Gradius: the Interstellar Assault
Manual re-write by: VmprHntrD
This is the manual to the GameBoy game.....
Gradius the Interstellar Assault (from: Konami)
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]____________________________________________
INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 4
HOW TO PLAY ................................................................ 5
FLIGHT CONTROLS ............................................................ 8
BATTLEFIELD PREVIEW ........................................................ 9
ALL FIVE LEVELS ........................................................... 10
POWERING-UP ............................................................... 12
STARFIGHTER HINTS ......................................................... 13
STARSHIP SPECS ............................................................ 14
[Page 3]
[INTRODUCTION]_________________________________________________
1,000,000:1 (THE LATEST ODDS ON YOUR SURVIVAL)
All is silent, black, cold. The attack has ended, and the spewed alien bile
on your flight suit has gotten crusty. Your fingers twitch like the pincers
on a fly, as if they were still wrapped around your ship's fire button. Your
eyes dart back and forth searching the heavens for more enemy fighters, but
the only things looming overhead are the smoldering stars which were destroyed
during Bacterion's thrity light-years war. A drop of icy sweat rolls down
your forehead and a frigid pain shoots up your leg. The chill comforts you,
since it confirms you're still alive.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Fire suddenly erupts on all sides of your ship, jolting your head and smashing
it into the gravity shield. You shake off the impact in time to see a swarm
of doomships closing in on you. Warning signals illuminate your cockpit, but
it's too late. They've used their cloacking devices to initiate the ultimate
surprise attack. Your only hope now is to escape into the Akarian Asteroid
Field, where you can regain your senses and hopefully survive long enough to
outflank and then reengage the enemy. You fire your thrusters and rocket
toward the risky santuary, hoping it's your lucky da.
[Page 4]
[HOW TO PLAY]______________________________________________________
HOW TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE
To begin, place the Game Pak into the Game Boy and turn on the power.
"Nintendo" will appear, followed by "Konami". Press the Start button to
advance to the Title Screen. You'll begin the battle with three starfighters.
Bonus starfighters can be added if you score big enough points. When your
final ship is roasted...well, you know what that means.
TITLE SCREEN
Here you can choose GAME, PRACTICE, or OPTION. Press the Control Pad Up or
Down to make your selection, then press the Start Button.
GAME MODE (AKA: YOUR INTERGALACTICE DOOM SENTENCE)
If you select the Game Mode, the Weapon Select will appear. Press the Control
Pad Left or Right to choose specific set ups for Intruder Missiles, Double
Guns, 'A Blazing or laser Warfare. Then press the Control Pad Up or Down to
choose from different attack options within each of these primary weapons
categories. Finally press the Start Button or A Button to begin your mission.
[Page 5]
Intruder Missiles Options
Normal: Missiles seek out targets at a downward diagonal angle.
2 Way: With a second power-up, missiles will fire upwards and
downwards.
Tail Gun: Missiles are fired from the rear. With a second power-up,
they will fire upwards and downwards.
Double Guns 'A Blazing Options
Normal: Blasts are fired forward and diagonally upward.
Twin Cannon: Parallel blasts are fired in unison.
Tail Gun: Blasts are fired from the rear.
Laser Warfare Options
Normal: A direct laser beam will enhance your attack power.
Twin: Parallel lasers will increase your striking range.
Ripple: Widens your blast field.
[Page 6]
PRACTICE GALAXY (YOUR TUNE-UP TO TERROR)
If you select Practive Mode, you'll first choose your weaon (See Game Mode for
details). After making your selection, press the Start Button and the Stage
Select Screen will appear. Press the Control Pas Left or Right to select from
levels 1-4, then press the Start button. Sorry, but there's no warm-up for
level 5. You'll have to fly through that level by the seat of your spacesuit!
OPTION MODE (DECIDE YOUR LEVEL OF COURAGE)
if you select the Option Mode, you'll get the chance to set up the parameters
of your mission.
Options inculde the Level of Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard. Rapid Fire: On
or Off. BGM (Background Music): On on Off. You'll also select the Trigger
Type, assigning the A and B Button Buttons to either FIRE or POWER-UP.
First select a set-up category by pressing the Control Pad Up or Down. Then
press the Control Pad Left or Right to review the options in each category.
For Background Music you must press the A Button to hear your selection. When
you've finished, move the cursor to EXIT and press the Start Button.
[Page 7]
[FLIGHT CONTROLS]__________________________________________________
CONTROL PAD
Press Up, Down, Left, or Right to guide your starfighter.
START BUTTON
Press to pause and unpause the attack.
SELECT BUTTON
Not used during combat.
A BUTTON
Press to activate power-up weapons.
B BUTTON
Press to fire weapons.
NOTE: You can restart the attack by hold down the A, B, and Select Button,
the pressing the Start Button.
