MSX · 1985
Gradius
A 1985 MSX horizontal scrolling shooter in which the Vic Viper fights its way through enemy waves and bosses.
- Publisher
- Konami
- Format
- cartridge
- Genre
- horizontal scrolling shooter
- Released
- 1985
01
Overview
Gradius is a horizontal scrolling shoot 'em up developed by Konami for the MSX in Japan in 1985. The player pilots a craft called the Vic Viper through stages filled with enemies and bosses. The series became a long-running franchise across multiple console generations.
02
Why it matters
It helped define the run-and-gun conventions that many later scrolling shooters followed. Its long franchise history made the MSX original an important early entry in the series.
03
The physical edition
A typical complete copy includes the cartridge and the Japanese instruction booklet. Box condition and sleeve details can vary by print run, so describe what your specific copy actually contains rather than assuming one regional edition matches another.
04
Playing it today
MSX hardware can be played through the console itself or through MSX emulators on modern computers. Emulation requires a legal ROM or a properly dumped cartridge image to be used.