Someone mentioned this game on the last thread. Awesome times.

I hate that video games have become so easy. Gradius is from a time where you didn’t have a checkpoint/save point every 30 seconds and a giant health meter to get through the level. Gradius was hardcore, like “screw up once and you’re done” hardcore. The original Contra Series was like that too.

I was playing an old Game boy game a few nights ago and I’d forgotten how hectic it could be when you have one life left and you’ve made so much progress and you’re just sweating bullets, trying desperately to get to the next save spot without dying and having to start all over again.

Nowadays, it doesn’t matter if you die, because you’ll restart about five screens back from where you died.

Were the old games sadistic? Maybe but gosh they were so much fun and they sure kept you coming back for more.