Big Core MK I

Template:Infobox Boss

Big Core MK I (ビッグコア) is a recurring boss in the Gradius series.

Details

Big Core MK I is the famous staple boss in the Gradius series. They are usually found in a Gradius game in one form or another as an actual stage boss, in a boss run, or as regular enemies. (In Gradius V, they are very numerous in stage 3 at several parts and in stage 7 at the beginning of the stage.) In Gradius Gaiden, it is in the second stage as one of the boss debris. In Nemesis 2 (MSX) before boss 4, a fleet of them appear for you to destroy.

Other games have made several variants of the Big Core MK I that have it with extra armaments, different attack patterns, or transformations.

In Gradius NEO Imperial, Big Core MK I is the player's vessel instead of the Vic Viper. Here some additional weapons are available besides the traditional four laser shot.

Attack Patterns

Big Core MK I attacks by shooting four blue lasers at the player while moving up and down. They have only one core (the weakness for most bosses) which is protected by four panels. It is usually easy to destroy.

However in Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius, it becomes a little harder to deal with. At first it will attack normally, but it will suddenly turn around and begin attacking you from behind. When it returns to the right side, it will move faster and shoot it's lasers haphazardly and non-sequentially.

Anime

The Big Core appears in the second episode of the Salamander anime series. It emerges from the Bacterian infested planet the heroes investigate, sending a huge wave of Rugals when they retreat. It reappears again later, as the Gradian forces shoot it down and apparently destroy it.

Gallery

Trivia

Big Core MK I is also a Yu-Gi-Oh! card and appeared in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Episode 71.
In Rocket Knight Adventures, the design of the Big Core is used as a miniboss called the Pulsating Plasma Blaster. It initially travels on legs, and then flies once they are destroyed. In flight, it also utilizes multiple tentacles similar to Tetran.
It also guest stars in a mini game in Blades of Steel.
In Otomedius Excellent, if Tita Nium is used by the player, then she comments that Old Big Core's code is incompatible (to her BC-SYSTEM, it would seem) when she enters the barrier section of the ship to fight the gunwall.
The background video for GRADIUS 2012 in beatmania IIDX 20 tricoro sees the Vic Viper joined by a friendly Big Core MK I.

Gradius
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages	Volcano • Stonehenge • Moai • Reverse Volcano • Wasteland (PCE) • Tentacle • Cell • Base
Sub Bosses	Volcano • Zub Rush • Mother and Child • Iron Maiden • Tentacle • Electronic Cage • Re-Bone (PC Engine) • Tornado (MSX) • Tyran Pace (MSX)
Bosses	Big Core • Cell Nucleus • Xaerous Brain

Gradius II: GOFER no Yabō
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages (arcade)	Artificial Sun • Alien • Crystal • Volcano • Revenge of Moai • High Speed Maze • Boss Rush • Gofer Ship Interior
Port-exclusive stages	Gradius II NES Stage 2 (NES) • Volcano - Crystal (NES) • Enemy Base (NES) • Gofer's Lair (NES) • Temple (PC-E)
Bosses	Phoenix • Big Eye • Giga (NES) • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Jumping Moai • Big Moai • Desert Core (PC Engine) • Big Core MK II • Zub Rush • Big Core • Golem • Tetran • Gaw • Intruder • Zelos Force (NES) • Covered Core • Demos • Crab • Gofer

Gradius III
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages	Desert • Bubble Zone • Volcanic Planet • High Speed Dimension • Moai Zone • Cell Planet • Prominence Planet • Plant Planet • Crystal Zone • Boss Rush • Mechanical Base
SNES exclusive stages	High Speed Zone • Fortress • Cell
Bosses	Goliath • Bubble Eye • Godrei • Big Core MK III • Dogas • Vaif • Twin Vaif (SNES) • Gregol • Wyvern • Vulture Dragon • Choking Weed • Lizard Core • Beacon (SNES) • Tetran • Covered Core • Big Core MK II • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Dellinger Core • Disrupt • Shadow Gear • Shadow Gear MK II (SNES) • Big Core • Golem • Bacterian

Gradius V
Ships	Vic Viper T-301
Stages	Planet Gradius Satellite Orbit • Planet Gradius City Sky A • Planet Gradius Urban Underground Hierarchy • Bacterian Cell Center • Asteroid Front Base • Bacterian Multiplication Plant • Bacterian Fortification Center • Planet Gradius City Sky B
Bosses	Big Core MK-I Rev.2 • Venom (lower) • Death MK III • Tetran • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK IV • Ground Spider • Huge Heart • Blaster Cannon Core • Rolling Core • Circle Core • Big Core MK III • Covered Core MK II • Beacon • Keeper's Core • Elephant Gear • Venom (upper)

Gradius NEO
Characters/Ships	Force Viper • Big Core Custom • Lars Empire
Gradius NEO Bosses	Satellite Core • Crystal Moai • Gigantic • Ogre Shield • Big Core X 3 • Central Server
Gradius NEO Imperial Bosses	Big Core • Satellite Core MK II • Deadalus • Crystal Moai • Genocide Core

