Gradius III is a scrolling arcade shooter game that was originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1991. The game puts you into the roll of Vic Viper, a starfighter that must combat against the Bacterion Empire. You must make your way through ten levels and battle against many evil foes.

The Super Nintendo release is different from the original arcade version by offering decreased difficulty, an increase in armaments, and the ability to continue after losing all lives.

Originally found on the Super NES in 1991, Gradius III was one of the first and most impressive games for Nintendo’s 16-bit system. It was adapted from an arcade release – an arcade release that was known for its unrelenting and near-maddening level of difficulty. It was so tough, so inhospitable to new players, that Konami actually pulled the coin-op unit in a factory recall shortly after its debut.

The SNES port retains that madness. It was toned down a bit, but just a bit, as Gradius III is still a true challenge. You play as the pilot of a legendary starfighter, the Vic Viper. You guide your ship through 10 forced-scrolling levels full of swarms of enemies, environmental hazards and gigantic bosses – some of which arrive in groups, one after another. As equipped at the game’s onset, it’s actually impossible to finish the game. The stages, baddies and bosses are too tough. So, you’ve got to power up.

Like Gradius and Life Force before it, Gradius III employs a bottom-of-the-screen power-up meter fueled by floating, glowing orbs. Certain enemies leave behind pulsating batteries when defeated, and gathering these moves a highlighting cursor from left to right across an array of upgrade options. You can increase your ship’s speed, outfit it with secondary-fire missiles, and split your primary gun to fire in two directions. For a greater investment, you can replace that gun entirely with more powerful, piercing lasers. Then you can multiply your firepower with flying, sidekick partner spheres called Options that shoot every time you do, and protect yourself with force fields or other defensive barriers. The “other” comes in via Gradius III’s unique and novel expansion of pre-game armament selection, the Edit Mode.

Before launching into the first stage, you’re given the chance to customize your selection of power-ups from a wide array of choices. You can choose from set, standard line-ups, or pick each style of upgrade individually. Lasers, for example, are available in thin twin beams, rippling circular waves, chargeable energy bursts or the traditional straight cutting stream. Options can be set to follow your ship’s movement like a tail, rotate around your vessel in a circular orbit and more. The depth, variety and sheer number of different combinations make Gradius III a game with great replay value – you can play it in countless different ways.