Gradius News
September2021
News It's The Konami Code's 35th Anniversary, And That Means Merch
Up, up, down, down... You know the rest
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the famous Konami Code, and for some reason, that means we're being treated to a new wave of merchandise based on, well... buttons. As you may well know, the hidden 'Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A' command was first used in Gradius back in 1986 – when you...
August2020
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 29th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another busy week has flown by with new reports of an upcoming Switch console revision and that surprise Nintendo Direct Mini, but now it's time to take a breather and chat about our weekend gaming plans. Members of Nintendo Life have done just that below, and we'd love for you to join in via o
August2019
News VS. Gradius Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Series On Switch eShop
Destroy an invading force and save the planet
Hamster's Arcade Archives series on the Nintendo Switch continues to grow in size. This week, the slightly enhanced retro game is Konami's horizontal scrolling shoot 'em up, VS. Gradius. This title was first released in 1986 and requires you to take control of Vic Viper, who must destroy an invading...
November2018
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 17th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another Saturday is now upon us, bringing with it another chance to sit down and play some of our favourite games. This weekend just so happens to see the release of one of the biggest games of the year for Nintendo, and it therefore comes as very little surprise that almost the entire team is getting stuck...
Reminder Three New NES Games Have Launched On Switch Today, Plus Another Bonus SP Version
NES games for everyone
As promised, today sees another trio of retro delights hit the Nintendo Switch Online - Nintendo Entertainment System library of games (plus a special bonus version, too). If you're subscribed to the service, here's what you can expect to find joining your collection. The three main additions this month are Metroid, Mighty...
September2018
Soapbox Why I'm Not Excited About Playing NES Games On The Nintendo Switch
All NES'ed out
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Nintendo Life Operations Director Darren Calvert admits that he's not in the least bit excited about the prospect of playing NES games again in 2018... They say that...
January2017
Nintendo Download 2nd February (Europe)
Poochy & Yoshi! Punch Club! Lifespeed! Bomberman '94! Much more!
Another week begins, and that means advance warning of what to expect in this week's European Nintendo Download Update. It's a fairly busy line-up this week, with a retail Good-Feel release on 3DS leading the way. There are also promising download-only releases on the Wii U and 3DS...
January2014
Nintendo Download 9th January (North America)
Chibi-Robo!, retro shooting and some 3DS discounts
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week brings a potentially terrific 3DS eShop game, some retro shooting on the Wii U Virtual Console and a variety of discounts. It's a thin list, but may have something for everyone — let's get to it. Wii U Virtual Console: Gradius (Konami,...
September2013
Nintendo Download 26th September (Europe)
The football season kicks off, new and retro adventures and much more
Monday morning means one thing, and that's European Nintendo Download news. This week's offerings include plenty of retail titles, including two very different new RPG adventures on the 3DS and some Wii U retro goodies, alongside plenty of others and some discounts. Let's get...
October2012
Nintendo Download 1st November 2012 (Europe)
Monsters, samurai, spaceships and dragons
It's that time again when we cross our fingers and hope for some downloadable treats from Nintendo, hoping against hope that we aren't subjected to tricks instead. This week is a mixed bag, with promising, awful and mystery downloads available across all platforms, so let's get to it. 3DS Download: Monster...
Nintendo Download 18th October 2012 (North America)
Time to get stylish, pose for the camera, go fishing, fly a spaceship and more
North America has enjoyed some busy Nintendo Download updates of late, with plenty of variety to choose from. This week is no exception with something for everyone, and the odd surprise, so let's get on with it. 3DS Download: Sparkle Snapshots 3D (Nintendo, $5.99) —...
January2012
News The Origins of the Konami Code Revealed
All together now...
The Konami code is one of the most famous video game cheats of all time, but how did it come about? According to a translated chat between Konami's Kazuhisa Hashimoto and Shigeharu Umezaki, it all started with the NES port of Gradius. Hashimoto, the code's creator, explains: I had one guy under me, and he played through the...
April2008
News South Korea gets their own Virtual Console
Interestingly the Wii finally went on sale in South Korea for the first time yesterday on the 26th April. This wouldn’t normally be a news item for us but with the Wii launch comes a whole new Virtual Console region with different prices!
Let’s take a look at the launch games as listed on the Korean Nintendo site: Famicom / NES (400 Wii...
