Gradius II- FAQ/Walkthrough
Version 1.11
By. Kelvin Moreaux a.k.a. KirbyWithMuffins, Golduck342
Date Created- May 28, 2003
Lastest Update- July 14, 2006
Table of Contents-
1. Introduction
2. Gameplay Basics
3. Power-up/Weapon Info
4. Walkthrough
5. FAQ
6. Credits
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1. Introduction
I'm writing this guide, because this game has no guides here at GameFAQs. This
game is incredibly hard by today's standards and I had nothing to guide me
through it. Basically, I just want to pass on my acquired knowledge of the game
in hopes that someone will find it useful. If you want to contact me about the
game, then you can e-mail me at
[email protected]. (I'll repost it in
relevant sections, so you don't have to worry about remembering it now.)
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2. Gameplay Basics
After you choose the number of players, you get to choose a power-up sequence.
Personally, I would go with the first or third one, I'll get into why in the
Power-up section. Now that you've chosen a weapon sequence, you are ready to
start the game. This game plays just like any other space shooter, you shoot
down some enemies and get power-ups along the way. Also like in other space
shooters, you are limited to two normal shots on the screen at once (+2 for
each option). missiles are limited to one unless if you have two-way. There is
one key difference however. In other games, you get power-ups for specific
weapons, like a machine gun, or laser. If it's a power up for a weapon that
you don't want, you either have to switch your weapon, or just fly past it as
if it wasn't there. In gradius, you get energy pods that increase your power
meter, allowing you to choose the power-up that you want. You can build up your
ship and have a bunch of different weapons at once. NOTE- You cannot have a
"double" type weapon at the same time as a "laser" type weapon.
The Power Meter works in a fairly easy way. Whenever you get an energy pod, the
meter will move to the right by one. The box flashes for the power-up that is
currently available. (If speed is available, the word speed will flash). If you
want to choose that power-up, press the 'A' button. When you press the 'A'
button, your ship will be upgraded with that power-up, and the Power Meter will
go back to zero. If you don't want the power-up, just don't press the 'A'
button, simple as that. When you get another energy pod, the next weapon in
line will be available. The Power Meter reads as follows:
Speed - Missile - Double - Laser - Option - ?
If you get an energy pod while the "?" is flashing, the meter will go back to
speed, and you will get some points. So if it's on "?" you might as well just
use it.
The controls for this game are-
D-Pad: Moves the ship in the corresponding direction.
B button: Fires the gun/laser/missile for the ship and for any options you may
have.
A button: Chooses the currently flashing power-up.
Start: Pause the game.
Select: Pressing Select at the title screen or the power-up sequence select
screen, moves the cursor down to the next choice.
Getting energy pods is a key part of the game. It may seem like they appear at
random, but there is a method to the madness. You may have noticed that
enemies come in lines. If you can kill an entire line of enemies, you will get
an energy pod. At some points you will get blue energy pods, which kill every
enemy on the screen. Another way to get the orange energy pods is too kill the
orange colored enemies. The orange guys will drop one each time. Finally,
there are specialty enemies, such as the dragons in the first level, that will
drop one each time.
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3. Power-up/Weapon Info
There are four different power-up sequences, and the one you choose will affect
how you do for the entire game. Here I will give you information about what
each power-up does, as well as the pros and cons.
Speed Category-
Speed Up:
Speed Up does the same thing no matter which sequence you choose, so
you don't have to factor this into your decision. Whenever you get a
speed boost, the speed of your ship increases. Each additional boost
gives you even more speed. You can get up to 7 speed boosts on a
single life, after that, it becomes blank.
Missile Category-
Missile:
Good for getting rid of those pesky ground enemies found in almost
every level after the first one. These missiles will crawl along the
ground until they hit something. Better than having to aim your shots
at times when it's very difficult to even stay alive. Missile can be
found in the first power-up sequence. You can only get one missile
upgrade, after that, the box becomes blank.
