Download Gradius Deluxe Pack (J) ROM – SEGA Saturn Game

Dodge waves of alien ships while slowly powering up your weapons—those first few minutes feel brutal until you snag enough upgrades to even the odds. The Saturn port nails that arcade feel where every new level throws something wild at you.

Developer: Konami

Genre: Shoot 'em up

Released: 1996

File size: 241.35 MB

Game Overview

Gradius Deluxe Pack bundles two of the best arcade shooters from the '80s—Gradius I and II—onto your Sega Saturn (or PlayStation or PC, if you've got those versions). Same classic side-scrolling action where you blast through swarms of Bacterian enemies in a ship that starts off painfully slow but becomes an absolute powerhouse once you grab enough speed and weapon upgrades.

The first thing you'll notice is how crisp the ports are—they kept the pixel-perfect chaos of the arcade originals. Each level throws completely new enemy patterns at you, so just when you think you've got the rhythm down, the next stage mixes everything up. And yeah, the big eyeball boss still shows up every few levels to ruin your day.

No saves, though. You either beat it in one sitting or accept that you'll be replaying the early levels a lot. The power-up system is still genius—do you go for lasers first, or gamble on grabbing missiles? Either way, it's pure adrenaline once your ship is fully loaded.

If you like shooters that reward memorization and quick reflexes, this is still one of the best ways to experience these classics.