John Smith Legacy 
Gradius Home World 
GameStone 
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Works with some graphic problems, can run very slow when lots of polygons are on displayed
Sounds is much better after my bug report 03275 was fixed
1st Added MAME 0.86
Solar Assault (ver JAA)
Loads and plays fine.
1st Added MAME 0.188
Solar Assault Revised (ver JAA)
Loads and plays fine.
1st Added MAME 0.188
Solar Assault (ver UAA)
Loads and plays fine.
1st Added MAME 0.104u6
Gradius Home World Discord
https://discord.gg/H6SZ3SK
Otomedius DLC added to the Downloads section, also added the PlayStation games.
Gone through my Emulation list, updated broken links and added new links for Xbox and i-mode (Mobile Phone) emulators.
Added Gradius J2ME Motorola v3 to the Downloads section, note that this version runs at a higher resolution and also has music conpaired to the i-mode version.
I made a Windy II logo, also updated my small Windy pixel art machines in the Artwork section.
I've updated the Konami logo history page as I found out some new information about the logos..
I've reorganised the Downloads Games section for the Xbox 360 Otomedius games, it now lists all the DLC (just for information only at the moment), also added rips for all the Sega Saturn games.
Back in 2011 I made an unofficial 9th CD to compliment Gradius Ultimate Collection with some of the missing tunes.
I've re-recorded some tunes and re-released the tunes as flac files too, it's on the Downloads Movies and Music section (GameStone's Unofficial 9th CD for Gradius Ultimate Collection v0.3).
Quite a few doujin and homebrew games were posted on the old GHW forums, I've been going through my Gradius files archive and have added two to the Downloads Games page.
Salamander 4.0 - Made by Captain B
Salamander 4 - Made by AlexR22 (contains multiple development versions)
AlexR22 also made many different versions as the game was being developed, I've included all the files I have plus a bonus on how they made the Powerup bar in the game (source code too).
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius for the Super Famicom has been translated!!!
https://www.romhacking.net/translations/6858/
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius, “Chatting Parodius Live!”, fully translated into English: menus, cutscenes, megaphone phrases and gameplay graphic pop-ups.
To patch the rom file you'll need an IPS patching program, I use Floating IPS (Flips) as it's just a simple program that just does the job.
https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1040/
Another model kit from Plum, this time Vic Viper from Gradius II GOFER no Yabou (X68000 version).
I've bought from both of these places in the past, the only main issue is the postage which can pretty much double the price of the kit.
The kit does not come out until April 2023
Hobby Search - https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10948217
Nin-Nin-Game - https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/plastic-model/82757-big-viper-1444-gradius-ii-ver-plastic-model-kit-plum-.html
Another great music release from kaguyadepth.
UNDINE 3: The Young Prince and Continuation of Prophecy (ウンディーネ3 幼い王子と予言の続き), available from 23rd December 2022.
Official site for kaguyadepth.
http://kaguyadepth.jp/2022/10/25/kdcd-22061.html
Don't forget it can also be purchased overseas from DLsite (when release on the 23rd December 2022).
More hi-res scans, Merchandise this time, they are in the Downloads - Hi-Res Scans section.
Bandai Kasetto Sentai 4 (Cartridge Corps) Gradius Vic Viper Famicom Cartridge.
Now this is a odd thing, it's a miniature Gradius Famicom cartridge that transforms into Vic Viper!
_gradius_vic_viper_famicom_cartridge.jpg)
Here's an interesting take on music covers of game musis, a new album by The Game Brass called Brass Effect will be released on 9th September 2022.
Featuring 25 tracks that's two hours of space-themed video game music including one of the tunes from Gradius III, Sand Storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqAu1aj1cg
https://www.thegamebrass.com/brasseffect/
You can buy the tracks on Bandcamp.
https://thegamebrass.bandcamp.com/album/brass-effect
The crazy thing about time... it's now the 25th Anniversary of Gradius Gaiden!!!
28th August 1997 - 28th August 2022
I still remember picking it up from Computer Exchange in Rathbone Place W1 London back in late summer 97.
I already had Gradius Deluxe Pack on import and I didn't even know about Gradius Gaiden back then, it was just on the shelf in the shop and it only took me a second to decide to buy it.
Also on the store shelve was Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus and Parodius Deluxe Pack so I got those too, these are still the versions I have now all those years later.