Spread Bomb:
My least favorite of the missiles. I don't like it because it is a
bit difficult to aim. It can clear out a cluster of enemies, but you
rarely see them and clearing them out in lines is just better. Spread
Bomb is the most powerful of all the missiles, especially since the
explosion lasts for a second, meaning that it can deliver multiple
hits on the stronger enemies and kill them with one shot. Most
enemies only take one hit anyway, so it's not extremely useful.
Spread Bomb can be found in the second power-up sequence. Like missile
you can only get one upgrade, then the box goes blank.
Photon Torpedo:
My favorite of all the missiles. Like Missile, it can crawl along the
ground until it hits something. The advantage here is that it will go
right through normal enemies after killing them. Meaning that you can
get rid of an entire line of grounded enemies with one shot. This is
the one I used for the entire game. Photon Torpedo can be found in
the third power-up sequence. You can only upgrade this one time, then
you get the ol' blank box.
2-Way:
Shoots one missile upwards, and the other one goes downwards. Can be
very useful in level 3 and 5, since you're being attacked from every
direction. You can combo this with the tailgun, and shoot in pretty
much every direction. You can find 2-way in the fourth power-up
sequence. Again, you can only upgrade this once, then you get that
blank box.
Double Category-
Double:
Shoots one of your shots upward, and one forward. Remember, you can
only have two shots on the screen at once, meaning that they'll come
out less frequently. Most of the time, I'd choose laser over this,
but at some points (level 3 and 5), this can really help you. Double
can be found in the first and third power-up sequences. You can get
a second upgrade for this which will make your shots go faster.
Tailgun:
This one is nifty. It shoots one shot forward and one backwards. Not
too useful, but it's good for those pesky dragons in the first level
and just about everything in the last level. I never really used
this but it does look like it could combo well with 2-way. You can
get this with the second or fourth power-up sequences. Like Double
the second upgrade makes the shots go faster.
Laser Category-
Laser:
This weapon is one of the best. It has the power to penetrate through
most things, meaning it can kill an entire line of enemies with one
shot. The laser itself is long, meaning that one shot can cause
multiple hits on stronger enemies. In addition, the laser stays in
alignment with your ship, meaning that if you move vertically, it
will follow your movements. Laser can be found on the first and
second power-up sequences. Laser can be upgraded for the second time
resulting in a speed increase for the shots.
Ripple:
Also one of the better weapons. As Ripple goes across the screen, it
widens, meaning that it can potentially hit two things at once, which
is great against the coral-like material in level 2. Ripple is
stronger and faster than the normal shot. Combine this with a couple
of Options, and you can hit nearly everything on screen with the
press of a button. Ripple is found in the third and fourth power-up
sequences. It can be upgraded a second time, giving you a faster
shot.
Option Category-
Option:
Options are little invincible copies of yourself. These are ALWAYS
good to get, since each one gives you 100% more firepower. That
includes everything you have, missiles, lasers, and doubles. They
follow your movement exactly. The beauty of this is that you can get
up to four of them at once, which equals major OWNAGE. After you get
the fourth one, you may notice that the box isn't blank. That is
because if you choose it again, you'll can get your options to
revolve around you instead of following you. It's pretty cool, except
that it only lasts for a while. It doesn't matter which power-up
sequence you pick, they are all the same.
? Category-
Force Field:
I don't know what all the mystery is about, it says Force Field right
there on the power-up select screen. Anyway, the force field offers
you protection against enemy fire, or the enemies themselves (the
weaker ones). Even with a Force Field on, you should continue to do
your best to avoid getting hit. The Force Field will only protect you
five times, after that, it's gone. You can only equip one Force Field
at a time, the effect is not cumulative. The Force Field is the same
for every power-up sequence you pick.
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4. Walkthrough
Level 1- Meteor Field
Since this is the first level, you don't really need to get any specific power-
ups. You can start off by getting a laser, and possibly a speed up or two.
After that you'll want to focus on getting options, the more the merrier. When
you start off the level, it's basically a bunch of easy to kill ships so that
you can power yourself up. You should be able to get yourself a laser with no
problem.
