![Gradius II [PSP/Arcade] - First Loop No Miss 430,300 pts @psymagearcade](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5QGfxBmRXqw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Gradius II is the sequel to the original Gradius and a horizontal shoot em up developed by Konami and released in 1988 in arcades. Outside of Japan, the game was released under the name Vulcan Venture. The game would get ported over to the Famicom and then the PC Engine CD, with the PC Engine CD version getting some extra content. It would later be included in various collections such as the Gradius Deluxe Pack for PS1 and Saturn as well as Gradius Collection aka Gradius Portable on PSP, which is how I did this run.
Gradius II is extremely important to the series because it established many traditions of the series going forward. One, it introduced multiple ship layouts, which different types of weapons and missiles. The ripple laser is introduced here for example. You even get a new type of shield with the force field. Two, it introduced the option hunter, which appears to steal your options once you have four of them but cannot harm the player's ship. I stick to three options in order to avoid spawning it.
The level design also established some tropes that would carry over to later Gradius games. It introduced the Speed Stage, which in this game is Stage 6. This stage scrolls really fast and you have to pass through gates before they close on you, and the stage itself is a bit of a maze on top of that. It also introduced the Boss Rush, which is Stage 7. In this game, the boss rush is mostly Gradius I and Salamander bosses, while the last boss of that stage is a new boss that would later be featured again in Gradius III.
Speaking of level design, this game is a major improvement over its predecessors. Every stage has its own boss fight, which alone is an improvement. Plus, every stage has some unique set-pieces like the fire theme of the first stage and ice themed third stage with the icy crystals that break up as you shoot them. Some stages even have mini-bosses, like Stage 5 and Stage 8. There is a lot more variety here than before. The game does not just depend on Duckers to mess with you.
However, some things do stay the same as before. The Moai heads make a comeback in Stage 5. Quite a few of the same air and ground enemies from the original are still around, like the Duckers. You still get a chance at the beginning of stages to power up a bit. The last boss is still a non-threat just like before. The biggest thing that remains has to be the Gradius syndrome. In fact, in some ways, it is even worse than in the original. There are some checkpoints, like in the second half of Stage 3, that are almost impossible for recovery.
Despite the Gradius syndrome and unfair checkpoints at times, this game is still an excellent improvement over the original game.
Played in standalone PPSSPP.
0:00 Intro
0:21 Stage 1-1
2:58 Stage 1-2
5:49 Stage 1-3
9:00 Stage 1-4
11:48 Stage 1-5
16:31 Stage 1-6
18:12 Stage 1-7
23:51 Stage 1-8
29:59 Ending
30:53 Stage 2-1
Gradius II is the sequel to the original Gradius and a horizontal shoot em up developed by Konami and released in 1988 in arcades. Outside of Japan, the game was released under the name Vulcan Venture. The game would get ported over to the Famicom and then the PC Engine CD, with the PC Engine CD version getting some extra content. It would later be included in various collections such as the Gradius Deluxe Pack for PS1 and Saturn as well as Gradius Collection aka Gradius Portable on PSP, which is how I did this run.
Gradius II is extremely important to the series because it established many traditions of the series going forward. One, it introduced multiple ship layouts, which different types of weapons and missiles. The ripple laser is introduced here for example. You even get a new type of shield with the force field. Two, it introduced the option hunter, which appears to steal your options once you have four of them but cannot harm the player's ship. I stick to three options in order to avoid spawning it.
The level design also established some tropes that would carry over to later Gradius games. It introduced the Speed Stage, which in this game is Stage 6. This stage scrolls really fast and you have to pass through gates before they close on you, and the stage itself is a bit of a maze on top of that. It also introduced the Boss Rush, which is Stage 7. In this game, the boss rush is mostly Gradius I and Salamander bosses, while the last boss of that stage is a new boss that would later be featured again in Gradius III.
Speaking of level design, this game is a major improvement over its predecessors. Every stage has its own boss fight, which alone is an improvement. Plus, every stage has some unique set-pieces like the fire theme of the first stage and ice themed third stage with the icy crystals that break up as you shoot them. Some stages even have mini-bosses, like Stage 5 and Stage 8. There is a lot more variety here than before. The game does not just depend on Duckers to mess with you.
However, some things do stay the same as before. The Moai heads make a comeback in Stage 5. Quite a few of the same air and ground enemies from the original are still around, like the Duckers. You still get a chance at the beginning of stages to power up a bit. The last boss is still a non-threat just like before. The biggest thing that remains has to be the Gradius syndrome. In fact, in some ways, it is even worse than in the original. There are some checkpoints, like in the second half of Stage 3, that are almost impossible for recovery.
