Overview and Gameplay
Zelos, a planet-devouring alien life-form, has swallowed the worlds of Gradius and Latis. Piloting Vic Viper, or RoadBritish in two-player play, you fight through six stages inside the creature to destroy its heart. This NES adaptation of Konami’s arcade Salamander alternates horizontal and vertical scrolling, with organic tunnels, volcanoes, fire formations, temples, machinery, and large bosses. Its simultaneous co-op and varied stage design helped make it one of the NES’s better-known shooters.
Controls And Mechanics
- Movement: Guide the ship in eight directions.
- Weapons: Fire the equipped shot and missiles, then activate the highlighted power-meter upgrade.
- Power-ups: Capsules advance a meter containing Speed Up, Missiles, Ripple Laser, Plutonic Laser, Option, and Force Field.
- Progression: Death removes collected upgrades, making recovery increasingly difficult in later stages.
- Co-op: Two players fight simultaneously with separate ships, scores, and power meters while sharing the stage objective.
Version Notes
The North American edition is titled Life Force. The Japanese Famicom version is titled Salamander and allows a third Option, while the US version limits the total to two.
Release And Credits
- Release year: 1988
- Developer: Konami Industry Co., Ltd.
- Publisher: Konami of America, Inc.
- Original arcade game: Salamander (1986)