The next part gets a little tricky, especially if it's your first time. Those
big red flaming meteors are annoying, since they narrow your flight path
dramatically. On top of that, they are home to big red dragons that take a
bunch of shots to kill. This is why you might need a laser, to reduce the
number of hits these guys can take. You'll want to take advantage of them,
because every time you kill one you will get an energy pod. You can really rack
up some firepower here. If one of them comes out from behind you, I suggest
that you don't try to fight it unless you have something that shoots backwards.
Instead, you can try flying up or down continuously until it is off of the
screen, that way you don't have to deal with it.
The third part of the level is downright annoying. You can kill the fire birds
and try to power up a bit. I would try to focus my concentration at trying not
to get killed. This time there are big red meteors at the top and bottom of the
screen. These meteors will make an arc of fire tat will instantly kill you if
you touch it. The fact that there are enemies coming out of everywhere makes
this difficult. My suggestion is to get yourself within the arcs so that you
don't accidentally fly into one. You can also stay completely away from them,
but I find that to be a little harder. Speed is good to have in this part. You
should be able to get through this without any special weapons if you die. When
you get past the red meteors, you'll be given another chance to power up with a
bunch of orange ships. At this point, you'll probably want to get yourself a
laser if you don't already have one, and some options.
** Level 1 Boss- Phoenix. Weakpoint- Head**
When you get to this boss, you'll probably be happy. This boss is laughably
easy compared to the rest of the level. Basically, it has two attacks. First it
shoots a barrage of fire balls that can be destroyed if you shoot them. Second,
it shoots out blue lasers that spread out vertically and cover up most of the
screen. To defeat this guy, keep shooting its face as much as you can. The
fireballs shouldn't be a problem if you just shoot them. When it is about to
shoot the blue lasers, you should back up a bit so you have a better chance of
avoiding them (The collision detection for these isn't too good so they might
end up going right through you). If you have lasers you can stay as close to
its face as possible, if your stuck with normal shots, you should stay back for
the entire fight. After not much of a struggle, you should be able to defeat
this thing, and then laugh at it.
Level 2- Cave
Like Level 1, and all other levels, this level starts off with a bunch of easy
kills. This is your chance to power yourself up a bit, and chances are you'll
be dying a lot in this level. The two most important things you should try to
get are an option, and a missile. The missile is for later in the level, and
you'll see why you want an option in the next part. Whenever I died in this
level, I just started over from the beginning. It's really hare to power
yourself back up when you start in the second or third parts.
The second part of this level is downright annoying. There is a bunch of red
coral-like stuff blocking your flight path. You have to shoot it to make a path
through it. The problem is that even with laser, each shot only removes one
chunk of the "coral." This is why you'll want an option. When you get up to the
"coral" you'll notice that you have choice. You can either go up or down, and
sometimes in the middle. For me, the easiest way to go is down. This way,
you'll be able to get the most energy pods. Also, there's one of those ship
generating machines which you'll be able to destroy before it can start making
too many ships. You'll want to keep choosing down until you get up to the round
orange enemy that go around and around their platform (they look like coiled up
shrimp). These "shrimp" can each fetch you an energy pod, but they take a
couple of shots to kill. when you pass this section, you should choose up. Up
has less enemies, and will align you nicely with the next part of the level. If
you can afford to, get a force field, because there's a lot of random fire
here. Those blue shell enemies take a lot of damage, so if one gets in your way
shoot like crazy until it's gone.
When you start the next part of the level, you'll see why you need a missile.
There's a bunch of ground enemies that you need to kill, plus you'll benefit
from the energy pods. It'll be a tight squeeze if you don't have a missile. The
big blue arms are too tough to bother with. So just keep shooting it until it
hides back into it's "shoulder," you should be able to pass by it. The best
part is that you can now laugh at them, because only two can be on the screen
at a time. Other "shoulders" will remain lifeless until the previous ones
disappear from the screen, so you should be safe if you stick to the front of
the screen. After you get past the really narrow stretch, this is where your
missiles will come into play. Fly up near the top of the screen and start
shooting everything at the top, and let your missile take care of the bottom.
You might not want to risk getting the energy pods at the bottom, because of
the next bunch of enemies. Keep shooting at the top and be sure to kill the
purple flower creatures as soon as possible. If you don't kill them, they'll
release four quick moving spiders. These spiders move sporadically across the
screen, and will give you a lot of grief if you don't at least have a laser.
