GRADIUS (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1986) · No Miss Clear · Classic Hardware Playthrough

This is a single credit, no miss clear of Gradius for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Gradius series needs no introduction, with the NES port considered by some to be one of the tougher games on the system. And I can attest; for years this title remained in my back catalog as a game that I'd casually play every so often, usually sputtering out at around the 3rd of 4th stage. While it is certainly scaled back from it's arcade counterpart, the checkpoint system (aka "gradius syndrome") is alive and well and ready to outright obliterate any hope you have of completing the later stages if you lose a life, which I would routinely discover. Thankfully, after spending more time with the game recently I've been able to get a few clears, most notably by using a joystick that offers auto-fire, which has definitely spared my right hand from endless button mashing that otherwise makes the game a bit of a chore. Much like Gradius III on the SNES, the key is to collect two speed-ups while powering up your ship and then making sure you always have a spare shield available in the power up bar should your current one get depleted. I should note that this clear utilizes the stage 3 to stage 5 warp, which honestly, is fine by me. Stage 4 is not too difficult if you can maintain your power level, but avoiding the enemies in stage 3 just to skip the warp is more trouble than it is worth. Regardless, I was happy to get a clear of this classic shooter either way.