This was the golden age of Konami's PlayStation games collections.
Storm Assault - Windows - STORM PROJECT - ストームアサルト ストームプロジェクト 横スクロールSTG
This game has to be one of the most professional homebrew doujin side scrolling shooting games (Shoot'em up, Shump, STG) I've seen on the PC, all the graphics, BGM and SFX are all original and match the game completely.
You can see they have taken some of the ideas from the Gradius series, noticeably Gradius Gaiden.
Storm Projects website and Twitter
http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~bp-827z/asd/
https://twitter.com/storm_project
Now this is a playthrough of the two releases I have, as the game was being developed it changed slightly between versions, after 0.21 the game was changed a lot and is no longer Gradius related, shame as the game was looking very polished and had some great new ideas with the Moai stage.
17th January 2008 - Storm Assault Ver0.191 (s_assault_v0191)
26th May 2009 - Storm Assault Ver0.21 (s_assault_v021)
Another video stay awhile, stay forever... errr YouTube video this week, this time:-
Gradius - Japan - NEC PC88-5INCH Emulator XM8 - グラディウス ＮＥＣ ＰＣ８８ー５ＩＮＣＨ
This is a lesser version of the Sharp X1 game, you only get two Options, the scrolling is even more choppy, slow down is so bad but at least the music sounds good.
Everything LCD monitor is widescreen now which is such a waste for classic arcade games that are mostly 4:3.
Could this new LG monitor be the perfect arcade monitor, a more square 16:18 design.
28-inch 16:18 DualUp Monitor with Ergo Stand and USB Type-C.
https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-28mq780-b# - USA
https://www.lg.com/uk/monitors/lg-28mq780-b - UK
I've been keeping an eye out for a replacement monitor for the Konami Windy II machine (if the CRT ever dies), the CRT viewable area is 554mm x 428mm and this monitor is pretty close to that size.
549.5 x 480mm - LG Monitor
554.0 x 428mm - Windy 29inch CRT
It's looking pretty good for an arcade machine due to it's almost perfect ratio, size (almost matches the 29inch) and the price is not too bad either.
Another YouTube video this week, this time:-
Gradius - Japan - Sharp X1 Emulator X Millennium - グラディウス シャープ エックスワン
This is my first real play through of this game, I've always just loaded it up and never played more than a few minutes.
This took a few attempts, them walkers firing bullets can be quite annoying but in the end I actually managed to complete it on one life.
I died on stage 1 loop 2 which is defiantly harder, the enemies shoot a lot more, I then just killed my player stock rather than carrying on playing.
Another year and another great music release from kaguyadepth.
UNDINE 2: Go Beyond Time and Space, available 13th June 2022.
Official site for kaguyadepth.
http://kaguyadepth.jp/2022/04/02/kdcd-22031.html
It's can also be purchased overseas now at the DLsite, check it out, small price to pay for some excellent classic 8-bit style music.
https://www.dlsite.com/home/work/=/product_id/RJ396864.html/?locale=en_US
Next video of me playing Thunder Cross on the PCSX2 PlayStation 2 emulator.
It's not a bad version of the game game by Hamster, some audio issues in the game (even on the actual console) like the Battleship Stage 4 being dead quiet unlike the arcade original but overall it's a good version.
If you want a better version it's available on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch Arcade Archives also by Hamster.
PlayStation 4
https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP8908-CUSA04855_00-HAMPRDC000000001
Nintendo Switch
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Arcade-Archives-THUNDER-CROSS-1919149.html
I've added some images of my Arcade Board storage cabinet to the GameStone's Collection section.
I was doing the food shop and I couldn't help myself but buy this Buzz Lightyear ship, I know it's not Vic Viper but it is about as close we are going to get.
Well I've been playing Gradius V NTSCJ on a PlayStation 2 emulator in Widescreen!!!
This was played on the PC emulator PCSX2 with all the settings cranked to maximum resolution of 3840x2160 4K, this makes the texture edges so smooth.
Due to the way the widescreen hack works, there are some pop in for enemies and some things are not stretched (like Zelos on the first stage). You cannot fly into the widescreen either, it's only for seeing a bit further, I think it does enhanced the game a bit.
Even on Very Easy I think the game is quite a challenge, I will say that I hate that 'something green' stage.