When you get to the split, it's probably easiest to choose down, since there's
a purple flower blocking the top. If you go down, you can watch as the spiders
can't get through the wall and laugh at them. You shouldn't have a problem,
until you reach the boss that is.
** Level 2 Boss- Eye with Arms. Weakpoint- Eye**
I'd assume the arms from before belong to this guy. This guy ain't too tough if
you have some good firepower (either a laser or an option). If you don't,
you'll have to rely on your speed. He's got two attacks, three if you count
smacking you with his arms. First his arms shoot little blue dots which can be
destroyed if you shoot it. Second he'll shoot a big blue brain like thing which
cannot be destroyed. To kill this guy, shoot his eye when it opens. Otherwise,
just keep avoiding or shooting the blue things. This guy isn't hard, he just
takes a while. The only problem is that the blue stuff might overwhelm you if
he shoots it right. Just keep shooting and avoiding and eventually you'll be
done.
** Level 2 Boss #2- Skull Head. Weakpoint- Mouth**
Just when you think it's safe to assume that you made it to level 3, here comes
another boss to try to stop you. First you'll want to avoid his "bounce" attack
by moving to the top left of the screen. After that, he'll move back to the
right and try to ram into you. If you have options, position them so that they
are on the same level as his mouth, and shoot away. After he tries to ram you,
he'll go to the right, try to align you with his mouth and shoot a big laser at
you. When you notice him trying to align with you, just move up or down away
from his mouth. When he's not shooting or ramming you, shoot his mouth. This
guy is fairly easy, you should be done with him in no time. The only problem I
had with him is that he surprised me with the laser the first time I fought
him.
Level 3- Rock Attack
This game just gets harder and harder. Welcome to level 3, where you're skills
and endurance will be tested to their limits. Start off by getting a missile
and a speed. Then, save up to get a force field, it's very difficult to get by
the second part without one. If you want to try without a force field, you'll
need the missile and probably at least two options. For this level, I might
even consider getting a double.
The next part of the level is daunting. Before getting too far into it, you be
greeted by a whole bunch of gunfire. You'll want to stay low to get rid of the
ground enemies, and also because you'll have fly under a rock formation. Next
you have to maneuver yourself up and over another rock formation. Then under
and over again, avoiding and shooting down enemies until you reach a boulder
spewing volcano. When you reach it, get yourself up there as fast as possible,
so you can start shooting the boulders. Keep shooting until you notice a break.
At that point, quickly fly past it and stick to the front of the screen. Those
walking cannons at the top could get annoying, so kill them if you can. Next
comes two upside-down volcanoes. Try to get as close to the tip as you can when
you're shooting and you'll get by easily. Next, kill those bouncing enemies or
prepare to avoid their shots, which go in every direction. You'll now have to
squeeze between two volcanoes. Same tactic as before, shoot like crazy, and fly
through them.
For the third part of this level, try to get yourself the second laser upgrade,
and as many options as possible. Basically, shoot the purple rocks until you
can get through. Not much more that I could help you with. If you shoot enough
you can cause a lot of slowdown, which is good since your ship isn't affected
by it. When I played this, I was literally sweating from pressing B so much.
Eventually, you'll get up to some big blue rectangular rocks, which just bounce
up and down. When you get past them, you're almost at the end. You get a chance
to power yourself up now, so laser if you don't have it, and more options.
** Level 3 Boss- Mechanical Rock. Weakpoint- Purple Orb**
Move to the front of the screen, because this guy comes from behind you (I'd
like to know how it got past all those rocks). It'll start by moving to the
right of the screen, meaning that you need to get to the left. Fly down and
wait for it to raise its arms, or vice-versa for the top, and make your way to
the left. The arms are going to constantly shoot you, so be careful. It will
also shoot a double laser from it's core. The main thing is to avoid getting
shot here. When you get in front of it, shoot at the middle. You have to get
through some barriers before you can damage it. If you still have your force
field it will block the shots, but remember, it depletes after every shot.
