The Gradius series is one of the longest-running 2D shoot-em-up series out there, stretching back to the ‘80s. Konami has put together an impressive compilation called GRADIUS ORIGINS that chronicles roughly its first decade. It has the American and Japanese versions of the Gradius and Salamander (Life Force) games up through Gradius III, plus the all-new Salamander III made just for this collection.

Quality-of-life features include online leaderboards, a rewind function, plus easy, invincible, and training modes. If you like 2D shoot-em-ups, you’ve likely played at least one of these games before, and this collection is one that might be worth taking a look at.

GRADIUS ORIGINS is out now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out the launch trailer below:

This collection features 18 versions across all 7 arcade titles in the series, including the first-ever appearance of Gradius III AM Show Version on home consoles.

A variety of helpful new features have been added to the games, including save states, a rewind feature, and Invincible Mode. The new Training Mode lets you adjust settings like restart points, loop counts, and power-up statuses to help hone your skills to perfection. There’s also a gallery feature that includes music from the game, a variety of images from each title, and much, much more!

1. SALAMANDER III

2. GRADIUS
JP ROM Ver. / JP Bubble Ver. / NA Ver. (NEMESIS) / EU Ver. (NEMESIS) / NA Prototype (NEMESIS)

3. SALAMANDER
JP Ver. / NA Ver.(LIFE FORCE)

4. LIFE FORCE
JP Ver.

5. GRADIUS II: GOFER no Yabou
JP Early Ver. / JP Mid Ver. / JP Late Ver. / NA Ver.(VULCAN VENTURE)

6. GRADIUS III: Densetsu kara Shinwa e
JP Old Ver. / JP New Ver. / Asia Ver. / JP AM Show Ver.

7. SALAMANDER2
JP Ver.

[Steam]