Gradius Galaxies Game Boy Advance

Initiated in the mid-'80s arcades and then on the NES, Konami's Gradius series blasts its way onto the Game Boy Advance with this release. The player takes control of a side-scrolling ship to navigate eight all-new stages, including Meteorite, Glass, and Fortress. Once again, the action involves shooting scores of enemies (including bosses) while avoiding enemy fire.

Prior to taking flight, there are four types of power up systems from which to choose: balanced, wide area, power, or air-to-ground. There are also a number of other options, including forward-facing shields or surround shields, and semi-auto power up or manual power up.

By snatching orange power-up capsules, players can equip their ship with one of 14 futuristic weapons, including photon torpedoes, spread bombs, and ripple lasers. Blue capsules eliminate all enemies and shots from the screen. As in previous games in the series, the power-up system has a meter along the bottom of the screen. Players press button A when the desired power-up is highlighted.

Gradius Galaxies has battery backup, meaning players can save their progress from level to level. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide