Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Developed and published by Konami, Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy was released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 as a conversion of the 1990 arcade game Parodius Da! From Myth to Laughter. Combining the mechanics of Gradius with elements from TwinBee and an almost endless stream of visual jokes, it is one of the most distinctive shoot ’em ups on the system. Rating: 9/10.
At its core, Parodius follows the classic Gradius formula. Destroying certain enemies produces capsules that move a selector along a power-up bar containing upgrades such as Speed Up, Missile, Double or Laser, Option and Shield. Choosing upgrades at the right time is important, and gradually building a heavily armed character is enormously satisfying.
There are four playable characters: Vic Viper from Gradius, TwinBee, Pentarou the penguin and Tako the octopus. Each has a different weapon configuration, so changing character does more than simply alter the graphics. Vic Viper offers the most traditional Gradius experience, while the others introduce different missiles, lasers and Option behavior.
Parodius also incorporates TwinBee’s bell system. Bells can be shot repeatedly to change their color before being collected, with different colors providing special abilities rather than conventional upgrades. These include powerful bombs, temporary invincibility while becoming enormous and the memorable megaphone, which attacks enemies by firing ridiculous phrases across the screen.
It is the presentation, however, that makes Parodius unforgettable. Konami essentially takes the structure of a serious science-fiction shooter and replaces everything with complete nonsense. Penguins, pigs, pirate ships, Moai heads, circus imagery and enormous comic bosses constantly appear on screen. One famous encounter involves a gigantic showgirl dominating most of the playfield, while other stages turn familiar shooter environments into colorful amusement parks and surreal Japanese comedy.
Despite the jokes, Parodius remains a proper shoot ’em up. Enemy formations require careful movement, environmental hazards demand memorization and the later stages become quite challenging. Dying can be especially painful because, as in Gradius, you lose most of your accumulated equipment. Trying to recover with only your basic weapon can be considerably harder than reaching the same section fully powered.
The SNES conversion is excellent. Large sprites, bright colors and detailed backgrounds preserve the arcade game’s manic appearance surprisingly well. Slowdown does occur when the screen becomes crowded, but it is generally manageable and nowhere near as intrusive as the notorious slowdown associated with Gradius III on SNES.
Konami also expanded the home version. The SNES release adds an entirely new Japanese bathhouse stage as well as an additional Omake stage. In the European release, Omake was renamed Lollipop. Unlike the normal game, this bonus stage lets you immediately continue after dying rather than sending you back to a checkpoint. These additions make the SNES edition more than a straightforward arcade conversion.
The soundtrack is another highlight. Parodius mixes Konami-style game music with energetic arrangements of recognizable classical and traditional melodies, giving the action an appropriately cheerful and often circus-like atmosphere. The contrast between demanding shooting and deliberately silly music is a large part of the game’s personality.
Its main weakness is inherited directly from Gradius. Losing a heavily powered-up character late in the game can create situations where recovering feels disproportionately difficult, and players who dislike checkpoint-based shooters may find this frustrating. The underlying game is also relatively short, although multiple characters, difficulty settings and the additional SNES content provide good replay value.
Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy succeeds because the comedy never replaces the gameplay. Beneath the penguins, giant dancers and absurd bosses is an exceptionally polished Konami shooter with responsive controls, satisfying weapon progression and imaginative level design. It is both an affectionate parody of Gradius and an excellent shoot ’em up in its own right, making it one of the strongest examples of the genre on the SNES.
Developed and published by Konami, Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy was released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 as a conversion of the 1990 arcade game Parodius Da! From Myth to Laughter. Combining the mechanics of Gradius with elements from TwinBee and an almost endless stream of visual jokes, it is one of the most distinctive shoot ’em ups on the system. Rating: 9/10.
At its core, Parodius follows the classic Gradius formula. Destroying certain enemies produces capsules that move a selector along a power-up bar containing upgrades such as Speed Up, Missile, Double or Laser, Option and Shield. Choosing upgrades at the right time is important, and gradually building a heavily armed character is enormously satisfying.
There are four playable characters: Vic Viper from Gradius, TwinBee, Pentarou the penguin and Tako the octopus. Each has a different weapon configuration, so changing character does more than simply alter the graphics. Vic Viper offers the most traditional Gradius experience, while the others introduce different missiles, lasers and Option behavior.
Parodius also incorporates TwinBee’s bell system. Bells can be shot repeatedly to change their color before being collected, with different colors providing special abilities rather than conventional upgrades. These include powerful bombs, temporary invincibility while becoming enormous and the memorable megaphone, which attacks enemies by firing ridiculous phrases across the screen.
It is the presentation, however, that makes Parodius unforgettable. Konami essentially takes the structure of a serious science-fiction shooter and replaces everything with complete nonsense. Penguins, pigs, pirate ships, Moai heads, circus imagery and enormous comic bosses constantly appear on screen. One famous encounter involves a gigantic showgirl dominating most of the playfield, while other stages turn familiar shooter environments into colorful amusement parks and surreal Japanese comedy.
Despite the jokes, Parodius remains a proper shoot ’em up. Enemy formations require careful movement, environmental hazards demand memorization and the later stages become quite challenging. Dying can be especially painful because, as in Gradius, you lose most of your accumulated equipment. Trying to recover with only your basic weapon can be considerably harder than reaching the same section fully powered.
The SNES conversion is excellent. Large sprites, bright colors and detailed backgrounds preserve the arcade game’s manic appearance surprisingly well. Slowdown does occur when the screen becomes crowded, but it is generally manageable and nowhere near as intrusive as the notorious slowdown associated with Gradius III on SNES.
Konami also expanded the home version. The SNES release adds an entirely new Japanese bathhouse stage as well as an additional Omake stage. In the European release, Omake was renamed Lollipop. Unlike the normal game, this bonus stage lets you immediately continue after dying rather than sending you back to a checkpoint. These additions make the SNES edition more than a straightforward arcade conversion.
The soundtrack is another highlight. Parodius mixes Konami-style game music with energetic arrangements of recognizable classical and traditional melodies, giving the action an appropriately cheerful and often circus-like atmosphere. The contrast between demanding shooting and deliberately silly music is a large part of the game’s personality.
Its main weakness is inherited directly from Gradius. Losing a heavily powered-up character late in the game can create situations where recovering feels disproportionately difficult, and players who dislike checkpoint-based shooters may find this frustrating. The underlying game is also relatively short, although multiple characters, difficulty settings and the additional SNES content provide good replay value.
Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy succeeds because the comedy never replaces the gameplay. Beneath the penguins, giant dancers and absurd bosses is an exceptionally polished Konami shooter with responsive controls, satisfying weapon progression and imaginative level design. It is both an affectionate parody of Gradius and an excellent shoot ’em up in its own right, making it one of the strongest examples of the genre on the SNES.