Just keep shooting, it takes a lot of shots to destroy this guy. When you're
done with him, you'll move on to the next stage.
Level 4- Easter Island Heads
Like always, you'll get a chance to power up, this time the enemies will move
up and down a lot more, so it might be a little harder to do so. I suggest
getting a missile, and your choice of an option or laser. Speed is good is you
don't have a lot of firepower. If you die and have trouble getting anything
good, go for a missile and a couple of speeds
The main part of this level is Easter Island heads. I would suggest going up or
down so you don't get shot at from both sides. This level isn't that bad, when
you see a horizontal head, just hover right in front of the face and shoot. For
vertical heads, stay right above it, or below if you're at the bottom, and it
won't be able to shoot you. Stay there until the screen moves enough, then go
to the next one. You can basically leap frog from head to head until the end of
the level. Another method is to be rave stick to the front of the screen. If
you want to kill the heads, shoot their mouths, though it will take a bunch of
shots to do it. After not too long, you'll find yourself powering up to face
the boss. Get a missile and options, maybe double if you feel as if you can
handle it.
** Level 4 Boss- Jumping Easter Island Head. Weakpoint- Anywhere**
It will try to jump into you and it will shoot a bunch of rings. Unlike the
other heads, this one can shoot through its own head, meaning you're not safe
anywhere. It'll keep jumping back and forth, and it will jump higher depending
on how high you are. My advice is to lure him and all his shots up to the top,
and when he jumps, just go under him. Keep shooting him, you may not hear the
damage sound, but you are damaging him. If you die, you're in trouble, because
you may not be fast enough to avoid everything on your next life. If that's the
case, keep following the same strategy, but it will take you a long time to
kill him.
Level 4- Inter-Boss Power Up
You'll get a chance to power up a little more. Missile is the most important
thing if you don't already have it, double is probably the only other thing
you'll be able to get. If by some chance you can, get an option.
** Level 4 Boss #2- Three Easter Island Heads. Weakpoint- Mouths**
All three shoot little destroyable groups of Easter Island heads. Concentrate
on killing those and let your missile kill the guy on the bottom. I wouldn't
even bother trying to kill the guy on top, because he's so difficult to reach.
Instead kill his minions, and wait for the one on the right to open up. When it
does get close and shoot like crazy, backing up when he closes his mouth. Keep
doing this and eventually, you'll kill him, and the top one just dies too.
Level 5- Boss Attack
This level is not much of a level. In fact, after the power up phase, you'll be
facing the first boss. If you want a chance to survive, you better at least get
one speed, a missile, your choice of double or laser (double might actually be
better later on), and an option. The option isn't absolutely necessary, but it
helps. I wouldn't bother with a force field, because you'll need the fire power
(unless if you still have all you stuff from the previous level). The enemies
in this part are quite annoying. You'll have to keep moving and dodging them,
while shooting and picking up the energy pods. If you die in this level, you'll
have to start from the beginning, no matter how far you make it.
** Level 5 Boss #1- Big Space Ship. Weakpoint- Blue Orb**
The gauntlet of bosses starts off with a certain ship which you may remember
from Gradius 1, especially since he was the boss in every level. Besides being
improved graphically, this boss is prettymuch the same as in Gradius 1. It'll
move up and down shooting lasers four at a time. At times, it charges forward
in an attempt to ram into you. What you have to do is shoot it in the center.
You'll notice that it has barriers that will protect it from taking damage for
a while. Shoot through these barriers to expose its blue core. Each time you
destroy one of the barriers, it will shoot a spread shot, which you'll want to
avoid. After getting through the barriers, just keep shooting, and it will
eventually be destroyed.
** Level 5 Boss #2- Brain with Arms. Weakpoint- Eye**
Well, let's just say this boss doesn't get paid as well as the others. This
boss is so easy you won't need my advice. First of all, this guy has no
attacks! It'll try to swat you with its arms or fly into you with its body...
err brain. That's all it can do. Basically, just lure it to the right side of
the screen, then fly around to the front and shoot it in the eye. Keep
repeating this and after not too long, you'll destroy it.