Oh and also a YouTube video - https://youtu.be/vFOIiiDzdWo
Updated the Otomedius G (Gorgeous!) install guides with alternative methods on how to install Title Update #1 into the DVD files.
GameStone's Otomedius G Xbox 360 English Translation v1.8
Happy Gradius Day, 29th May 1985 - 29th May 2022 - 37 Years!!!
Also more progress on the translating, this is the third release for the Xbox 360 game Otomedius G (Gorgeous!), all the GUI, text, menus and now all the DLC have all been translated and are now in English!!!
GameStone's Otomedius G Xbox 360 English Translation v1.7
Here the newest play through using this with the DLC - https://youtu.be/zunhCAiVlco
Great progress, Otomedius G (Gorgeous!) all the in-game menus are translated and the game is playing well.
GameStone's Otomedius G Xbox 360 English Translation v1.6
YouTube video goodness, with my original save files, lots of high power weapons- https://youtu.be/k6L3w9Bl4i8
I've moved the game translation efforts onto the Xbox 360 version of the game and have release my first patch for the game, this translates all the textures that I originally made for the arcade release of the game, still more to do but this is a great start.
GameStone's Otomedius G Xbox 360 English Translation v1.5
I've also made a video on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Fg_5q95-Q
I've been testing Otomedius on the PC, the newest release GGG-J-A-A-2008041801 (18th April 2008) doesn't seem to work and just locks up the program but the older release works fine.
This was tested on my 64bit Windows 10, see the GameStone's Otomedius AC English Translation page for info on how the run the game and translations of some of the messages you may get while trying to run the game.
Please note that if you want to patch it with the translation files I made, you will have to use the v0.5 release as the later v1.1 is for a later version of the game, the data files are not the same and the later v1.1 files will not work.
Added Otomedius (Japan Version GGG-J-A-A-2007092100 - 21st September 2007) to the Downloads Games section.
This is an earlier release of the game, you can only select from three characters and some stages are missing, this would be the release you get when you install the game from the three CD's.
Added some new X68000 games and the PS2 game Oretachi Geasen Zoku - Thunder Cross (NTSC-J) - SLMP 62744 to the Downloads Games section.
Also renamed some of the Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation2 files.
I just uploaded my first video to YouTube.
This is taken from the PlayStation2 games bonus DVD Oretachi Geasen Zoku - Thunder Cross (NTSC-J) - SLMP 62744 (DVD Track 5) by Konami.
オレたちゲーセン族 サンダークロス ＶＪーＲＥＭＩＸ
Oretachi Geasen Zoku - Sandaa Kurosu VJ-REMIX
We're The Arcade Crew - Thunder Cross VJ-REMIX
Lots of stuff today, Sega Saturn Game Music, unlike the PlayStation that uses XA audio (like mp3 but Sony), the Sega Saturn Gradius related games have some normal CD audio tracks.
I've added an archive with all the tracks from the Gradius related games to the Downloads Movies and Music section.
Here are some of the missing Fan based (Doujin) NEC PC9801 games, also added some alternative Floppy and Hard Disk images for some of the games, see the Downloads Games section (near the bottom under Fan Based Games) for the files.
Garudius '95 - CO2-PRO-.hdi
Garudius '95 - Disk A - CO2-PRO-.hdm
Garudius '95 - Disk B - CO2-PRO-.hdm
Kemesis - CO2-PRO-.fdi
Kemesis - CO2-PRO-.hdm
Salamander - Gold Cats.hdm
Ulamander - Shisou Kyouiku Dantai.hdm
Ulamander - Shisou Kyouiku Dantai - Disk 1.fdi
Ulamander - Shisou Kyouiku Dantai - Disk 2.fdi
Ulife Force - Shisou Kyouiku Dantai.hdm
Ulife Force - Shisou Kyouiku Dantai - Alt.hdm
Readded the sprite rips for the initial release of the arcade game Otomedius, they are in the Downloads - Sprite Rips section.
There are a few releases of this game in the arcade and it's also been updated a number a times.
These graphics are from the release you would get from a fresh install of the game from the three CD's on your original arcade hardware - GGG-J-A-A-2007092100 (21st September 2007).
I've also added the later version rips to version Otomedius GGG-J-A-A-2008041801 (18th April 2008).
Satisfactory
(PC)
RoboCop Rouge City
(PC)
Minecraft
(PC)
Satisfactory 1.0
10th September 2024
(PC)