Parodius compilation with careful emulation. Konami's parody shmup remains hilarious and enjoyable. Gradius gameplay revisited with humor, adorable kitsch visuals. Excellent entertainment for short sessions, still as fun.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Humorous Konami shoot-'em-up parodying its own arcade series with fantastical creatures. Published by Konami, released in Europe in 1997. Characters from the Gradius universe reimagined - octopuses, penguins and cats -, levels with absurd settings and numerous winks, bizarre bosses and recognizable reworked music tracks. Western port of Konami's cult parody shooter.
Parodius review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
A zany shoot'em up parody by Konami: octopuses, penguins and delirious bosses in a flood of garish colours compose a joyful chaos. The absurd inventiveness of the settings and the visual humour overflow with energy. This graphic whimsy, unhinged and polished, stands as a delightful gem of the genre.
Deliciously absurd, Konami's music subverts great classical pieces and Gradius themes into a parodic patchwork of wild inventiveness. Each level sparkles with catchy melodies and hilarious musical nods. This sonic whimsy, joyful and virtuosic, is the whole zany charm of this cult series.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Konami twists its own shooting saga with absurd humour and a deluge of colour: penguins, octopuses and oddball power-ups flood the screen non-stop. Beneath the visual madness hides a demanding horizontal shooter, faithful to the Gradius spirit. Colourful, funny and snappy, a gleeful parody that delights the eyes as much as the trigger finger, ideal for unwinding.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
European PAL Saturn edition of Parodius, distributed by Konami Europe in December 1997, an arcade conversion pairing the two Parodius entries in a continental presentation distinct from the Japanese Gokujou Parodius Deluxe Pack. Konami Europe run was short, the European jewel case is fragile, and the structural scarcity of Parodius in PAL combined with the sub franchise's signature visual humour makes a PAL identified clean complete copy a clearly valued archive object for Western Konami enthusiasts who do not want to depend on the Japanese market.
Is Parodius still worth playing in 2026?
A parodic compilation by Konami, Gokujou Parodius Da Deluxe Pack gathers the two Parodius games (Parodius Da and Gokujou Parodius) on a single disc. The deranged parodic art direction, absurd bosses and humorous tribute to Konami shoots make it an absolutely cult gem of the Saturn catalogue. For anyone fond of horizontal shoots or seeking a humorous Gradius parody, a warm recommendation still valid today without any hesitation for delirious shoot genre fans truly here indeed.