** Level 5 Boss #3- Ship with Tentacle Arms. Weakpoint- Blue Orb**
Just like the first boss in this level, this one has a blue orb protected by
some barriers. It has four tentacle arms that revolve around its body. They can
and will be a nuisance. This guy can take up most of the screen, and since it
keeps moving, you'll have to keep moving too. This will definitely be a problem
if you don't have enough speed. Basically, you'll have to keep going around the
screen clockwise and shoot whenever you can get in front of it. There's not
much more you can do to speed this up, so patience is key.
** Level 5 Boss #4- Giant Embryo. Weakpoint- Eye**
This guy gets on my nerves. Basically, he has two main attacks. The first one
is to blind you (the human you) with a flash of seizure inducing light. After
he's done with that, he'll follow it up with some bubbles in the shape of a
circle. The bubbles will rotate clockwise and home in on you. It is important
that you focus on destroying the bubbles. You can fly above them and let your
missiles do the work if you got them like I told you to. If you didn't get
missiles you'll have to concentrate your firepower on popping those bubbles,
and pray that some of your stray shots hit the boss's eye. Lastly, if you have
two or more options with a laser, position yourself on the middle (vertically)
of the screen with your options under you. Keep shooting like crazy, and you
don't have to move at all.
** Level 5 Boss #5- Armored Ship. Weakpoint- Blue Orb**
Prepare for a long fight. This is the last boss on this level, so be grateful.
Just like the previous "ships" in this level, you'll have to break through
barriers before you get to the blue orb. The difference now is that this one
has an armor that revolves around it. You'll have to wait until it's open if
you want to damage it. In addition, it'll shoot indestructible missiles at you,
which you have to be quite nimble to avoid. To beat this boss, position
yourself in the middle of the screen (vertically) and keep shooting. Now,
forget completely about the boss and concentrate on avoiding the missiles. Keep
on shooting while doing this and you'll win in no time. This boss doesn't take
too much damage.
Level 6- Enemy Base
I hope you're ready for the hardest level of all time. Firstly, get yourself a
missile (It will pay for itself anyway) you'll need it... end of story.
Secondly, you ABSOLUTELY need a force field if you want a chance to maybe get
through this level. After that, get as many speeds as you find necessary, or a
double if you think you can handle it.
As you enter the 2nd part of the level, you'll noticed that your space is
already being limited. You should kill everything as soon as possible. If you
didn't get the double, fly to the top and let the missiles take care of the
bottom. Remember to keep saving up for a force field if you don't already have
it. After a bit, your path will narrow by some. You'll see two orange turrets
at the bottom which you can destroy with your missiles. Then it get narrow and
full of random fire. At this point you'll have to summon all you video game
skills in order to dodge all the shots fired at you. If you have double, stick
to the left of the screen, if not, stick to the right. This is the hardest
section and if you can get past it, the level gets somewhat easier. When your
space widens completely that's when it almost over. Just a few measly gun
turrets to worry about.
The next section of the level is super speedy, so pay real good attention. You
can try killing the orange gun turrets and getting their energy pods, but it's
not completely necessary. If you do choose to, get options and speed ups if you
need them. After the first long tunnel go down so you can kill more orange
turrets, then pull back up into the second tunnel. Stay up and shoot whatever
big balls get in your way. After that, it's pretty straight-forward until you
get out of the green colored part and into the machine colored part.
Here, the floor and ceiling will crumble and then aim themselves at you. So
destroy them before they destroy you. It get narrow again, making it a
difficult task. You'll have a small chance to power up here.
** Level 6 Boss- Wall of Death. Weakpoint- Red Orb**
This boss is laughably easy. It'll shoot a bunch of different things at you.
First, take out the mounted guns. Shoot the top ones first and let your
missiles (which you should have) take care of the enemies at the bottom. After
your done with the guns, destroy the valves that keep releasing the enemies,
top one first. Now the boss is helpless, laugh at it if you want. When you want
to kill it, fly to the center and shoot the barriers. Remember that when you
destroy one it will send some shots flying, which you'll effortlessly avoid.
After a short while it'll go kaboom!
Level 6- Inter-Boss Power Up
The floor and ceiling will rise and fall respectively, so stay in the middle.
