Gradius 2 has been developed four different times, as follows:
- 1987: The original publication of the game for the MSX home computer.
- 1993: Nemesis '90 Kai enhanced remake by SPS for the Sharp X68000 home computer. As well as updating the look and sound of the original, this remake changes many aspects of how the game works, but maintains much of the core material. The look of this game is often compared to Gradius III.
- 1994: Nemesis '94, an unofficial fan made remake of the original, again for the Sharp X68000, which seeks to similarly enhance the look and sound of the original, but keep all of the game content identical to the original MSX release. Many of the sprites for this game, including the Metalion, were taken from the original Gradius arcade game.
- 2007: The inclusion of the game on the PSP title Salamander Collection is an enhancement of the game that presents the title as it might have appeared if it were developed for the more powerful MSX2+ home computer, which was capable of smoother scrolling and an increased color palette. All other aspects of the game are identical to the original.
What follows is a graphical comparison of how each version looked.
Stage 1[edit]
| Original |
PSP
|
|
|
| Nemesis '90 Kai |
Nemesis '94
|
|
|
First Boss[edit]
| Original |
PSP
|
|
|
| Nemesis '90 Kai |
Nemesis '94
|
|
|
Core Invasion[edit]
| Original |
PSP
|
|
|
| Nemesis '90 Kai |
Nemesis '94
|
|
|
Stage 2[edit]
| Original |
PSP
|
|
|
| Nemesis '90 Kai |
Nemesis '94
|
|
|
