{"id":14881,"date":"2025-08-08T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/mini-review-gradius-origins-ps5-impressive-collection-bundles-classics-with-brand-new-title\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:00:00","slug":"mini-review-gradius-origins-ps5-impressive-collection-bundles-classics-with-brand-new-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/mini-review-gradius-origins-ps5-impressive-collection-bundles-classics-with-brand-new-title\/","title":{"rendered":"#Mini Review: Gradius Origins (PS5) &#8211; Impressive Collection Bundles Classics with Brand New Title"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/mini-review-gradius-origins-ps5-impressive-collection-bundles-classics-with-brand-new-title\/#Mini_Review_Gradius_Origins_PS5_%E2%80%93_Impressive_Collection_Bundles_Classics_with_Brand_New_Title\" >Mini Review: Gradius Origins (PS5) &#8211; Impressive Collection Bundles Classics with Brand New Title<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mini_Review_Gradius_Origins_PS5_%E2%80%93_Impressive_Collection_Bundles_Classics_with_Brand_New_Title\"><\/span>Mini Review: Gradius Origins (PS5) &#8211; Impressive Collection Bundles Classics with Brand New Title<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"body body-text article-text\">\n<section class=\"text\">\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157908\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157908\/900x.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 1 of 6\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n<ul class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"swiper-slide first\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157906\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157906\/170x110.jpg\" width=\"170\" height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 2 of 6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"swiper-slide\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157905\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157905\/170x110.jpg\" width=\"170\" height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 3 of 6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"swiper-slide\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157907\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157907\/170x110.jpg\" width=\"170\" height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 4 of 6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"swiper-slide\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157902\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157902\/170x110.jpg\" width=\"170\" height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 5 of 6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"swiper-slide last\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157903\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/screenshots\/157903\/170x110.jpg\" width=\"170\" height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gradius Origins Review - Screenshot 6 of 6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><span class=\"icon icon-chevron-left\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><span class=\"icon icon-chevron-right\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Gradius Origins is a seriously impressive package. Not only does it include six classic shoot &#8217;em up titles \u2014 the original <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gradius\"><strong>Gradius<\/strong><\/a> trilogy, two <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salamander_(video_game)\"><strong>Salamander<\/strong><\/a> games, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gradius.fandom.com\/wiki\/Life_Force\"><strong>Life Force<\/strong><\/a>, and regional variants \u2014 but it includes the first brand new Salamander title in nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n<p>Salamander is, of course, the spinoff series of the classic Gradius, but it hasn&#8217;t received a new title since 1996.<\/p>\n<p>Salamander III is unique in that it feels like a perfect union of both IPs in a way nothing before has ever captured, marrying enemy and level types seamlessly. And it features a brilliant final boss to boot.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Salamander appears to have aged better than Gradius, despite the latter providing the moniker for this release.<\/p>\n<p>While Gradius is iconic in its ship design, level structure, and gameplay loop, Salamander is proof that Konami was willing to get <em>weird<\/em> with things. This is especially clear with the Life Force localisation, where you navigate the innards of what appears to be the human body.<\/p>\n<div class=\"for-mobile insert insert-label\">\n<div id=\"inject-primis-player\" data-src-primis=\"https:\/\/live.primis.tech\/live\/liveView.php?s=117168&amp;vp_content=plembed39b4tigwxqjz&amp;cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&amp;playerApiId=primis_player_float&amp;schain=1.0,1!ziffdavis.com,22392450815,1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Gradius deals with mechs and ships with an aesthetic evocative of Galaga, Salamander dabbles in horror, including fleshy, grotesque monsters, hordes of eyeballs, and the like.<\/p>\n<p>The gameplay feels identical across the board \u2014 including Salamander III \u2014 for better or worse. While the gameplay loop is ruthlessly challenging, this is expected for the era these games launched. Between trying to prise quarters out of gamers&#8217; hands and turning a short experience into something infinitely replayable on at-home hardware, this is to be expected.<\/p>\n<p>New quality of life features help immensely here, including an easy mode, rewind feature, and even invulnerability if you don\u2019t care about Trophies and just want to experience the ride.<\/p>\n<p>The collection provides a huge array of titles with iconic, timeless gameplay, and a brand new title that deftly reinvigorates the franchise. If you like shmups, this one is a must.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<aside class=\"positive-negative\">\n<ul class=\"positives\">\n<li class=\" first\">Huge collection of great games<\/li>\n<li>New Salamander game is excellent<\/li>\n<li>Timeless, brilliant shmup gameplay<\/li>\n<li class=\" last\">Modern Q.O.L. improvements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"negatives\">\n<li class=\" first\">Gameplay diversity almost non-existent<\/li>\n<li class=\" last\">Ruthless difficulty may frustrate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"scoring rating\">\n<p class=\"stars\"><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star accent\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star\"><\/span><span class=\"icon icon-star\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"score\"><span class=\"accent\">Great<\/span> <span class=\"value accent\">8<\/span>\/<span class=\"best\">10<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"policy\">Review copy provided by Konami<br \/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"ethics#product-reviews\">How we review products<\/a><br \/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"scoring#score-8\">Scoring Policy<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Game<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/reviews\/ps5\/gradius-origins\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mini Review: Gradius Origins (PS5) &#8211; Impressive Collection Bundles Classics with Brand New Title Gradius Origins is a seriously impressive package. Not only does it include six classic shoot &#8217;em up titles \u2014 the original Gradius trilogy, two Salamander games, Life Force, and regional variants \u2014 but it includes the first brand new Salamander title&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/502469e38468f\/1280x720.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1637,1598,1402,1400,1398],"class_list":["post-14881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game","tag-gradius-origins","tag-konami","tag-mini-reviews","tag-ps5","tag-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}