Topic: Gradius Rebirth Updated in JPN / EU

New Music, improved visual. fixed scores.

Delete it and redownload it and an icon showing update will appear.

I am going to sound a bit clueless with this comment, I have lots of WiiWare games, but none of them have been graced with an update. How does an update work on a WiiWare game?

• Is it a completley new and separate purchase? (ie Would you have to buy it all over again, even if you already own the original).
• Is it like an iPhone App and PSN title, in which you already own the game, so you simply download the update for free on top of it, to improve its features?

If it is the former, then I would not be up for buying the same game twice. If it is the latter, then result, it sounds great and I hope that it comes to the Western verion of Gradius ReBirth.

Bit. Trip Beat had an update for the high-score problem. All you need to do is to download the update and it's free. Just delete the old file and redowload the game with the update.

I guess I will give a try tonight to see if it got the update. goto sound test and ill soon know.

@chris3116 Cheers for the reply, in that case I repeat that I hope that the Gradius ReBirth update comes to everyone. I will keep an eye on this topic to see how @outrun2sp gets on, I wonder what they have done to improve the visuals, plus I can't get enough of the Gradius tunes, the more the merrier. It could be an early Konami Christmas present.

Thanks for the update, I'll redownload tonight (I had the Japanese version and did the Foist Impressions artical).

GUYS. The update is up for europe at least. Delete the game and re-download it and it will say update. Its brilliant.

New Boss music on stages 3 and 5. Smoother looking. Touched up graphics all over the place. Better animations when destroying the stone heads. Adjustable screen (cant confirm if this was on already). I finished it on easy and unlocked an extra craft that has its own music and napalm bomb.

And guess what, its harder!!! This is not bullet hell but my god is it hard.

This feels like a retail level release and is still the best wiiware game.

So, nintendo of europe does not post update's for games. I wonder if any other source does.

@outrun2sp That is great news for Europe, thanks for posting about your findings. However I have just deleted my Gradius ReBirth and downloaded it again from the Wii Shop (Brazil). There was no mention of anything to do with an update throughout the whole process, my stage 3 boss (the big Easter Island head, with the two totem pole style walls and bouncy lighting spewing ball) has exactly the same panic inducing music as before, the stone heads simply disappear into a few small flames, just as before. Apparently the stage select screen was supposed to be new with the update too, but mine is still the same. The options screen menu has always had a screen adjust facility, by the way and I even checked to see if the download size had changed, but it was exactly the same size (173 blocks).
I would be interested in a few more details if you have the time, mate. How does the stage 3 music differ for example?.... and how do the stone heads animations explode now? It would be cool if they put a mode 7 style effect in there, like in Contra ReBirth.
I am pretty much certain that Brazil has not received this update Has anyone had the chance to check their US version of Gradius ReBirth?

@JamieO: i have checked the shop channel a moment ago and we havent get the update yet, shame

I was considering getting this game but I ended up getting Gradius II Gofer No Yabou instead. If the US does end up getting this update too then I will definitely download it immediately.

@vakama94 Thanks for checking mate, we will just have to keep our eyes peeled for the future. I will watch this topic's comments to see if there is any more feedback posted about the updates actual features. Cheers.

I updated the game here in the UK, now takes 206 blocks. Weirdly, I cant notice any obvious difference - though it is a while since I played it...

Edit - yeah, I found that looking at the game in the shop, it had the 'update' tag... if it has that, it should be new.
I should add, the game lets you keep all your save data in the update (but I'm still stuck on stage 3)...

Hi Jamie.

What I did was I deleted the game first. Then when I went to re-download it the icon said 'update'. Downloaded it.

Mine is also 206 blocks. Cant even remember what it was before.

17 tracks available on sound test. How many do you have?

Other details check this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_fRreWE8wM&feature=related
boss music at the end is different on mine

Lastly check this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=912g1Ybkubc&feature=related
A new animation is added when the heads explode. Here they kinda dissapear. I can 100% confirm its updated.

Tried the same test with contra rebirth and this didnt happen. Icon just said 'download' again.

@outrun2sp Cool man, I did exactly the same thing as you. I deleted it first of my imported Wii and then I downloaded it again, but there was no mention of the update. Have fun with all of the new additions, it would be great if you keep your impressions coming, they will tell us what to expect for when it is available in other regions. I don't have a pal UK/ European Wii, you see. Thanks.

Im sure the update will reach you in the end. Im expecting that your running on a us machine?

To answer some more questions, there is a mode 7 effect of the head rotating before crumbling.

I made a mistake here. You get a more frenetic boss music on stages 2 and 4. Its more high pitched synth.

On the first stage if you only shoot the top gravity unit, the stage goes red. Might have done this before but cant remember.

Yep, my machine is American. I have been importing video games since the SNES and Mega Drive days, it was simply to have full screen graphics and to get the much appreciated 17% faster game speed, which the NTSC format provided over the old Pal consoles, through a SCART lead. I kept on importing and built a decent collection of US GameCube games, therefore when the Wii rolled around and Pal vs NTSC issues became almost redundant, I still bought a US Wii for the GCN backwards compatibility .
It means that I had to mess about with step down converters, plus I have to pay higher import game prices and I can not buy any impulsive bargain pre-owned Wii titles from Game or Gamestation on a whim.

Aha, on my BGM Test there are only 14 tracks, so you have found a way for us to check if we're running the update or the older version, good work there. As you said earlier, it is great that there are new tracks for Gradius fans, with three new tunes to shoot along to!

• Update BGM Test = 17 tracks.
• Original game BGM Test = 14 tracks.

Thanks for the extra impressions and all the video links, too mate. On stage 1 (2) I shot the top red gravity unit and left the bottom white one, but the screen flashed white and it all turned to snow and ice, just as normal. When I shot the bottom white one and left the top red one alone, that was when the screen turned red. It sounds like you have found another little graphical difference there, they may have swapped them around.

so far I checked and no update for NA. I hope we get it soon

I did the download yesterday and didn't notice a difference (I was really hoping for 16:9 support) myself, but then I didn't get to the first stage boss! The old block size was 174, so I did notice the larger size.

I'm frankly surprised this update is coming -- I didn't think Nintendo allowed for purely cosmetic changes...could be they're loosening up that policy?

Looking forward to this update. I love Gradius.

Well, outrun2sp is quite right about the slight cosmetic animation improvement on the exploding head statues...
Kind of cool to get an update like this!
Gradius is great, but I do like the pure weirdness that Sexy Parodius brought to the series.
They should put that game on VC, better than its Poker based WiiWare namesake I'm sure...