Konami's Game Boy Gradius. Vic Viper, options, classic capsule power-ups, horizontal levels flowing nicely on the system. Shorter than arcade Gradius but the spirit is there, and the bosses are well thought-out. Excellent portable shooter, one of the best on Game Boy. For Konami fans without hesitation.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Third Nemesis Game Boy episode with a new Vic Viper adventure against Bacterion invaders. Published by Konami, released in Europe in 1992. All-new levels, enriched power-up system, special bosses, and content distinct from the previous series episodes.
Late PAL edition of Nemesis II with the Europe specific The Return of the Hero subtitle, released two years after the Japanese version and decked out with a cover designed for the continental market. Konami Europe run was short, and the cardboard box suffers, as most do from that PAL era. A piece marked by collectors gathering regional variants and by fans of Konami shmups on the monochrome handheld.
An underrated gem
Cramming all of Gradius's intensity into a Game Boy was a tall order, and the Vic Viper pulls it off with flair: capsule power-ups, varied stages and imposing bosses despite the tiny screen. Lost among the console's late releases, this horizontal shooter kept a low profile. A technical treat for fans of scrolling and pixel-perfect piloting.
Is Nemesis II - The Return of the Hero still worth playing in 2026?
Konami's portable Gradius keeps the series' grammar intact, with Vic Viper, options and power-up capsules, in horizontal scrolling that runs surprisingly smoothly on the hardware. Shorter than an arcade Gradius, it compensates with carefully designed bosses and dense stage layouts that invite multiple runs. Readability remains decent despite the monochrome screen, and the soundtrack pulls its weight on the Game Boy's channels. For horizontal shooter fans and Konami devotees, it stands as one of the machine's shmup benchmarks, still very playable today.
