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This article is about the 1988 MSX game. For the 1990 game that was marketed outside of Japan as "Parodius", see Parodius Da!
For the franchise, see Parodius (series).

Parodius ~Tako wa Chikyū o Sukū~ (パロディウス ~タコは地球を救う~?, lit. "Parodius: The Octopus Saves the Earth") or just Parodius, is a scrolling shooter video game developed by Konami for the MSX computer, released in Japan in 1988. The game is notable for being the first title in the Parodius series, although it is often confused with Parodius Da! in that regard. The name itself is a portmanteau of "Gradius" and "parody" and, eponymously, the game is a parody of the Gradius series of space-based horizontally-scrolling shooters. Many of the characters and enemies are derived from that famous shooter series, while other elements are extracted from other Konami titles, such as Antarctic Adventure and TwinBee. This game is of particular note in the series as being heavily infused with Japanese culture and folklore.

Gameplay[]

The gameplay is very similar to the Gradius games, with other aspects from games such as TwinBee. However, the characters are replaced with silly characters taken from either these or other Konami games, as well as Japanese culture. The music is mostly taken from classical music pieces.

The player can play as either Tako (father of Takosuke), an octopus, the Penguin (father of Pentarou) from Antarctic Adventure and the exclusive MSX game Penguin Adventure, Goemon from the Ganbare Goemon series, the Popolon knight from the MSX game Knightmare or the Vic Viper spaceship from Gradius. The game is composed of six stages consisting of various obstacles and enemies such as penguins and bees, as well as more traditional Gradius enemies such as Moai. As with Gradius, the game utilizes a similar selection-bar based power-up system.

However, when a random power-up is picked up, then a feature called Bellpower/Roulette will automatically make the player's power bar skipping powers until the player presses the button used to stop the roulette. Some players may be unlucky and getting their chances of landing on the OH! power instead of the ? and the Options.

Power-Ups[]

  • Up Laser: Appears in Nemesis 2 not as a power-up, but as an upgrade. Nevertheless, it functions the same.
  • Down Double: Like Up Laser, this appears in Nemesis 3 as an upgrade instead.
  • Vector Laser: Functions the same in Nemesis 2.
  • Horizontal Warp: Exclusive to Parodius MSX, it allows the character to warp to the other side of the screen horizontally.
  • Vertical Warp: It allows the character to warp to the other side of the screen vertically. Exclusive to Parodius MSX.
  • Rotary Drill (renamed Itazura Drill): Although it functions the same as the original Rotary Drill in Nemesis 2, this power-up aesthetically changes the character to a literal drill.

Ports[]

Parodius was later included in Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.3 for PlayStation, Konami Antiques MSX Collection Ultra Pack for Sega Saturn, and Parodius Portable for PlayStation Portable with enhanced graphics.

In addition, it was released for mobile phones in December 2006 and for Virtual Console in January 2010.

Cheats[]

Type these commands to access cheats:

  • F1 Z E N B U Enter F1 - All Weapons
  • F1 K O N A M I Enter F1 - Get Vector Laser
  • F1 B U T A K O Enter F1 - Get Up Laser
  • F1 T A K O 1 8 T H Enter F1 - Get Rotary Drill
  • F1 P A R O Enter F1 - Get Wrap Around
  • F1 K A T A I Enter F1 - Increase Shield Durability (does not work with "ZENBU" cheat command)

There are bonus stages in stages 1, 4, and 5.

Stages[]

Stage Name Mid-Boss Boss Music Remix of
1 Ur Star Big Moai Big Penguin Crime of Century
Crisis 4th Movement
Boss, It's Parodius
Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Coda by Ludwig van Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
2 Game Star Laser Rush Jan Ken Pon Right of Octopus
Crisis 4th Movement
Boss, It's Parodius
Moonlight Sonata, 3rd Movement by Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Coda by Ludwig van Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
3 Annoying Star Dirt Rush Tenuki Tenuki Buzz Illusion of Octopus
Crisis 4th Movement
Boss, It's Parodius
In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg
Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66 by Frédéric Chopin
Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Coda by Ludwig van Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
4 Stray Star Cute Bills Maids Crazy World
Crisis 4th Movement
Boss, It's Parodius
9th Symphony, "New World Symphony" by Antonín Leopold Dvořák
The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers by Leon Jessel
Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Coda by Ludwig van Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
5 Mystic Star None Ge Ge Ge Aunt The Walts of Octopus
Boss, It's Parodius
Swan Lake Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
6 The Star Organ Bug Fate of Octopus
Crisis 4th Movement
Boss, It's Parodius
Ride of The Valkyries by Richard Wagner
Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Coda by Ludwig van Beethoven
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
B Extra Stage Bug-Misfit
Bug-Mayhem
Bug-Abaddon
Sweet Emotion
Boss, It's Parodius
Les Toreadors by Georges Bizet
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

Enemies[]

Trivia[]

  • Aside from minor alterations, the UI design in Parodius is the same as the one found in Nemesis 2.
Parodius
Characters TakoVic ViperPentaGoemonPopolon
Stages Ur StarGame StarAnnoying StarStray StarMystic StarThe StarExtra Stage
Bosses Big MoaiBig PenguinBug-MisfitJan Ken PonTenuki Tenuki BuzzCute BillsMaidsBug-MayhemGe Ge Ge AuntBug-AbaddonOrganBug
Gradius video games
Gradius series GradiusGradius IIGradius IIIGradius GaidenGradius IV: FukkatsuGradius GalaxiesGradius VGradius ReBirthGradius: The Interstellar AssaultGradius NEOGradius NEO Imperial
Spin-offs Salamander (Life Force) (MSX ver.)• Salamander 2Nemesis 2 (Nemesis '90 Kai) • Nemesis 3Nemesis (Game Boy)Cosmic WarsSolar Assault
Parody games ParodiusParodius Da!Gokujō Parodius!Jikkyō Oshaberi ParodiusSexy ParodiusParo WarsOtomedius (Otomedius Gorgeous) • Otomedius Excellent
Other games ScrambleThunder CrossThunder Cross IISpace ManbowForce Gear
Pachislot Gradius: The SlotCR Parodius Da! EXGokuraku Parodius!
Cancelled Vic ViperGradius ArcSalamander HD Remaster
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