Double helps you out in this area. As far as power ups, get whatever you feel
that you need, I would get options. After the floor and ceiling stop
collapsing, do your best to kill every enemy, you don't want them to mess you
up during the boss.
** Level 6 Boss #2- Mechanical Spider. Weakpoint- Middle Section**
Hey, want to beat this guy in 10 seconds? OK let's do that! As this guy
approaches from the left, fly downwards because you have to let it walk over
you. Be patient and do one leg at a time. When you get to the front, fly up to
the middle, and start shooting him, don't stop. It dies after about 5 seconds
of being shot, literally. The only thing you have to worry about is a random
enemy that may pop out at the top. On to the next stage.
Level 7- Inside Some Kind of Living Being
Well, to start, you won't be given much to power up with. If you don't have
anything, get at least one speed and a double. If you die in this level, it's
all the way back to the beginning. It's short, but there are a lot of parts
that you don't want to keep playing over. The first part of the level is full
of bubble enemies. I usually kill as many as I can, then immediately go to the
right of the screen. Next you will see this brain thing which you should try
hard to kill (Hit it with both of the double shots, or with missiles if you
have that). If you don't kill it, it will shoot a ring of smaller brains. One
will go straight to the right horizontally at the same speed that the screen
moves. It will get in your way if you don't have a tailgun. Like in level 2,
you'll have to shoot through veins in order to proceed. On top of that, little
amoeba things will chase you, this part can get tough. I recommend being near
the top of the screen when you first get into the vein area. Then there's a bit
of a break, where you should go as far down as you can. This way the little
amoeba things won't be able to catch up to you. After the veins, you'll see
three finger-like things poke out of the ceiling. Stay back for a second until
you see three more poke out of the floor. Wait for the right moment and fly
between them quickly. Move down immediately, because a giant red spike will
emerge from the ceiling. Be careful because another one comes out of the floor
right after that. Quickly make your way around it. A small hill comes out of
the ground, followed by a double-tipped spike from the top. Fly between them,
and shoot through the enemy ships and get to the right of the screen as soon as
possible, if you don't you will die. Stay on the right until you pass two of
these walls.
** Final Boss- Head with Brain. Weakpoint- Mouth/Brain**
This boss takes about a minute to start doing anything. He'll start by shooting
bubbles out of his mouth. These bubbles take a lot of shots to destroy, so
you'll probably do more avoiding than anything. If you somehow have four
options, just shoot like crazy. But you probably won't so stay on the left of
the screen and try to make the bubbles fly off to the left. Hopefully, you got
the speed before when I told you, so you should be fast enough to squeeze
between them. Don't stop shooting and you should eventually take him down.
Congratulations, you just beat the game!!
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5. FAQ
I'll post whatever I get when I get it. Send emails to
[email protected] or
if you prefer AIM my sn is "Golduck342". If you post a question at the GameFAQs
Gradius 2 message board and I answer it there, I will also post it in here for
future reference. My GameFAQs accounts are KirbyWithMuffins and Psyduck342.
Q:Hey! any idea where to get this game?
I played it like twice in my life but that was a years ago and the I had the
Hong Kong bootleg of GradiusII.
Thanx
A:There is no American version of this game. You can try looking for the
Japanese version (all the text/speech is in english) for the famicom, or you
can try the PSX remake of Gradius I and II, which also wasn't released in the
US. I've seen it on Ebay, or you can possibly try www.japanvideogames.com. It
is a very rare game.
**UPDATE**
The game is now available in the US on the PSP. It's been remade and
packaged under the name "Gradius Collection" along with a handful of other
Gradius games.
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6. Credits
Gradius 2 belongs to Konami. You should know what's illegal by now, please
don't do it. This is an awesome game, and Konami deserves recognition for it.
This FAQ belongs to me. I took my time to write this on my own, and give my
permission to CJayC and GameFAQs to use it on the site. I also give CJayC
permission to edit this if he deems it necessary. No one else has permission
to use this guide on their site without express written consent from me.(I've
always wanted to say that). This guide is only for private use.
Copyright 2003 Kelvin Moreaux.
