When I first heard of Konami wanting to release Gradius Origins, a collection featuring a good chunk of the titles from its most famous shoot ’em up franchise, my initial thought was: haven’t they done that before? Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection, an already six year old compilation (my goodness, we’re getting old) featured a few Gradius games, as well as other arcade titles. Wouldn’t that feel redundant? How much of that compilation’s content be recycled in Gradius Origins, and how much would it feel derivative? The answer is: not a lot, and not at all. This is yet another pretty good compilation by Konami and M2, which is a lot more comprehensive than it might initially look like.

Yes, Gradius Origins features some games seen in Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection. Thankfully, we’re limited to just three games, out of a compilation that features so much more than that. In theory, there are seven titles included in this package, but you need to take into account that arcade games from back in the day had vastly different regional variations, with Western and Japanese cabinets featuring different difficulty sections, gameplay speeds, enemy placements, and so on. Gradius Origins includes all possible regional variations for each title, plus different “updates” that had been released for each one of them over the years.

A little bit of history for younger readers: unlike cartridge or CD-based games for consoles at the time, arcade games could be “updated” from time to time. Someone would show up at the arcade parlor, patch the system up, and move along to the next place. In essence, a local way to update an existing game. M2 has managed to recreate each different version of each title, and include it in this collection. Whilst it might sound utterly redundant (and it might be if you’re not a purist), it’s a way to properly preserve multiple iterations of the same game to posterity, something I had never seen before in a retro compilation.

As for the games themselves, we have three Gradius titles, as well as four Salamander titles. The difference between both franchises lies in their complexity. Gradius games are a bit more challenging, with their main selling point being a Power Meter, a menu bar that appears at the bottom of the screen, from which the player can activate any of the available power-ups displayed on it. You need to collect a powerup icon to swap to the next item; once you reach the item you want to use, you can then deploy it with a button. It adds a layer of customization and complexity: it allows you to play the way you want to, but it also requires careful consideration and resource management.

The three Gradius games, aptly named Gradius I, II and III, are all great shooters, even if they feel a bit too similar from one another. It’s a shame that two of the best titles in the franchise, Gradius IV and Gradius Gaiden, haven’t been included as well. Maybe it’s the fact they were developed with consoles in mind? Maybe Konami and M2 were looking to set some games aside for a possible second Gradius-themed collection? Whatever the decision, there’s still enough to enjoy from the the three Gradius games at your disposal, with the inclusion of training modes, rewind functionalities, and an easy mode for newcomers. It’s still hella tough, but a lot more manageable!

Ironically enough, for a collection called Gradius Origins, it’s the Salamander games that truly steal the show. The main difference between them and Gradius is that there is no Power Meter or option function. In Salamander, you can just stack up a bunch of powerups and become a truly overpowered weapon, mowing down every single foe in front of you. The Salamander games are a lot more frantic and action-packed as a result. The more recent retro title in the collection, Salamander II, is easily the collection’s main highlight. It looks great, plays like a dream, and has managed to stand the test of time. That doesn’t make it the best game in the package as a whole, however.

That title goes to the actual brand new game included in this collection, Salamander III. That’s right, M2, in true Digital Eclipse fashion, has developed a brand new entry in Konami’s flagship shooter series and included in Gradius Origins. It’s, by far, the best-looking, best performing, and most creative title of the bunch, even if it doesn’t feature the same kinds of perks and quality of life enhancements seen in the other titles, such as rewind functions or an easier mode. Considering the fact it’s more modern than its peers, it’s also a bit less unfair anyway.

When you add up all of the versions included in one single package, as well as quality of life enhancements, sound test mode, and a bunch of extras, there’s no other way to describe Gradius Origins other than a truly magnificent celebration of Konami’s flaship shooter franchise. Even if I feel like adding multiple versions of the same game is a bit redundant, I understand the appeal of having every single revision of these classics preserved and available in one readily accessible manner. I wish that games like Gradius IV, Gaiden, ReBirth and Solar Assault had been included in this collection as well, but that only makes me hope that M2 and Konami come up with a second compilation in the near future. As for now, Gradius Origins gets the job done with honors, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Graphics: 8.0 Older titles might look a bit samey, but M2 has still managed to make them look and run quite nicely. The more recent Salamander titles, as well as Salamander III, look great, on the other hand.	Gameplay: 7.5 Controls are easy to grasp, but not a single game in this compilation is a cakewalk to master. Salamander games feature a more simplified, and more adrenaline-inducing gameplay loop.
Sound: 8.5 Have you ever heard any old-school Konami game with a bad soundtrack? Didn’t think so…	Fun Factor: 8.0 The trademark M2 seal of quality when it comes to remastering old titles, and offering great quality of life enhancements and extras alongside them. Even if I feel like the collection could have featured a few more classics, the inclusion of the brand new Salamander III more than makes up for it.
Final Verdict: 8.0

Gradius Origins is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB and Asus ROG Ally.

A copy of Gradius Origins was provided by the publisher.