Editing Gradius (video game) (section)

==Releases==
===Arcade===
''Gradius'' was first released in [[Japan]] for Konami's [[Bubble System]], an arcade board which allowed operators to change the software through the use of proprietary "Bubble Software" cartridge media based on magnetic [[bubble memory]]. The game was distributed as a standard [[printed circuit board]] in North America and Europe under the title of ''Nemesis''.<ref name=cashbox>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox50unse_23/page/n51?q=nemesis|title=Year in Review|magazine=Cashbox|date=January 17, 1987}}</ref> The North American version of ''Nemesis'' features a considerably increased difficulty compared to the Japanese and European version. To balance this, the game spawns a fleet of orange enemies when the player loses a life to provide as many power-up capsules as possible to recover as many upgrades as possible. Also the North American version presents a continue feature (but only for three times). The title screen was also updated, showing an in-game reproduction of the promotional artwork behind the logo.

===Famicom/NES===
The first home conversion of ''Gradius'' was released for [[Nintendo]]'s [[Famicom]] console on April 25, 1986, in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-konami-code-celebrates-its-35th-anniversary-today/ |title=The Konami Code celebrates its 35th anniversary today |first=Chris |last=Scullion |date=25 April 2021 |website=[[Video Games Chronicle]] |access-date=25 April 2021}}</ref> Due to the hardware limitations of the Famicom, many of the level designs were simplified (the Moai stage, for example, lacked the vertical scrolling present in the arcade game) and the maximum amount of options that the player can upgrade to was reduced from four to two. This version added a cheat code that could be entered while the game was paused that granted the player's ship almost all the power-ups. This code appeared again in many later Konami games on the NES and other consoles (such as ''[[Contra (video game)|Contra]]'' and ''[[Salamander (video game)|Life Force]]''), ultimately becoming known as the [[Konami Code]].

The [[NES]] version of ''Gradius'' was released in [[North America]] in December 1986. It was the first NES game to be released by Konami in the region and, unlike the original arcade game, the title was kept unchanged between regions. The NES version was made available in arcades as a [[Nintendo VS. System]] board (under the title of ''VS. Gradius'') and as a [[PlayChoice-10]] cartridge. ''VS. Gradius'' was distributed to arcades by [[Nintendo]].

===MSX===
The MSX version of ''Gradius'' was released on July 25, 1986, in Japan, a few months after the Famicom version. It was also released in Europe under the ''Nemesis'' title. This version changed similar to the Famicom version but adds its slew of exclusive content to make up for the downgrade. A new stage, the bone planet was added between the Inverted Volcano stage and the Antennoid stage, featuring exclusive enemy types. There also four hidden warp zones and the ability to play as the titular ship from ''[[TwinBee (video game)|TwinBee]]'' if the MSX version of that game is played alongside ''Nemesis''.

===PC Engine===
The PC Engine version of ''Gradius'' was released on November 15, 1991, exclusively in Japan. Released on a 2-Megabit HuCard, it had relatively few omissions compared to the NES and MSX versions and added a Desert Planet stage similar to the Bone Planet stage from the MSX version. Because of the lower resolution of the PC Engine compared to the original arcade hardware, the PC Engine features some slight vertical-scrolling.

===Other platforms===
In addition to the [[MSX]], ''Gradius'' was also ported to other [[microcomputer]]s shortly after its release, such as the [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Amstrad CPC]] and [[Commodore 64]] in [[Europe]] (as ''Nemesis: The Final Challenge''), as well as the [[PC-8800 series|PC-8801]] and [[X1 (computer)|X1]] in [[Japan]]. A port for the [[X68000]] computer was also included in the early models of the computer.

The original ''Gradius'' is also included in collection such as ''Gradius Deluxe Pack'' for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Sega Saturn]] and [[Microsoft Windows]], and ''Gradius Collection'' for the [[PlayStation Portable]]. ''VS. Gradius'' was digitally released on the [[PlayStation 4]] in 2015 and [[Nintendo Switch]] in July 2020 as part of the [[Arcade Archives]] series, with the option to play all four regional variants of the game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hamster.co.jp/american_hamster/arcadearchives/switch/title_list.htm |title=ArcadeArchives {{!}} HAMSTER Corporation |website=www.hamster.co.jp |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hamster.co.jp/american_hamster/arcadearchives/title_list_aa.htm |title=Arcade Archives {{!}} HAMSTER Corporation |website=www.hamster.co.jp |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> It is also included in the ''Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection'' released in 2019 by Konami themselves for  [[PlayStation 4]], [[Xbox One]],  [[Nintendo Switch]] and Windows.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/konami-anniversary-collections-include-castlevania-contra-and-arcade-classics | title=Konami Anniversary Collections Include Castlevania, Contra, and Arcade Classics | date=20 March 2019 }}</ref>