These power-ups are permanent until the player is destroyed, even if he switches between the Double and Laser powerups. In a slight carryover from Salamander 2, Missile, Double and Laser weapons can be additionally powered up one level. However, the player can select from several ships, each with a unique weapon configuration. Laser, the Reduce size shield, option types, are all items that have been removed in the transition from Gradius III to this title. Moreover, several changes were made on the weapons system. However, two new ships are made available whose weapon configurations are new to the series. The core gameplay of Gradius Gaiden remains relatively unchanged. Four pairs of wings now head for the inky depths of the galaxy, with the fate of Gradius resting on their shoulders. The military commanders of Gradius, out of options, played their last card - a strike by four new hyper-space fighters at the heart of the enemy invasion, the center of the Black Nebula.

The military forces of Gradius, accustomed to the long era of peace, suffered defeat after defeat, and the unknown invasion force soon loomed over the planet Gradius itself. And not long after an exploration vessel disappeared in the nebula, nearby planets and colonies began falling prey to attacks by unknown forces. Long feared as the “Expanse of Darkness,” the Black Nebula was an area of mystery and terror, and all were forbidden to pass near it. The people of Gradius rebuilt their civilization to new heights of prosperity during a long era of peace, but the nightmare returned once more. At the end of the third Bacterion war, the planet Gradius was freed from the terror of obliteration as the core of the Bacterion forces was destroyed.

Deltatry from gradius gaiden