Gradius retrospective: A stellar finish | NES Works #035

And here we arrive at last at the end of NES Works 1986. Thankfully, we've saved the best for last. Gradius turns the tables on the NES's woeful early third-party days, presenting a cutting-edge contemporary arcade shooter with a minimum of compromises. It's not arcade-perfect, but it's every bit as satisfying as the original Gradius — a promising sign for new NES publisher Konami, who jumps immediately to the front of the console race with this debut release.