Nemesis 2 / Gradius 2

While the world played Gradius on consoles and in arcades, MSX owners got something exceptional — their own, exclusive installments of this legendary space series that nobody else had. Konami's Nemesis 2 and Nemesis 3 (also known under the Gradius name) were not mere ports but full-fledged games with their own content and characters, created specifically for this platform.

The core of the gameplay remains unmistakably Gradius: you control a fighter, collect icons for gradual upgrades and build your arsenal using the famous power-up system that made the series a benchmark of the genre. Konami, however, added its own story and gameplay elements for the MSX, so owners of these computers were not playing a trimmed-down version but standalone chapters of the saga, of which they were rightly proud.

Technically it was the peak of what the platform could do. Konami was among the developers who knew the MSX hardware to the marrow and could wring fast, legible and visually impressive action out of it. For fans of Konami shooters these installments are a real treasure — a piece of history that exists only here.

And there is one more delicacy: it was on the MSX that the original Parodius was born, a mad comedic parody of Gradius where, instead of a serious space battle, you face flying penguins and all manner of visual mischief. It shows Konami's playful side and the fact that the platform was a space for the studio to experiment and poke fun at itself.

For anyone who loves classic horizontal shooters, these MSX exclusives represent a small sanctuary. They are not side products of a big brand, but its distinctive branch — and proof that Gradius also has chapters you can only discover among enthusiasts and collectors loyal to this Japanese computer.

Why play it: For the exclusive, technically top-notch installments of the Gradius series that exist only on the MSX, and to discover the roots of Konami's mad Parodius.