Gradius Collection for PSP Reviews by Gamers

How does one go about reviewing a collection of games that are older than some of the people who will read this? I certainly can't compare the graphics to today's standards. And I can't say that these ports are outdated because they are just that, ports. Ports of games that debuted over 10 years ago. I pretty much can't compare anything about this game with games of today. But all is not lost, for I have played the originals and I can safely compare them to this game.

Way back in 1986, this game was ported over to the NES. I first played this classic side scroll shooter on my NES a couple of years later, and I must say it was good. Compared to the original, the PSP version of the original looks much better with a boost in the rendering and sprite count.
Those of us that have played Gradius III remember how the Vic Viper could choose the individual weapon layout if they didn't like the presets. Unfortunately that feature is sorely missing in the PSP portion. Gradius Gaiden is a bit of a twist in the series with different ships to pilot along with Vic. The graphics look much better in Gaiden compared to the others, but that's a stretch comparison as well.

If you are a fan of the Vic Viper and the series, then chances are you have played these games in the past. All you get here is a small graphical boost and smaller frame rate hiccups. I fear this port will not appeal to anyone that has not played the original games, but I can't change that. This is a classic side scroll shooter that goes toe to toe with other classics like R-Type and holds its own very well in my mind. Fans, buy this game to give you your fix of nostalgia. People that have played one or two titles in the past, rent this to give you a greater understanding of the series. Everyone else, stay away.