Salamander
Characters and ships	Vic Viper • Lord British (Lord British)• Saber Tiger and Thrasher (Iggy Rock and Zowie Scott) • Van Landroth Frehley • Lars XVIII • Super Cobra • Galaxy • Purple Emperor • Red Devil
Salamander stages	Bionic Germ • Meteorite Space • Burning Chaos • Volcano Area • Salamander Planetoid
Salamander (MSX) stages	Top Flight Speed to Latis • Conduct to Space Station Zot • Set the Crush Blow System - Planet Eioneus • Set the Crush Blow System - Planet Lavinia • Set the Crush Blow System - Planet Kierke • Wrath of Venom • Crush Salamander
Life Force-only stages	Organic Speed Zone • Temple Zone
Salamander 2 stages	Sub-life Space • Prominence Fortress • Bio Hazard • Huge Battleship • Asteroid • Doom Fortress
Salamander bosses	Golem • Tetran • Intruder • Fortress Valis • Death • Big Core X3 • Jumping Moai • Zelos Force
Port exclusive bosses	Zylom • Gaw • Giga • Tutankhamon • Dead End • Enigma • True Venom • Metal Slave • Zelos Barrier
Salamander 2 bosses	Biter • Hydra • Abadon • Tenny Rop • Plate Core • Cerberus • Doom

Nemesis
Characters	James Burton (Metalion) • David Burton (Vixen) • Gaudie • Venom • Venom's Aides • Lars 17th • Wreek
Nemesis 2 stages	Colossus Planet • Plant Planet • Ancient Planet • Floating Continents • Planet of Fire • Living Planet • Sin • Asteroid Belt • Water Planet • Venom Mothership
Nemesis 3 stages	Sun • Plant • Gravity • Past-Boss • Moai • Hell • Sand • Cell • Factory • Gofer Ship
Nemesis 2 bosses	Sodd • Riot Warship • Misfit Warship • Big Core X10 • Mayhem Warship • Doom • Sinar • Abaddon Warship • Venom
Nemesis '90 Kai exclusive bosses	Lizard Core • Laser Core • Big Core MK II Kai • Beta Core
Nemesis 3 bosses	Geezer Butler • Hans Naughty • Tetran • Abaddon Warship • Misfit Warship • Big Core • Armored Saint • Lynyrd Skynyrd • Triumph Kicks • Killer Dwarf • Crab Warlock • Queensrÿche • Gofer

Solar Assault
Ships	Vic Viper • Lord British • Alpinia
Stages	The River Styx • Fierce Blaze • Curse • Abyssal Forest • Speed Demon • Solar Assault
Bosses	Big Core MK I • Intruder • Tutankhamon • Dinosaur • Big Core MK II • Crab

Template:Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius

Otomedius
Main Characters	Aoba Anoa • Erul Tron • Emon • 5 • Madoka • Diol Twee • Tita Nium • Esmeralda • Poini Coon • Arnval • Strarf • Gesshi Hanafuuma • Kokoro Belmont
Supporting Characters	Operetta • Princess Irene • Konami Lady • Emon • 8 • Pastel
Antagonists	Eliza • Titi XIV • Yoshiko • Gofer Sisters • Meta Lium • Neko Sencho • T.B. Rika • Ryukotsuki • Shiori Fujisaki • Ruby and Cobalt • Dark Force
Otomedius / Gorgeous stages	San Salvador Island • Tokyo • Canadian Rockies • Easter Island • Alexandria • Antarctica • Valhalla
Otomedius Excellent stages	The Big Wave • Midnight Tetran • Spelunker of Hell • The Ancient Bacterian • The Return of Cosmic War • Dark Force's Ambition Part 1 • Dark Force's Ambition Part 2 • Dark Force's Ambition Part 3 • Skills to the Test • Message from Emon-5 • The Reunion
Otomedius / Gorgeous bosses	Princess Seiren • Eyegol • Big Core DX-01 • Scarab Core • Crystal Core D-X02 • Big Core • Abaddon Warship • Mayhem Warship • Tetran • Viva Core • Manbow • Big Core MK II • Rolling Core • Covered Core MK II • Death • Zelos Force Fortune • Odin Core
Otomedius Excellent bosses	Mirrored Core • Tri-Pod Core • Serpent-Core • Big Core DX • Old Big Core • Heaven's Gate • Perla Meralda • Neo Big Core • Misfit Warship • Dellinger Core • Metal Slave • Gunner Wall • Black Viper • Death Bringer • Scramble Ship • Bisumaru Excellent • WinBee

Core Warships
Big Cores	Big Core MK I • Big Core Custom • Big Core MK-I Rev.2 • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK II Kai • Big Core MK III • Big Core MK IV
Big Core variants	Beacon • Big Core Duo • Blaster Cannon Core • Boost Core • Bubble Core • Circle Core • Coreship • Crater Core • Crystal Core • Dellinger Core • Desert Core • Heaven's Gate • Juggler Core • Laser Core • Lizard Core • Neo Big Core • Perla Meralda • Planet Core • Rexion Core • Rolling Core • Shining Core • Super Big Core • Terra Core • Vanishing Core • Genocide Core • Odin Core
Core-style bosses	Abaddon Warship • Covered Core • Covered Core MK II • Dead End • Kraken • Mayhem Warship • Metal Slave • Misfit Warship • Queensrÿche • Riot Warship • Plate Core
Pseudo-Cores	Death • Death MK II (DeathDouble) • Death MK III • Beta Core • Nobil • Triple Core • Crash Bam
Tetran variants	Tetran (Zylom) • Covered Tetran • Crystal Core D-X02 • Laser Tetran • Tenny Rop
Parody Cores	Candy Core • Decoration Core • Decoration Core MK II • Viva Core

Salamander (OVA)
Episodes	Episode 1: Salamander • Episode 2: Paula's Meditation • Episode 3: Gofer's Ambition
Characters	Ike Lord British • Dan • Stephanie McBain • Eddie Evans • Doromo • Ministers • Lee McBain • Paula • Gofer
Enemies	Rugal • Sharp Cross • Golem • Giga • Zelos Force • Intruder • Tentacle • Big Core MK I • Moai • Xaerous Brain • Fire Dragon • Death Hand • Big Eye • Dee-01 • Phoenix • Amoeba • Nucleus