Also remember, you can reverse the A and B Button functions in the Option Mode
[Page 8]
[BATTLEFIELD PREVIEW]____________________________________________
FIELD OF HONOR [Points to Weapon, Power-up indicator, and score]
THE IN-BETWEEN SCREEN
SHIP LOST
Overall High Score ------------ TOP SCORE 30000
Present Score --------------------- SCORE 14500
Number of Starfighters Remaining --- REST 00
TO CONTINUE OR NOT TO CONINUE, THAT IS THE QUESTION
After your final starfighter bites the meteor dust, you can choose to CONTINUE
or END your mission. If you select CONTINUE, you'll resume from the level
where you took your last breath. Make your choice by pressing the Start
Button for Yes or the Select Button for No.
[Page 9]
[ALL FIVE LEVELS]________________________________________________
BEFORE FIGHTING IN THESE INFECTED AREAS, BE SURE YOU'VE GOT ALL YOUR SHOTS!
Rubble Resort
Just past the Akarain Asteroid Field lies the Beast Squadron's front lines,
which was once a vacation hot spot before being burned by the Beast Squadron.
Bacterion's Command and Control Center
This level is probably your most critical target. After all, if you shut down
the brains of the operation you'll have a batter chance and out-smarting
Bacterion.
The Askikin Meteor Belt
Welcome to the Beast Squadron's lair. It's a radical area heavily defended by
all sorts of cosmic creeps, including rolling Bone Heads from the Stone'em
Galaxy.
[Page 10]
The AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Zone
Alien cruise missiles will zip toward you from all angles of the galaxy. The
fire will be so intense, you'll probably have to pause the mission to splash
some cold water in your face. Blam! Splash! Blam! Splash! Blam! Splash!
It's enough to make you scream.
The Fifth Dimension
Often confused with a popular singing group from the 1960's, this level will
separate the ultimate starfighters from the wimpy ones. It's packed with
dozens of Bartanium Booby Traps, probably a starfighters biggest single fear.
Note: This level isn't included in the Practice Galaxy. To reach it, you must
be one lucky son of a ray gun!.
[Page 11]
[POWERING-UP]______________________________________________
PWER-UP SPHERE, WITHOUT THEM YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED
Certain members of the Beast Squadron carry a power-up generator aboard their
ship. Some missile batteries have them as well. When you turn these ships or
fortifications into space shrapnel, the power-up sphere will remain. Capture
these sphere and your Power-Up Gauge will advance. When the power-up you
desire is illuminated, press the A Button.
The Mega Blast Device
A few specially selected enemy squadron leaders are equipped with Mega Blast
Devices. Capture these and you'll definitely have a blast wiping out a
screen-full of enemies.
YOUR STARFIGHTER'S POWER-UP GAUGE
Memorize the power-up sequence on tihs gauge.
S is for the speed-up. You can increase your speed yp to five times.
M is for missiles.
D is for double firepower.
L is for the laser beam.
O is for the offensive Ghost Fighter.
F is for the force field.
NOTE: D and L can't be combined. If the Force Field is hit three times, it
will be inoperable until you power-up with it again.
[Page 12]
[STARFIGHTER HINTS]______________________________________________
HINTS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
1. Whenever possible combine D and M. This technique is a sure fire
way to destroy tons 'o enemies. Remember. the key is to select a
balance of weapons that fire in many different directions.
2. Realize that D and L cannot be combined. Be sure to select the most
effective of the two, depending on the battlefield or enemy.
3. Select O and you'll have the infamous Ghost Fighter as your wingman.
Talk about the ultimate shotgun formation. You can have up to 2 Ghost
Fighters beside you at once. Overall, it's a pretty awesome way to
waste your foes.
4. Don't forget that the S option can be selected a maximum of 5 times.
It's a great way to blow by obstacles...as long as you have the nerve
and skill to hyper-speed to safely.
5. Finally, try to reach full power-up with each weapon option. That
way, your Power-Up Gauge will always be in the F position, and your
shields can remain operational for the majority of the mission.
[Page 13]
[STARSHIP SPECS]_________________________________________________
|------------------ Force Field
|
/ -- \
|| ||
/_| |_\
| || || |
VIC VIPER / || || \
|----| |----|
MODEL BP 456Y | || || |
CLASSIFICATION: STARFIGHTER |- -|| ||- -|
LENGTH: 49.5 FT. | || /\ || |
HEIGHT: 20.0 | ||/ \|| | ---------- Apogge Cryton
WIDTH: 51.0 ||-|-||\/||-|-|| Fuel-Injected Engine
WEIGHT: 38T | |||||| |
| |||||| |
|\ |||||| /|
| |--|/||\|--| |
|/ | /\ | \| ---------- Cockpit
/| || || |\
/ | /||\/||\ | \
/| /\| / |||||| \ |/\ |\ ----- Double Cannon
/ || || /| | \/ | |\ || || \
/ || ||/|| | | ||\|| || \
/___---|---| || | | || |---|---___\
____/ | |---|----|----|----|---| | \____
| |_____|_ |---|_____ || _____|---|__|_____| |
|\__|| | | |||---|| | || | ||---||| | | ||__/|
----||_|_|_|||_|_|----- || -----|_|_|||_|_|_||----
\| __|_||_|__ |/
----- || -----
||_______||_______||
--------------------
\|__/ \|__/
\
\--- Impulse Power Thrusters
[Page 14]