Gradius III cover art

Gradius series

Gradius III

In the darkest reaches of infinite space, pure evil lies in wait ... The Dark Forces led by the god of destruction, Bacterian, prepare to launch a massive onslaught against the planet Gradius. Possessing…

11 December 1989

Gradius III is a shooter developed by Konami, released 11 December 1989 on Arcade.

Verified Sources: IGDB , Wikipedia

What Gradius III is

Gradius III is a shooter game developed by Konami and released in 1989. It is available on Arcade only. It runs on Konami GX945.

The premise, in the publisher's words

In the far end of the blackest reaches of space lies a galaxy built from layers upon layers of darkness. Bacterian, the mysterious god of destruction born from this unknown region, has once again emerged from his lair. In order to achieve his wicked goals, Bacterian deploys his Dark Force for one final attack. The Dark Force promptly envelops all of space in an energy field more powerful than any of us could have imagined as it carries out its rampage of destruction and carnage. The dark invasion picks off one planet after another surrounding Gradius, and now the home planet finds itself in mortal peril. To deal with this threat, the Gradius federal government orders its entire army to…
Description from the publisher · source

How it plays

It is played from a side view perspective. Its themes are action and science fiction. It supports multiplayer and includes co-op. Local play supports 2 players. Available modes: Multiplayer and Single player.

Where it sits in the Gradius series

Gradius III is the 22nd of 54 entries we hold in the Gradius series. It arrived 11 months after Salamander. The next entry was Gradius in 1989.

See all 54 Gradius games in release order →

What it launched against

Gradius III launched on 11 December 1989, within three weeks of Fantasy World Dizzy, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia, Denaris and Pipe Dream.

Released around the same time: Fantasy World Dizzy, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia, Denaris, Pipe Dream.

Official trailer

Gameplay Video thumbnail

Sourced from the publisher’s YouTube channel.

Screenshots

All media

Dlc

Quick answers

Gradius III — frequently asked questions

When did Gradius III come out?
Gradius III was released on 11 December 1989 for Arcade.
Does Gradius III have multiplayer?
Yes. Gradius III supports multiplayer, including co-op.

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