Vic Viper using the Laser
Listed here are all of the Laser Weapons from all Gradius related games.
Laser
Generally manifests as a continuous beam with piercing ability. Holding down the fire button gives a beam of longer duration. Attack power varies from game to game.
Extend Laser
An upgrade to the standard laser in Nemesis 2, two lasers are fired. The Nemesis 90 Kai version just increases the attack power and adds a fluctuating color effect.
Meteor Laser
An upgrade to the standard laser in Salamander MSX, as well as a standard loadout option in Nemesis 3. This is similar to the Cyclone Laser in that there is a spiral and drilling. However, it is wider, and is important for breaking certain barriers in Salamander MSX. It seems to have more attacking power than the regular laser that appears in the Meteor Laser's respective games.
Twinkle Laser
An upgrade to the standard laser, the beam gets wider and has a sparkling effect.
Screw Laser
An upgrade to the Meteor and Twinkle Lasers, this laser bends the laser and expands hit making it look like a drill. Very wide attacking range.
Cyclone Laser
An upgrade to the standard laser, it has a spiral effect and is slightly thicker.
Hyper Ray
Upgrade to the Cyclone Laser in Salamander 2. Faster and more powerful than Cyclone Laser.
Ripple Laser
An expanding laser that can hit targets over a wide range. Has a wide range of attack strengths that vary from game to game. The edges of the Ripple often have piercing, increasing damage massively at long distances. In Vulcan Venture is called Pulse Laser File:Ripple Gradius II Arcade.png|Icon from Gradius II Arcade File:Ripple Gradius III SNES.png|Icon from Gradius III SNES File:Ripple Gradius III Arcade.png|Icon from Gradius III Arcade File:Ripple Gradius Galaxies.png|Icon from Gradius Galaxies File:Ripple Laser Nemesis 3.png|Icon from Gradius Nemesis 3 File:Ripple Octopus Parodius Da.png|Icon from Parodius Da!
Buster Ripple
Upgrade to the Ripple Laser in Salamander 2. Larger and Faster than Ripple Laser.
Fire Blaster
It is a short range weapon but (intended) to be very powerful. Unfortunately, it is bugged in Nemesis 2 and Nemesis 3, and does very little damage to most enemies. This was corrected in some ports of Nemesis 2, as well as Gradius V.
Extend Blaster
Has twice the power as the "Fire Blaster", but still short range. This weapon is also bugged to do little damage.
Twin Laser
The name Twin Laser generally refers to a laser that shoots two thin, short lasers. Attack strength varies wildly between games. Generally harder to focus the attacking strength thanks to the splitting beams. Gradius 3 SNES version has piercing, making it very good as a screen sweeper. The Gradius Galaxies version features tremendous attack strength. The Salamander 2 version is an oddity, with beams that dissipate more the further along they travel. This name can also refer to a weapon in Salamander MSX that fires a pair of regular lasers.
Spear Laser
Upgrade to the Twin Laser in Salamander 2. More powerful and it doesn't get thinner like Twin Laser.
Spread Gun
3-Way
Pulse Laser
This name can refer to the alternate name of the Ripple Laser, or the Jade Knight's main laser. In the latter case, the weapon is basically a Twin Laser that can be upgraded to fire three lasers that spread out.
Gravity Bullet
Fires a bullet which generates a powerful black hole. Much like a spreadbomb.
Twin and Triple Lasers
A special upgrade usable only when the Saber Tiger and Thrasher are connected. Two or three normal lasers are fired, respectively.
Vector Laser
A temporary pickup weapon that releases very powerful expanding waves with very large attack strength and piercing ability. In Nemesis 3, this is an upgrade to the Ripple Laser/Fire Blaster on the 2way missile type, and is the most powerful weapon in the game. The Vector also shows up in Gradius: Rebirth as one of weapons of the hidden Metalion types. It functions similar to a Ripple Laser and can pass through terrain.
Energy Laser
Fires a very powerful laser ball that charges. In Gradius III Arcade, the charging sphere that envelopes the ship does great damage on enemy contact, but the resulting shot does normal damage (though moving with increased width). The Gradius III SNES and Gradius V versions both do tremendous damage when fully charged, adn can can destroy most bosses in a couple of shots.
Armor Piercing
Fires an armor piercing bullet. Slower than regular bullets, but deals more damage per round.
Thrust
Fires a fairly thick shot with a piercing effect. Mediocre power.
Up Laser
A laser that is fired from the top of the ship, replacing the double weapon (but can be used concurrently with the laser). Note that you still have bullets when you activate this weapon. This is the first weapon upgrade in Nemesis 2.
Down Laser
A laser that is fired from the bottom of the ship, replacing the missile weapon. Note that you still have bullets when you activate this weapon.