, best known for handling emulation of re-released games, such as some Sega Ages titles and Wii Virtual Console titles....
and produced and released by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. It is the latest installment in the Gradius series
Gradius (series)
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
, and was released in Japan on September 2, 2008, and in North America on March 9, 2009 and in the PAL regions on July 3, 2009.
Gameplay
Gradius ReBirth is a side-scrolling 2D shooter much like previous Gradius games, and has been described as a "remix" of levels from past games rather than an entirely new game. The game features two modes: a standard game with unlimited credits and a Score Attack mode where players are only given a single credit to beat the game. Score Attack also supports online leaderboards. The game features 5 different types of ships to choose from, and five stages in total, with each (except the first stage) having its own original bossBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
at the end.
Plot
This game takes place in the Gradian Year 6664, two years before "The Silent Nightmare Incident". The planet Antichthon, a protectorate of the Gradian Empire, suddenly and mysteriously falls silent. A report was made by the Director General of the Space Science Agency, Dr. Venom, which mentions that Antichthon's mother computer was now under the control of the Bacterians.Realizing that a threat from the Bacterians may be imminent, the Gradian Government deploys its Gradian forces to combat the threat. Among them is Special Colonel James Burton, who had defeated the Bacterians a few years ago. Armed with an A.I. program called Gaudie, James Burton sets out in the hyperspace fighter known as the Vic Viper, in the hopes that he can combat the new Bacterian threat. But little does James know that there's much more in store for him...
Development
Gradius ReBirth uses the Nemesis titles for the MSXMSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
as its basis. The power meter and text display have also been updated. The music was composed by Manabu Namiki
Manabu Namiki
is a Japanese video game composer who works mainly on shooter games. He has worked with game companies such as Allumer, NMK, Raizing and Cave...
and consists of remixed music from previous Gradius games.
An update to the game was released on the Wii Shop Channel for free of charge. It improves some of the visuals and adds a new ranking board for the adjustments made to the score system. In addition to this, there are new music tracks and a few changes to the game's levels.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game 7/10, praising the nostalgic retro design but finding the game to be punishingly hard for most players and the lack of multiplayer disappointing. Despite also praising the retro visuals and soundtrack, NintendoLife gave Gradius ReBirth 6/10.