-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------ [ GRADIUS ] ------------------------------
---------------------------------[by Ice Queen Zero]---------------------------
----------------------  [ Arcade/NES/TG16/x6800/MOBILE/C64 ]-------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o---------------------o
      DISCLAIMER
o---------------------o

This FAQ/Walkthrough is the sole copyright of Andrea "Azul Fria" Castillo aka
Ice Queen Zero (or the Zophar Queen if you prefer) and cannot be put on other
sites or posted without my given permission nor can it be reproduced w/o proper
consent.

For more guides by myself visit this link:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/74803.html

o---------------------o
        STORY
o---------------------o

The planet Gradius, a peaceful Earth-like world, is now under a space attack
from their old nemesis, beings from the sub-space star cluster of Bacterion.
The people of Gradius are in danger of being completely destoyed by the amoe-
boid Bacterions. To save them, you have just launched the prototype hyper-space
fighter, the Warp Rattler. The entire galaxy awaits your duel to the death with
the evil Bacterions.

Your objective is the Bacterion superfortress, Xaercus. To reach this, you must
steal the enemy power capsules along your route and boost the Warp Rattler's
hyper powers. You are the last hope for the gentle people of Gradius! You will
need all your courage and concentration to win. Get ready to blast off!

o---------------------o
        CONTROLS
o---------------------o

Arcade/X8600/Mobile:
D-pad - move around
Fire - fire your weapons
Powerup - Select highlighted powerup
Missile - Shoot missile

NES:
B button - Fire/Missile
A button - Powerup
Start button - Pause
Select button - switch title screen options

TG16:
I button - Fire Missile/Missile
II button - Powerup
Run button - Pause

C64:
Fire: Shoot
Space: Powerup


o---------------------o
       POWER-UPS
o---------------------o

__________
\SPEED UP/
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Increases your speed up to 4 times

_________
\MISSILE/
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Shoots a missle that skims the ground and damages any enemies that are on the
ground.

________
\DOUBLE/
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Shoots 2 bullets in different directions. One bullet will shoot upwards and the
other will shoot forward.			

_______
\LASER/
 ŻŻŻŻŻ
A really powerful laser that causes more damage than the normal weapon

________
\OPTION/
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻ
You can have up to 4 of these. They are your ship's sidekicks with the same
exact weapons as your ship. FOr NES you can have only 2. They really help get
you out of a pinch.

________
\SHIELD/
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Protects you for up to 5 hits. You will lose your shield after the 5th hit so
if you are at full power, get enough powerups to be eligible for a shield and
when you lose it, you have it ready to pick again.

o---------------------o
        LEVELS
o---------------------o


Volcano - Originally this was a green and peaceful satellite. But now, under
the attack of the Xaerous space fortress. It has been transformed into an
inferno-like advance base for the alien Xaerous.

Stonehenge - This is an artificially constructed asteroid belt created as a
galactic fighter base.

Moai - The Moai Are great strange heads that resemble the old stone statues of
Easter Islan on Earth. They were created by an unknown race eons ago in the
image of the patron spirits of the galaxy. The Xaerous forces have utilized
these as bases for their deadly ion guns.

Inverted Volcano - Like Stage 1, this is an enemy planetoid advance base, but
this time up and down have become reversed.

Tentacle - Giant living tentacle-like antennae floating through space! If they
sense the presence of another living being, they shoot out deadly poison cap-
sules.

Cell - Huge amoeba-like organisms from the unknown reaches of space. They are
primitive but have an incredibly strong life-force and will pursue relentlessly
any life form that invades their living space.

Base - The ultimate stage of the game! This fortress lies at the very heart of
the nerve center of the Bacterion and is controlled by a complex biocomputer.


o---------------------o
        BRIEFING
o---------------------o

At the end of level 1-5 (1-6 for TG16) is a boss that has a core protected by 
4 shields. Shoot them away and then attack the core and it will die in a few 
shots. Bear in mind that it is invincible upon start up.

Each level begins with a miniture wave of enemies. Defeat them for powerups.

