Software:Gradius ReBirth

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Gradius ReBirth
Gradius ReBirth Coverart.png
Developer(s)M2
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Masato Misaki
Programmer(s)Hiroshi Yoneyama
Composer(s)Manabu Namiki
SeriesGradius
Platform(s)WiiWare
Release
  • JP: September 2, 2008
  • NA: March 9, 2009
  • PAL: July 3, 2009
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Gradius ReBirth (グラディウスリバース, Guradiusu Ribāsu) is a shoot 'em up video game for WiiWare developed by M2 and published by Konami. It is the latest installment in the Gradius series, and was released in Japan on September 2, 2008,[1] and in North America on March 9, 2009, and in the PAL regions on July 3, 2009.[2]

Gameplay

Gradius ReBirth is a side-scrolling 2D shooter much like previous Gradius games, and has been described as a "remix" of levels from past games rather than an entirely new game. The game features two modes: a standard game with unlimited credits and a Score Attack mode where players are only given a single credit to beat the game. Score Attack also supports online leaderboards.[3] The game features five different types of ships to choose from, and five stages in total, with each (except the first stage) having its own original boss at the end.

Plot

This game takes place in the Gradian Year 6664, two years before "The Silent Nightmare Incident". The planet Antichthon, a protectorate of the Gradian Empire, suddenly and mysteriously falls silent. A report was made by the Director General of the Space Science Agency, Dr. Venom, which mentions that Antichthon's mother computer was now under the control of the Bacterians.

Realizing that a threat from the Bacterians may be imminent, the Gradian Government deploys its Gradian forces to combat the threat. Among them is Special Colonel James Burton, who had defeated the Bacterians a few years ago. Armed with an A.I. program called Gaudie, James Burton sets out in the hyperspace fighter known as the Vic Viper, in the hopes that he can combat the new Bacterian threat. But little does James know that there's much more in store for him...

Development

Gradius ReBirth uses the Nemesis titles for the MSX as its basis. The power meter and text display have also been updated. The music was composed by Manabu Namiki and consists of remixed music from previous Gradius games.

An update to the game was released on the Wii Shop Channel for free of charge. It improves some of the visuals and adds a new ranking board for the adjustments made to the score system. In addition to this, there are new music tracks and a few changes to the game's levels.[4]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic69/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB[6]
Destructoid7.5/10[7]
GamesMaster79%[8]
GamesRadar+4/5 stars[9]
GamesTM7/10[10]
IGN7/10[11]
Nintendo Life6/10 stars[12]
ONM67%[13]
Teletext GameCentral6/10[5]

Gradius ReBirth received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] IGN praised the nostalgic retro design but found the game to be punishingly hard for most players and the lack of multiplayer disappointing.[11]

See also

References

  1. McFerran, Damien (August 29, 2008). "Gradius ReBirth Hitting Japan Next Week". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2008/08/gradius_rebirth_hitting_japan_next_week. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  2. McFerran, Damien (March 9, 2009). "USA WiiWare Update: Gradius Rebirth". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2009/03/usa_wiiware_update_gradius_rebirth. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  3. Bazin, Robert (September 3, 2008). "First Impressions: Gradius Rebirth". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2008/09/first_impressions_gradius_rebirth. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  4. "GRADIUS ReBirth" (in Japanese). March 26, 2014. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180114073908/http://www.konami.jp/products/dl_wii_gradius_re_ww/index.html. Retrieved March 20, 2020. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Gradius ReBirth Critic Reviews for Wii". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/gradius-rebirth/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  6. Barnholt, Ray (March 23, 2009). "Gradius Rebirth [sic"]. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090324212023/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173393&p=44. Retrieved March 21, 2020. 
  7. Holmes, Jonathan (March 16, 2009). "Destructoid review: Gradius Rebirth [sic"]. Enthusiast Gaming. https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-gradius-rebirth-124958.phtml. Retrieved March 21, 2020. 
  8. "Review: Gradius ReBirth". GamesMaster (Future plc): 80. October 2009. 
  9. McShane, Tom (August 13, 2009). "Gradius ReBirth review". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/gradius-rebirth-review/. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  10. "Review: Gradius ReBirth". GamesTM (Future plc): 132. October 2009. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 Hatfield, Daemon (March 9, 2009). "Gradius ReBirth Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/10/gradius-rebirth-review. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  12. Dillard, Corbie (March 10, 2009). "Gradius ReBirth Review". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/03/gradius_rebirth. Retrieved January 14, 2018. 
  13. "Gradius ReBirth Review". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc): 93. September 2009. 

External links