Gradius/Secrets

The Konami Code
To receive one Speed-Up, Missiles, two Options, and Shields, pause the game and enter the famous Konami Code:        , and unpause the game. This can only be performed once per game.

Continue code
To continue the game from the start of the last stage you visited, enter the following code at the Game Over screen:.

Secret message
Press and hold the and  buttons on the second controller while you reset the machine.

Warps
There are three mechanisms in the game that allow you to warp ahead past one stage. They are only found in stages 1, 2, and 3. Warps are activated if you fulfill the proper conditions for each stage and defeat the Big Core on that stage. Once the warp is activated, you will rush through space while you encounter randomly positioned spinning Moai heads that you must dodge. The most you can warp is two times, once from stage 1 to stage 3, and again from stage 3 to stage 5.

Stage 1 warp: To activate the warp to stage 3, you must destroy each of the four hatches that appear on this stage when the thousands digit of your score is even. Of the four hatches, three are on the lower portion and one is on the upper portion.

Stage 2 warp: To activate the warp to stage 4, you must destroy the Big Core within two seconds of the core turning blue. This is only possible with very well placed shots from lasers.

Stage 3 warp: To activate the warp to stage 5, you must destroy 10 or more Moai statues. Use missiles to destroy bottom lying faces, and double-shot or options to destroy top lying faces.

Stage bonus
The first four stages contain two locations that you can fly the Vic Viper through to collect bonuses. One is a 5000 point bonus that you can collect unconditionally. The other is a 1-Up bonus that you can only collect if the thousands digit of your score is even. The fifth stage contains no bonuses, but the sixth stage does contain a 1-Up bonus. Remember that in order to collect the bonus, you must literally pass through the location indicated in the screenshot.

Instant power-up
To receive one Speed-Up, Missiles, four Options, and Shields, pause the game and enter the famous Konami Code:        , and unpause the game.

30 lives
To begin the game with 30 extra lives, press and hold at the title screen, and press  three times. Then start a new game.