Despite the Gradius syndrome and unfair checkpoints at times, this game is still an excellent improvement over the original game.
Played in standalone PPSSPP.
0:00 Intro
0:21 Stage 1-1
2:58 Stage 1-2
5:49 Stage 1-3
9:00 Stage 1-4
11:48 Stage 1-5
16:31 Stage 1-6
18:12 Stage 1-7
23:51 Stage 1-8
29:59 Ending
30:53 Stage 2-1
![Gradius II [PSP/Arcade] - First Loop No Miss 430,300 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5QGfxBmRXqw/mqdefault.jpg "Gradius II [PSP/Arcade] - First Loop No Miss 430,300 pts
Gradius II is the sequel to the original Gradius and a horizontal shoot em up developed by Konami and released in 1988 in arcades. Outside of Japan, the game was released under the name Vulcan Venture. The game would get ported over to the Famicom and then the PC Engine CD, with the PC Engine CD version getting some extra content. It would later be included in various collections such as the Gradius Deluxe Pack for PS1 and Saturn as well as Gradius Collection aka Gradius Portable on PSP, which is how I did this run.
Gradius II is extremely important to the series because it established many traditions of the series going forward. One, it introduced multiple ship layouts, which different types of weapons and missiles. The ripple laser is introduced here for example. You even get a new type of shield with the force field. Two, it introduced the option hunter, which appears to steal your options once you have four of them but cannot harm the players ship. I stick to three options in order to avoid spawning it.
The level design also established some tropes that would carry over to later Gradius games. It introduced the Speed Stage, which in this game is Stage 6. This stage scrolls really fast and you have to pass through gates before they close on you, and the stage itself is a bit of a maze on top of that. It also introduced the Boss Rush, which is Stage 7. In this game, the boss rush is mostly Gradius I and Salamander bosses, while the last boss of that stage is a new boss that would later be featured again in Gradius III.
Speaking of level design, this game is a major improvement over its predecessors. Every stage has its own boss fight, which alone is an improvement. Plus, every stage has some unique set-pieces like the fire theme of the first stage and ice themed third stage with the icy crystals that break up as you shoot them. Some stages even have mini-bosses, like Stage 5 and Stage 8. There is a lot more variety here than before. The game does not just depend on Duckers to mess with you.
However, some things do stay the same as before. The Moai heads make a comeback in Stage 5. Quite a few of the same air and ground enemies from the original are still around, like the Duckers. You still get a chance at the beginning of stages to power up a bit. The last boss is still a non-threat just like before. The biggest thing that remains has to be the Gradius syndrome. In fact, in some ways, it is even worse than in the original. There are some checkpoints, like in the second half of Stage 3, that are almost impossible for recovery.
Despite the Gradius syndrome and unfair checkpoints at times, this game is still an excellent improvement over the original game.
Played in standalone PPSSPP.
0:00 Intro
0:21 Stage 1-1
2:58 Stage 1-2
5:49 Stage 1-3
9:00 Stage 1-4
11:48 Stage 1-5
16:31 Stage 1-6
18:12 Stage 1-7
23:51 Stage 1-8
29:59 Ending
30:53 Stage 2-1")
![Heavy Bullets [PC] - Full Run (No Bank Withdrawals)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/63EILyURQvw/mqdefault.jpg "Heavy Bullets [PC] - Full Run (No Bank Withdrawals)
Heavy Bullets is a roguelike FPS created by Terri Vellmann and published by Devolver Digital in 2014. This is one of the earliest roguelike shooters to come out, predating Gunfire Reborn, Post Void, and even STRAFE. Honestly, it has aged like fine wine.
This is my third successful run of the game (all of them without using bank withdrawals) and my fastest so far. I am working on a separate mini discussion video covering certain aspects of this game.
00:00 Intro
00:10 Level 1
02:31 Level 2
04:55 Level 3
08:38 Level 4
11:49 Level 5
16:01 Level 6
20:27 Level 7
24:08 Level 8
27:31 Final Boss")
![Midnight Wanderers (3 Wonders) [PSP/Arcade] - 1CC 948,400 pts (Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6iW8gju209k/mqdefault.jpg "Midnight Wanderers (3 Wonders) [PSP/Arcade] - 1CC 948,400 pts (Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
00:31. Stage 1 Area 1
03:11. Stage 1 Area 2
06:17. Stage 2 Area 1
08:03. Stage 2 Area 2
12:15. Stage 3 Area 1
14:52. Stage 3 Area 2
17:19. Stage 4 Area 1
21:25. Stage 5 Area 1
23:27. Stage 5 Area 2
26:59. Stage 5 Final Area + Final Boss
28:43. Ending
3 Wonders was an arcade game from Capcom that was released in 1991, and it was three games on one board with each game covering a different genre. Midnight Wanderers is one of those games and was a run and gun. The other two were Chariot, a horizontal shmup, and Dont Pull, a puzzle game.
