Gradius II
Image: via VGM

The year might be slowing down, but Hamster's weekly Arcade Archives releases are still going strong.

Today sees the arrival of Konami's 1988 shooter, Gradius II. This includes three Japanese versions and two overseas versions (also known as Vulcan Venture). Here's a little bit of backstory, straight from the PR:

"Players will control the super dimension fighter 'Vic Viper' in order to protect planet Gradius from the Gofer special forces. This is the best title from the GRADIUS series and a title of fame in the shooting game history having won multiple awards!"

As usual, this one will set you back $7.99 or your regional equivalent. We've also got some screenshots:

g2

Will you be adding this classic to your Switch Home Menu? Fire off a comment down below.