Gradius: The Interstellar Assault

Gradius: The Interstellar Assault, released as Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero in Europe, and Nemesis II^[a] in Japan, is a 1991 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy. It is the second game in the Gradius series released for the console. The game was later ported to the Konami GB Collection series of Super Game Boy and Game Boy Color compilations; it can be found in the Japanese Vol. 3 and the European Vol. 4. Like Gradius before it, these versions were renamed Gradius II for the Japanese Vol. 3 and Gradius II: The Return of the Hero for the European Vol. 4. It was re-released on the Nintendo Classics service for the Nintendo Switch in May 2025.^[1]

Gradius: The Interstellar Assault
Japanese cover art
Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Designer(s)	Y. Daikai Hiroyuki Fukui Tamotsu Goto
Composer(s)	Yoshiyuki Hagiwara
Series	Gradius
Platform(s)	Game Boy
Release	JP: August 9, 1991 NA: January 1992 EU: 1992
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

Gradius: The Interstellar Assault retains the traditional horizontal scrolling gameplay from the Gradius series. Once again the player takes control of the Vic Viper and flies through five different stages destroying Bacterion's army.

The game retains the traditional power-up bar from the original Gradius. The player can speed-up multiple times, use missiles, shoot double firepower or lasers, use several options at a time and use the classic shield (although it is referred to as a forcefield). However, before each game is started or continued, the player is given a "Weapon Select" screen. Here the player can choose between one of three settings for the missiles, double firepower, and lasers.

Reception

James Beaven gave the game a 90% in GamesMaster, commenting, "Forget the R-Type games. This is the shoot-em-up to end 'em all! The bad guys don't leave you alone for a second, and the six-strong assortment of power ups, well, 'Way-hey', as Eric Morecambe used to say."^[2]

French magazine Joypad [fr] gave the game a 92%, saying that it "doesn't let you breathe for a second, the enemies come from all sides, and they're multiform. Regularly, you face a colossal monster that nearly takes up the entire screen."^[3]

Notes

1. Japanese: ネメシスII, Hepburn: Nemeshisu II