Parodius Da!
Long before NARC wanted you to use them as a power-up, drugs have been part of the fabric of video games. The best movies, books, and music have all come from the minds of drug users and alcoholics, why should games be any different? There have been plenty of rumors over the years, and how many magic mushrooms do you need to eat before you start to see symbolism in Super Mario Bros.??
Parodius is a game that when you first play it strikes you as coming from the minds of a drug addict. It features flying penguins, colorful levels, and crude sex humor. This is not your father's 2D side scrolling shooter, this is one that does everything but beg you to get wasted and experience it in all its glory. Sadly this review doesn't get any better when you're drunk. Sorry.
If you've never heard of Parodius then don't feel bad, it might be because Konami never decided to bring the game to these shores. It's a parody of the successful Gradius series, 2D games that in the 1980s defined what the genre was all about. This game feels a lot like the Gradius games in question, but the differences become obvious the second you start the game. Thanks to its risqu? humor, Parodius didn't make it to the United States in the 1990s. These days nobody would have a problem with the suggestive themes in this 2D shooter, especially with all the other smut in video games. In this day and age there's no reason for Konami to keep Parodius from us, it would go a long way for them to include it in one of their Gradius collections (like that upcoming PSP one).
But enough history, if you've never played Parodius then you're in for one wild experience. To begin with you start out the game by choosing one of four characters -- Vic Viper (from Gradius), a bean-shaped space ship, and even a penguin. That's right; you can pilot a flying penguin! Each of these characters comes with their own power ups and special items, which you can use to add new weapons to your craft. All of this plays exactly like Gradius, only with the emphasis on the wacky.
When you're game features a flying penguin you better deliver level designs that match the craziness in the air. Parodius does not disappoint when it comes to variety of levels and enemies. You're constantly being asked to do something new in a wide variety of strange (and funny) looking levels. The minds at Konami keep things fresh through a number of exciting stages, even inserting a little sex here and there. Parodius has just about everything you could want in a 2D shooter, including one hell of a wicked sense of humor.
This TurboDuo version of Parodius comes with even more to love, thanks to a remix mode that changes everything up. This mode features new levels, redesigned levels, and much more. When it comes down to 2D shooters Parodius is the full package, definitely something worth tracking down.
But we don't get Parodius, our puritan minds can't handle half-naked weapon and penguins. Don't let that get you down, it's time to hit up the internet and track down a copy of this brilliant game for yourself. Parodius is one of the finest 2D shooters around, and I guarantee that you'll be the only one on your block with it.
