VS. Gradius Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Series On Switch eShop

These releases suck

The article fails to mention that vs. Arcade hardware is all NES based and that vs. gradius is basically the same as the standard nes version with the vs gameplay element added

I love me some Gradius, however I am not sure there is enough here for $8 considering we have nearly the same game for free on the NES online service...

Gradius 3, please! Cmon ACA, make it happen!

@Dayton311
It's not free though! If you paid for s year you rent Gradius for $20 a year with required weekly check ins.

I would pay $7.99 to see the sales figures on this release.

@Dayton311 @GameOtaku

All mute points when you can buy a Hamster port of the original arcade game either ala carte on xbox1/ps4 or through the Konami collection across all major platforms. 🥳

@X68000 There is actually a lot more to the Nintendo VS arcade games, they can be quite similar to the NES versions but there is a lot of noteworthy differences. Some games, such as Punch-Out are completely different. This video does a good job of showing off the differences:

@JayJ The arcade version of Punch Out is actually not a Vs. game (like Ice Climbers, Super Mario Bros, and this Gradius release). It predates the NES game.

The Vs. games are nearly identical to their NES siblings with subtle differences, usually to make them harder to eat quarters

@Dayton311 You should probably check out that video I posted, it can clear things up for you. While it is true that most VS Arcade games predate their NES ports, it is simply a false assumption that they are all nearly the same as the NES ports. That video proves and demonstrates how different they can be, and it only covers a few of them.

I am still waiting for VS Balloon Fight. Heard it was better than the NES version.

I know the arcade releases are different and worthy enough and I'm sick of reading the usual "not paying for this when I have it for free on NES Online Service" line, but I read somewhere that Gradius was a special case in the wrong way. @JayJ Is it true that Gradius is the same but with 2 player mode? That's something I won't be using, and considering the original Konami arcade version is superior and that NES version is inside NES Mini I wouldn't be interested in this release indeed.

From Arcade Archives I still want Wrecking Crew, Yie-Ar Kung Fu, Karate Champ (if it's not too dated) and Pinball, but they're making me suffer by keeping them to the bottom of the undisclosed release schedule.

And we need a new batch announcement.

@JayJ I did watch the video (it was really good!) however there is a difference between Nintendo Arcade Games (like the ones in the video and Punch-out) and Vs. Arcade Games (which are NES clones, like Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Pinball and the others I named above).

The Arcade games were ported to the NES after their release (with many differences like you mention), however the Vs. games were ported the other way with NES coming first and then given arcade releases after the fact with very subtle differences (like adding 2 player to some games or remixing the levels around).

Hope this makes sense!

@Dayton311 Yeah, you are right about how it is noteworthy that this version of Gradius is essentially a modified NES port. I think the biggest difference between this VS version and the NES version is a couple of bonus stages, a stage warp option, and endless gameplay (the NES version ends after stage 7).

So this is different from the Bubble System arcade original as well as the NES version, but it doesn't really stand out as much as many other Nintendo arcade games we got in this Hamster Arcade Archives series.

When will we get Vs. Duck Hunt? I want that one the most. Hopefully it'll offer gyro aiming and shooting control.

@JayJ When a game has extra stages or remixed levels it's worthy to me, like Vs. Super Mario Bros., although many people keeps saying it's the same as old good NES Super Mario Bros. Forgive them, father...

But Gradius is a weird case, because it came from the arcade, was ported to the NES and then that version was reported to arcade LOL

I don't know if Vs. Pinball will be very different from the NES version, but I'll probably get it for the online leaderboards alone.

I love Gradius, but as other said, pretty much the same version is already available for free on the NES app.
But speaking of old Konami arcade games...
Release. Mister. Freaking. Goemon. Already!
It's already on PS4! And also on X360! Goemon is traditionally a franchise closely tied to Nintendo, and the first game in the series should be on a Nintendo console. So please Konami and Hamster, just release it already.
...And a Goemon Anniversary Collection would be nice. With stuff like Goemon 1 and 2 on the Famicom, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Goemon 2, and Boku ga Dancer ni Natta Wake on the SNES, and maybe Uchuu Kaizoku Akogingu, Ooedo Daikaiten, and Shin Sedai Shuumei on the PS1. That would be awesome. Maybe even put Sarawareta Ebisumaru in there as well for the Game Boy, as it's pretty much the best one with the Famicom Goemon formula, even though it lacks the two-player mode of the second Famicom game. Just stay away from Kurofune, the one we got on the Game Boy as Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, that game is garbage.

This is cool... but I got it on the NES Service and I have the arcade version on the Konami Arcade Anniversary Collection. I also have the TurboGraffix-16 version on my Wii U, and I have the NES version on my 3DS Virtual Console. I mean, I love me some Gradius, obviously... but this VS. port is gonna be a tough sell for even guys like me.

Still kinda mad the SNES Classic Edition didn’t have Gradius 3 or Axelay. Just gonna be that guy, while we’re here on the subject. Lol

@Moroboshi876 Yeah I know this is kind of a odd case. Most of these Arcade Archives versions of NES games are the original arcade games that got ported over to NES. I agree with you that this still stands out to me for having unique features, and it's probably one of the rarest versions to play.

So... no more Neo Geo games?

I bought so many aca neo Geo games but really this is quite sad. Was always hoping I would see games like tmnt Simpson's sunset riders spy hunter final fight after ward's. Apparently the aca releases have become as sad as the monthly Nintendo online offerings.

@JayJ Man, I was trying to convince myself that I didn't need this one, but you're making it harder LOL

@DrDaisy That's been the case for several months now. Doesn't look like they're continuing that specific line.

@Moroboshi876 I'm pretty sure it's two-player alternating mode (ie the kind that's only good if you're challenging another player for score).
The only "Gradius" I know of with a simultaneous/co-op 2P mode is Salamander/Life Force. I'm feeling there might have been a Parodius game with that as well.

@KingMike Yeah, I've been reading about the game and if its appeal is 2 player mode (which I won't be using) and endless gameplay instead of the 7 original stages, it's definitely not for me.

But today finally new games have been announced to come to Arcade Archives: Track & Field and Vigilante. Will get both.

I own the glorious SNES Gradius 3 !! Love it

@Moroboshi876 Ow, Track & Field. The Famicom versions (which was two games merged into one for the western release) demanded players use an external controller (Hyper Shot). Not sure why it was necessary. Those better have been some arcade-quality buttons meant to be mashed to pieces, because that's the only logical reason I can think of for their existence (since it doesn't support the standard controller buttons, which Konami had to change for the west of course).

We already have the arcade version of Gradius and the nes version, we don't need another one

What we need is Gradius Gaiden. It even has simultaneous 2 player.

Oh and how about some Gradius V

@X68000 Those two games would be dreamy to have on Switch!