All orange enemys give away orange powerups to go towards your gear or blue
ones to destroy all common on-screen enemies.

o---------------------o
      WALKTHROUGH
o---------------------o

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|        Level 1: Volcano     |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O

Start off by shooting the waves of ships that appear at the beginning of the
level. Succesfully destroying a wave will leave a power-up. Soon wavers will
arrive. The orange ones leave powerups when destroyed. This is how every level
with start off. You are now in the volcanic level. Try to get as many power-ups
as you can so you can have 2 options, force field, lasers/double, and missiles.
In your arsenal. It also helps to use two spped ups. The missiles work great
on the ship deployer on the bottom as well as the aliens walking in from behind
too. There is a bonus points area worth 5000 points and its done by flying 
through the broken area of the volcano*. Then you also get a 1-up by steering
your ship backwards to touch the right side of a floating diamond shaped rock.*
You will soon reach an area where volcanos rain magma down on you. The best way
to survive this barrage is to position an option above you so as you fire,
the magma rock will be destroyed by the option's fire. It also helps to place
yoursef in the upper-right corner where the rocks hardly go. Defeat the boss
and off to the next level.

* denotes that this works only for NES

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|    Level 2: Stone Hedge   |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
Defeat the waves and when you reach the level, you shoot through these tiny
circles as you fight through the guns and ships. You'll be greeted blocks that
materialize from thin air and at the end you face a barrage of them before
meeting the usual guy at the end of the level.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|        Level 3: Moai      |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
You have more bullets to dodge at the start of the level and new enemies that
join in the fray. At the end of the start-up section is a large circle that
spits three circles that are indestructible and it can only be damaged when it
is open. The level consists of Moai heads. Shoot them in the mouths to destroy
them. If you get past them, survive the onslaught of those circular enemies and
face the usual end boss.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|  Level 4: Invert Volcano  |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
This is level 1 only it is upside-down. The only difference with defeating
the volcanos is to position the option above you and then beat the end boss.*

* You only fight the volcanoes again in the NES version. The other ones have
aliens with volcano tip "hats" swarming around from the top then swoop along
the bottom then come in through the middle.

Some versions have the diamond near end with guns on it.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|   TG16 Level 5: Desert    |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O

This level is filled with fossils. Be carecul when shooting away the bones on
the big ones, they explode into smaller pieces that can kill you. Besides the
usual guns on the surfaces, you have to deal with fossil heads that will shoot
fire that looks like sperm at you. At the end, you will face the fossil head
rush before fighting the core boss.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|     Level 5: Tentacle     |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|   TG16 Level 6: Tentacle  |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
Fly through the Moah heads that are outlined then get through the wave of
ships. The rest of the level consists of these brain cores with arms extended
out at you. To defeat them, simply shoot the tissue till it shrinks and then
explodes. At the end, you fight more of these then this end boss for the last
time.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|        Level 6: Cell      |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|     TG16 Level 7: Cell    |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
Shoot your way through the cryystals and fend off these jellylike creatures as
you have more bullets to dodge than usual. Survive this level and you'll meet
a brand new end boss. Stay to the very left and up a little bit so you will be
in a position to where your options will shot the bullets away for you and
shoot at the center until it is destroyed.

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|        Level 7: Base      |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O

			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
			|      TG16 Level 8: Base   |
			O =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O
Shoot through the waves and now you are at the final level. The enemies are all
the same but now you have to dodge in such a tight space. When you reach the
end, you have to move all the way to the right to get past the door as it shuts
or you will die from crashing into it. The brain is easy to beat. Just destroy
the nodes connectiong to it or better yet, do nothing. It'll die on its own and 
that is that. Watch the ending and the game will start over again at a harder
dificultty.

o---------------------o
        CREDITS
o---------------------o

Konami for making this game.
GameFAQs and other sites for hosting this FAQ.
You for reading.

o---------------------o
    	CONTACT ME
o---------------------o
azulfria[at]hotmail[dot]com 
[at] = @ and [dot] = .
Don't want any email bots.

Thank you for reading

-Ice Queen Zero