Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare) Review

 

WiiWare was undeniably a shelter for a lot of old school genres that would have required a lot more investment if released at retail. Indeed, it has become quite hard to sell a game that can be beaten in a matter of two to three hours at full price like some old genres could...namely shoot 'em ups. The first of a series of three games -- the other two being Contra ReBirth and Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth -- Gradius ReBirth harks back to the roots of the franchise it belongs to, ignoring the advancements of technology that were used most efficiently by the teams of Treasure Co., Ltd. in Gradius V for PlayStation 2, but rather offering an experience closer to the original Arcade titles. Developed by M2, who also worked on the Gradius, Salamander, Twinbee and Parodius collections for PSP, the game certainly was put into good hands. How did it turn out, though? Read on to find out. One of the most distinctive aspects of this specific Gradius episode is its emphasis on a storyline. A lengthy intro, done in the style of the older MSX entries that were already notable for this aspect of things, sets the stage for the rest of the game. Planet Antichthon, Protectorate of the Gradian Empire, has suddenly fallen silent. It is feared that the Bacterians, the main villains in the Gradius series, may have infected their mother computer. It's now up to a single squadron of small spaceships, of which yours is going solo, to go out there and defeat the enemy leader to put an end to hostilities before it's too late. It's one of the most cliché pretexts for the action happening inside the game but in others of the same genre the storyline is often relegated to a mere mention on the game box art or the instruction booklet. Here, a text-based introduction is dedicated to setting the story, which is a nice thing, especially since the whole Gradius series has a quite complex story by genre standards when all episodes are taken together. Staying true to its roots, Gradius ReBirth has the player taking control of the Vic Viper spacecraft, initially armed with a sole cannon shooting forward an infinite flow of tiny bullets.