Gradius: Instruction Manual

Please read the instructions carefully before attempting to load the game. Make sure both the computer and disk drive units are off before putting game disk into drive. This is necessary due to unique fast load program being utilized.

The planet of Gradius is under an all-out attack from the amoeboid aliens of the star cluster Bacterion. You have just launched a counter-attack in your powerful yet untested hyperspace fighter, the Warp Rattler. You must blast your way through fleet after fleet of enemy craft to reach the Bacterion superfortress in deep space...where you'll fight a Duel to the Death. You are the last hope of the gentle people of Gradius, and the entire galaxy!

Gradius is designed to be played by one or two players against the computer. In the 2-player mode, play alternates between you and your opponent.

Insert disk into disk drive with the label side facing up. Type LOAD "*",8,1 then hit RETURN, and the game will load automatically.

You control the Warp Rattler with either the keyboard alone, or joystick and keyboard in combination.

Joystick/keyboard
Move the joystick UP, DOWN, LEFT or RIGHT to control your flight direction. Hit the FIRE button to shoot weapons. Use the SHIFT key to select your weapon.

Keyboard only
To control flight direction, use Z to move LEFT, X to move RIGHT, ; to go UP, and / to go DOWN. Press RETURN to FIRE weapons, and SHIFT to select your weapon

Please note that the M key toggles between music and sound effects, and P pauses the game.

To reach your objective — Xaerous, the Bacterion superfortress — you must pass through several stages of space. In order to do so successfully, you must fight off the constant attack of Bacterions, and steal enemy power capsules to boost the Warp Rattler's powers.

The onslaught of enemy craft is constant. You'll score points for each ship you knock out...but there's only one way to move onto the next stage. You'll be confronted by a monstrous alien creature...and you'll have to destroy it completely to continue your journey to Xaerous.

The Warp Rattler is very fast and very powerful, but your supplies of fuel and ammunition are not nearly enough to complete your journey...let alone put up a fight when you get there. So your objective is not just to destroy the enemy craft, but to capture their power, as well. You'll find enemy power capsules all along the way, so grab as many as you can. You're gonna need 'em!