Adventures in Obscurity
Parodius
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Not all that obscure (if you're reading this you've played it), but fitting, as it's visuals inspired the rebirth of this site.
You never really know quite what to expect when you pick up a game like Parodius: will it be rubbish, like Boogerman; or will it be entertaining? A riot in Japanese humor, this. For most people, it's all a bit "What's the funny part?" But for some of us, anime fans, mostly, this game is fascinating. Truth is, I find this the humor in this game somewhat confusing, but endearing just the same. It's a welcome diversion from the requisite spaceships and aliens.
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It has been nine long years since Parodius (PAROdy of graDIUS, geddit?) was first released
in Japan. In those nine years we've doubled and re-doubled our bit counts (16, 32, 64),
witnessed the transition from 2-D to 3-D, and practically seen the end of the traditional
shooter. Yet Parodius remains oddly charming. It's the balance. Each of the four ships has it's strengths and weaknesses. Pentarou is quick, but Octopus is the most powerful. Which sets up some problems, like the Octopus being to big to get through the showgirl's legs; and Pentarou's lack of ammunition creating some problems in the later levels. But it's all part of the strategy, right? You can also pump up your ship's speed until it's faster than the enemy's shots, but that makes the controls just way too sensitive. The levels are pretty good, too, if standard Gradius fare. It's really the graphics that make the levels. Parodius clearly (check the date, 1990, before Sonic was released) inspired some of the levels of the beloved Sonic the Hedgehog series. Take a look at the first level of Parodius. See the palm trees, the water going out to the horizon? Now look at Sonic's Green Hill zone. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as they say. Sonic 2's Casino Night Zone shows some similarity to Parodius's levels 2 and 5 (especially level 5's pinball/pachinko-type boss:see right). Speaking of level 5, this is, in my opinion, where the game really shines. Whereas the other levels, while well-designed, are slow and manuveour-oriented (pun intended); level 5 is flat-out intense, and success is dependent on the collection of special weapons. Expect several near-misses. It's frustrating the first 20 times, but awesome when you finally pull it out. So, now I see Parodius for what it really is: Konami's way of laughing at itself. Not the most difficult of games (at least on medium), but an intense game at times, with an inordinately goofy front. By the way, for a surreal experience (if you like that sort of thing), play Parodius late at night, while listening to the album Gran Turismo by The Cardigans. Parodius: a game of two halves.
Vorsprung durch Technik |
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From top: 2nd, 4th, and 5th level bosses |