Midnight Wanderers is the game that people usually like the most from this collection and for good reason. One, the game has a fairly balanced difficulty. The game allows you to take two hits before you lose a life just like in Ghost n Goblins. The difficulty curve ramps up at a reasonable pace, though it does get pretty challenging by the halfway point. Also, at the end of each stage, you get a hit point back if you down to one. Another reason this game is a favorite from 3 Wonders is because of its presentation. Its definitely one of the best looking 2D games in the arcades from that time period, and the music is no slouch either. Even among CPS1 games, the art style stands out. The short cut-scenes are a nice touch between stages and tell the story of the game quite well.
As far as the gameplay goes, its a slower paced run and gun. You get a few different weapon pickups as well as option pickups to supplement your firepower. Certain weapons are more useful in some sections than others and same for the options, but the winners in most situations are the Hyper gun and the option that shoots flame. That combination does the most raw damage. There is a Super weapon that you can pick up occasionally, as seen in Stage 3 Area 1 and the final area of Stage 5, but that one is time limited unlike the others though extremely powerful.
While I really enjoyed my time with this game and would recommend it to others looking for a fun side-scrolling run and gun, there are a few things that do hold this game back from being outstanding. One, the controls are a bit loose. While not the worst, they are definitely not as tight as something like Metal Slug which would come out years later. Two, the scoring here is pretty basic as its pretty much collecting items, killing enemies, and not losing lives.There arent a whole lot of mechanics here either, though the dash is a nice touch and is important in certain moments like during the last boss.
I played this on Capcom Classics Collection Remixed on PSP via PPSSPP. It appears that this is ROM-based emulation unlike Commando on the Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded, which was based on Capcoms port from Capcom Generations 4 on PSX. The emulation does suffer from a few small graphical glitches here and there most notably on Stage 3 Area 1, but nothing that has a real impact on the gameplay. The performance is fine overall and would have been an impressive experience back in 2006 on a handheld, PSP controls aside. Input lag didnt seem to be a major issue, but Im not the most sensitive person out there when it comes to that.
#retrogaming #capcom #arcade #arcadegames #1cc #runandgun")
![Fire Arrow X [PC] - 3 Minute Mode No Miss ALL Clear (Fire Arrow Plus)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6k0zyxj0Q4U/mqdefault.jpg "Fire Arrow X [PC] - 3 Minute Mode No Miss ALL Clear (Fire Arrow Plus)
I was testing out some modifications I made to my arcade sticks lever yesterday and while I was playing Fire Arrow X, I decided to start recording and ended up with a No Miss of the 3 minute mode.
This version of Fire Arrow is easier for survival than the original that I posted last month but is harder to play for score IMO. Both are included as part of Fire Arrow Plus:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/509780/Fire_Arrow_Plus/
I do have a few 5 minute mode clears recorded for this version, but I might aim for a higher score before creating another video on this game or do the Survivor mode, which is the same mode but harder because of faster bullet patterns.")
![Wexew Mexem [PC] - 1CC with Commentary 7,253,110 pts. (Free Bullet Hell Doujin Shmup)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/84LaKVMczoE/mqdefault.jpg "Wexew Mexem [PC] - 1CC with Commentary 7,253,110 pts. (Free Bullet Hell Doujin Shmup)
https://zakichi.itch.io/wexew-mexem
Wexew Mexem is a freeware doujin shmup that came out earlier this month on itch.io. It was created by Zakichi, who is known for creating Kaikan, Vastynex, and Zakesta to name a few of his previous shmups. Many of his games pay tribute to older, more famous shmups to one extent or another, and this game is no different.
This game pays quite a bit of homage to Exed Exes and Vulgus in its presentation, two old school Capcom shmups. The mock poster art on the side is a reference to the Exed Exes poster art. The honeycomb like tiles in the background are also an obvious tribute to that game. The big bugs that swoop down are reminiscent of some of the enemies in Vulgus, as well as the swirling circles that drop down occasionally.
However, this game stands out from Zakichis previous works because of its emphasis on scoring. The High Point Mode is pretty much your Hyper, and the bulk of your scoring will come from cancelling bullets while in this mode. Also, enemies killed while in this mode leave behind food, usually fruits, that you can pick up for even more points. You can enter this mode once youve filled up the bar on the left by picking up enough Woops left behind by enemies.
