Gradius

A side-scrolling shooter about the Vic Viper collecting power-ups in a fixed order.

Konami · 1–2 hrs

Difficulty

The side-scrolling shooter that invented the power bar. Options are extra ships; a death is a geography lesson. The Moai stage still owns first runs.

Tips

Start here
Speed, missile, two options, laser
Don't grab every capsule if it would push you past the upgrade you want. Two options is the run. A death in stage 4 is a walk back through the volcano with a peashooter.
Secrets
Pause-code if you must
The Konami code during pause dumps a full kit — use it to learn, then wean off. Stay in the cradle (middle of the screen) until you know the next gate.

Walkthrough

Walkthroughs that already exist

Written guides and videos are listed separately. The first time a game is opened, the web is searched once. Later visits reuse that result. Six of each show here.

The first visit searches the web. Rate a result from 1 to 5 so the next person can skip the wait.