You also want to make sure your multiplier is as high as possible, which is measured by the bar on the right side of the screen. This bar builds up the same way as the High Point Mode by collecting the Woops. However, if you let any of them fall to the bottom of the screen, your multiplier goes down.
Its a good thing that the scoring is really fun because the level design seems to be secondary for the most part. The actual stages are really similar to each other outside of the bullet patterns getting denser and the enemies being more plentiful. The bosses do not show much variation outside of the last boss. Thankfully, the action is pretty exciting despite that, especially in later stages as plenty of enemies and bullet fly around. It also helps that the game is pretty short, making this shortcoming more forgivable and easier to play again for a higher score.
As far as the commentary goes, I tried to react to each level one by one instead of doing a completely scripted commentary all in one take. There are plenty of things happening on screen and it was a bit tough to keep up at times. I know there are a few moments that could have been better, but this is actually my first real shmup commentary since my last two 1CC commentaries covered a racing game and a run and gun.
#shmups #itchio #freeware #freegames #doujin #zakichi")
![Galaga 90 aka Galaga 88 [PC Engine] - Fourth Dimension 1CC 1,082,070 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8XEm-BFtY8E/mqdefault.jpg "Galaga 90 aka Galaga 88 [PC Engine] - Fourth Dimension 1CC 1,082,070 pts
00:31. Stage 1
00:55. Stage 2
01:25. Stage 3 (Galactic Dancing 1)
02:06. Stage 4
02:34. Stage 5
03:00. Stage 6
03:28. Stage 7 (Galactic Dancing 2)
04:13. Stage 8
05:37. Stage 9
06:18. Stage 10 (First Boss)
06:47. Stage 11
07:09. Stage 12
07:29. Stage 13
07:55. Stage 14 (Galactic Dancing 3)
08:51. Stage 15
09:10. Stage 16
09:34. Stage 17
09:57. Stage 18 (Galactic Dancing 4)
10:51. Stage 19
11:14. Stage 20
11:32. Stage 21
12:00. Stage 22 (Galactic Dancing 5)
12:40. Stage 23
13:12. Stage 24
13:41. Stage 25
14:28. Stage 26 (Galactic Dancing 6)
15:19. Stage 27
16:29. Stage 28
17:57. Stage 29
18:15. Final Boss and Ending
Galaga 90 is the American release of the PC Engine/Turbografx 16 port of Namcos Galaga 88, which was originally an arcade game that came out in 1987 in Japan. The Japanese PC Engine port came out the next year while Galaga 90 came out in 1989 in the U.S.
Galaga 90 might start out looking like a Galaga remake in the first few stages, but it does a lot more than the original game. One, you start off with the option to use the double ship at the very beginning if youre willing to sacrifice a spare life. Two, you can get a triple ship if your double ship gets captured by a Boss Galaga, giving you a lot of firepower with about the same hitbox at the double ship. Three, once you get beyond the initial stages, theres a bit of variety in the level design, as this game introduces new enemies as it goes on, has a couple of boss battles, and even some autoscrolling sections.
On top of all that, this game has a rank system based on dimensions. You can hop to another dimension by gathering two blue capsules before you get to a Galactic Dancing stage. Warping to another dimension grants you a nice point bonus but makes the next stages harder. Once you get to the fourth and last dimension, the rank maxes out. You can game this system for survival early on by waiting to gather these capsules until after the first boss, making that fight a lot easier because it gives you an easier boss. One other thing about these capsules is that they have generous invincibility frames when grabbing them. I utilized that to my advantage in later stages whenever I could.
The key to playing this game is mastering misdirecting not just the bullets but also the enemies. Since this is a fixed shooter, you do not have a lot of room to do this so you need to tap dodge pretty carefully to avoid getting stuck in a corner. Also, getting the triple ship is important as you can mow down rows of enemies pretty quickly with it, even later on in the game. Youll even get a red capsule at the end of Stage 25 to get a triple ship so make sure you grab it if youre down to double or single ship.
Also, the last boss is extremely hard if you do not have at least the double shot. You need to be able to do a lot of damage quickly in order to survive him.
This is actually my first Namco shmup 1CC ever. Also, it is only my second PC Engine shmup 1CC, as the only one Ive done prior is Blazing Lazers, my first ever shmup 1CC.
#galaga #namco #shmups #pcengine #turbografx #turbografx16 #retrogaming #arcadegames #classicgames")
